Know When to Outsource Concept and Product Design

Published On - August 14, 2019

General Technics Blog

Arco, a data protections solutions company, approached General Technics looking to create a product would that allow a user to quickly clone a hard drive onto four, eight, or twelve target drives simultaneously. 

While products like this are now widespread, General Technics led Arco through this project when the concept was an innovation for the market – working simultaneously through the mechanical and electrical design, market demands, and overall product viability. By outsourcing concept and product design, Arco gained a partner that could specify requirements, design to requirements, and transition to production.

Arco drive duplicator

Specify Requirements

Outsourcing concept and design allowed the Arco team to come with requirements, and then have those requirements be vetted and strengthened to meet the specific goals of the final deliverable. The Arco team began by presenting a rough sketch and design requirements, including: 

  • 3.5” or 2.5” SATA drives that could plug in to the product without a mounting carrier
  • Serial, USB, and Ethernet ports
  • LCD and keypad for controls

Design

Starting early in the design process allowed General Technics to prioritize the mechanical design of the overall product to meet the technical requirements, and then work through the electrical design of the control and interface board. As an expert in mechanical and electrical design, General Technics could provide precise design recommendations.

Iterate

Part of involving General Technics early in the process meant there was a fluid concept and design phase where Arco continued to evolve requirements as the project moved forward, leading to a more iterative design process than what takes place when clients have firm requirements and specifications up front. Because the General Technics team is experienced and equipped to concept and design a project from scratch, they could evolve the concept over time and design to meet the demands of modified requirements. 

Having a third-party partner helped Arco decide the overall product was flexible in final size, and they could meet all the technical requirements with a tradeoff of specific footprint.

Ultimately, General Technics provided Arco with a final product design, ready for complete production.  

Arco drive duplicator

Learn more about the entire process for the Arco drive duplicator, or find out about custom design servicesfor your project.