Detailed Planning

Introduction

You may have arrived at a brilliant engineering idea, product, or service, but is it feasible to bring it into existence? Below is a list of questions you should consider to determine if your idea is realizable.

Design and Development

Does your design need further refinement or development? If so:

• Who will conduct the prototyping and testing?
• How much will this cost?
• How long will it take?
• What technical skills do people need to prototype and test the idea?
• Will testing need to be done in situ?

Implementation

Does your design idea need fabricating, installing, and assembling?

• Who will build, install, or assemble the product?
• Do materials or the finished product need to be transported? What is the supply chain?
• Does fabrication, installation, or commissioning require specialized skills? If so, who will perform these tasks, and how will they acquire the skills?
• Are any instructions or manuals required for installation? Who will produce these? Will they be accessible to the intended audience?

Operations

• Are there any dependencies on external systems or services, such as power, data, chemicals, or security personnel? Are these readily available, and how will you ensure their reliability?
• Does the product need to be regularly maintained? Who will perform the maintenance, and do they need any specific skills? If so, how will they acquire these skills?
• Does anything require cleaning? Does the design allow for this? Who will do the cleaning?
• Are any instructions or manuals required for maintenance? Who will produce these? Will they be accessible to the intended audience?
• Does your design solution require any form of customer service? How will this be achieved?
• What are the plans for unexpected failures, such as breakages? How will people in charge of implementing those plans be informed?
• Does anything need storing? What is the shelf life, how much space is needed, and how will it be kept secure?
• Is any waste produced, and how will it be managed?

Digital

Does your design involve any digital components? If so:

• How will you ensure that all software remains updated to prevent security vulnerabilities?
• How will you ensure customer data is kept private and secure? Are systems like encryption, backups, and access controls in place?
• Does your product need to integrate with other digital systems or platforms? If so, are these integrations secure and reliable?

End of Life

• How long is the product expected to last?
• How will it be disposed of at the end of its life?
• What is the plan for replacement at the end of life?