New Product Introduction (NPI)

Paramit has over 20 years of experience taking new products to production. Our new product introduction (NPI) process incorporates an industry-accepted set of phase-gate stages that prepares and qualifies products for volume production. Each stage has clearly defined inputs and outputs that allow Paramit and the customer to identify and resolve issues on both the manufacturing and engineering sides that would affect product quality and cost during volume production. Each gate has an associated sign-off process which ensures that all relevant inputs are reviewed and considered before moving to the next stage. By capturing relevant progress metrics and working with the customer through the milestone process, we ensure that Paramit meets customers' commitment dates and volumes.

Starting Off Right

Paramit's NPI process starts with a resource requirement assessment which allows us to assemble a team with the right mix of experts for the project. Our NPI team then works with the OEM's design team to benchmark the customer's product so we fully understand the design and functions before any work begins.

Our engineers use Valor software to do a thorough Design for Manufacturability (DFM) analysis of the printed circuit board (PCB) layout and then make recommendations for appropriate changes to the board design. We perform an additional DFM at the system level and utilize a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to identify and rate the risks for failures throughout the manufacturing process. Based on the analysis, we determine the best methods, jigs, and tools to use for the actual assembly process.

In parallel, our supply chain experts ensure that all parts are available and analyzed for their likelihood of obsolescence. We also evaluate the mechanical assemblies and identify primary and secondary preferred suppliers. Meanwhile, our engineers analyze the product design to create a defect opportunity list for use in determining DPMO metrics (defects per million opportunities) later in the manufacturing process. The engineers also define the criteria for process validation testing (PVT) and work closely with the OEM's product engineers to design and develop product tests and custom fixtures.

When the planning and preparation phases are complete, the NPI team starts building the product. We fine-tune, optimize, and validate the PCB and mechanical assembly processes in an iterative fashion until we're confident these processes result in a cost effective, reliable, quality product. Once the product moves into production, we perform a quality data review (QDR) based on yield metrics and defects per unit (DPU). This data analysis drives the next round of manufacturing improvements.

Quality Results

The result of the Paramit's NPI process is a seamless startup experience and a comprehensive roadmap for the entire product life cycle. In fact, Paramit is so committed to the NPI process that we take all the products we manufacture for the first time through this process, whether the products are new to the market or not.