Cost Estimation for Product Development

An inspired idea for new products often comes along with thoughts of the problems such products will solve. What you think of most of the time is how to get your products from production to market as quickly as possible.

However, one thing that may have skipped your mind is how much it costs to get to that point.

Whether you have vast experience of bringing products to market or you are new to the process, it is crucial to know how deep your pockets must be. That is, you need to know how to estimate the cost of the product development process. You will most likely put a large portion of your investments into the product at the designing and prototyping stages.

At this point, you will spend lots of money on prototype development services while there might be no cash rolling in. If the cost estimation is not right, there may be some serious effects on your business’s bottom line. A very low cost estimate tends to eat quickly into profit margins. Likewise, a cost estimate that’s too high may affect your previous relationships with suppliers.

Moreover, a price cost estimate for product development will give you a good idea of how feasible your overall project will be. It helps you to look at your design in stages to understand the cost of each stage. Then, you can model your estimation based on various funding rounds in the investment cycle.

In this post, we will explore the process of price cost estimation and the factors you need to consider for cost estimation.

What are the Factors You Must Consider Before Doing Cost Estimation?

The following are things you should consider while estimating the cost of your product development:

The complexity of Product Design

First, a complex design will incur more costs. That is, the more joints, moving parts, circuit boards, etc., required, the higher your prototype and design costs will be. Therefore, you need to know what your audience needs and how complex their needs are.

Materials

Material choice plays an important role in product development as well as cost estimation. The materials chosen will depend on the intended use of the product. High-end materials will increase the cost of production.

Machining Techniques Chosen

The cost estimate you will get for 5-axis machining will differ from that obtained for prototype injection molding. You need to ask yourself if your production cycle will involve using complex and highly specialized equipment.

Quantity

Cost estimation is usually based on cost per unit. Thus, the number of items for each production line will determine the overall cost.

Packing Design

Are the pieces for your design readily available? How easy are they to procure? These are crucial questions you must ask yourself to understand your product’s packaging design. It would help if you also considered the complexity of the pieces and the extent to which you want to customize the design.

Shipping & Import Cost

Developing products for a specific region may come with strict regulations. Importing raw materials and exporting finished products will involve some shipping and customs fees. You must also put these into consideration during price cost estimation for product development.

How to Carry Out Price Cost Estimation for Product Development

There are four basic stages to getting an estimate for your product development stage. Each stage comes with its specific range of criteria based on the position of the project in the production cycle. It may be at the design stage or move on to the distribution stage. Getting a perfect grasp of all steps that go into production costs will help you better allocate your budget.

The breakdown of the cost estimation for product development goes from design planning to product distribution.

Stage 1: Design Stage

The first stage of your cost estimation centers on your product’s idea. At this point, you most likely don’t have a product to show, but you have an idea of how your product should look like. You will be selling this idea. Therefore, you need to understand what it takes to bring this idea to fruition.

At this stage, you need to know the primary goal of your intended product. Also, you must be able to paint a visual image of your picture and give it a verbal description. The material choice comes into play at this point because your material choice will impact product design costs and end results. A clear outline of these criteria will help you and other stakeholders get a good price estimate.

Stage 2: Prototype Stage

Once the design stage is sorted out, you can move on to evaluating the costs of prototype CNC machining or other development processes. This stage is a lot easier, thanks to the tech-driven platforms offered by prototyping companies.

For example, RapidDirect’s instant quotation platform will generate quotes for your prototype within seconds. In this case, you only have to upload a design file. The platform does the price estimate for you to examine and compare with your budget.

Stage 3: Production Stage

Production does not only involve rolling out your product to the market. It also involves you understanding your customers’ needs. Keeping that in mind, you need to examine the following:

• The primary needs of your product’s market – Producing complex products will be a waste if your target customers can’t afford them. Thus, it would be best to consider your market needs to establish production steps and the costs involved.
• The initial manufacturing run. You must also know the number of units to produce as test samples. Introducing your product to the target audience is a crucial step. However, the right units must be targeted to keep track of the cost.
• Cost per unit item. Materials, design, and timing can impact the costs for a unit product. Focus on per-unit price so that you can scale your product easily.

Stage 4: Distribution Stage

At this stage, you already have a complete concept and production plan. However, the distribution channels may be lacking. The distribution stage features larger product units, and you will have to work with third parties. To estimate the cost for the distribution stage effectively, you need to know your geographical market regions. It helps you to prepare for region-specific regulations and payments.

Also, you may also need specialized shipping for delicate or heavy products. These products and specialized handling needs will require added costs. Thus, you must check regional shipping rules and custom fees. You may also look to add new products to your line. It is, therefore, crucial to estimate the expenses for such a move.

Final Thoughts

While it may not be easy to get accurate cost estimates for product development, it is a crucial process that you should not leave out. Ultimately, knowing how much a production process will cost will help you come up with sales plans. This way, you can turn a profit from your product and improve the overall business condition.