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Downturns and the Design Engineer

Former Member

A question for design engineers - During an industry downturn, are you most likely to redesign existing product(s) or design a new product?

How does your job change during a slowdown? All comments welcome.

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    We have a typical design to manufacture cycle of 6 months to 12 months depending on the complexity product and the amount of custom mechnical tooling required.  So there is a lot of strategic rethinking during downtimes as this is generally a similar window to the actual economic dip.

    As a design consultancy, we also see changes in our clients' response.  About 20% of our clients are either advancing development schedules or adding new products to their development list in anticipation of being able to take advantage of the upturn.  Some are also taking advantage of a slight slowing to get to things they couldn't when they were flat out.  MOst businesses these days don't have a lot of spare capcity just sitting around so a short term slowing is actually an opportunity.

    Most of the rest of the 80% are either cutting development completely or scaling back significantly.

    I'm fairly sure about who will do better come the revcovery.

    Internally, we are expanding and have just moved to larger offices.  We see this as a chance to bring new products and services forward and are acting according to that belief.

     

    Ray Keefe

    Managing Director

    Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

    http://www.successful.com.au

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  • 0

    We have a typical design to manufacture cycle of 6 months to 12 months depending on the complexity product and the amount of custom mechnical tooling required.  So there is a lot of strategic rethinking during downtimes as this is generally a similar window to the actual economic dip.

    As a design consultancy, we also see changes in our clients' response.  About 20% of our clients are either advancing development schedules or adding new products to their development list in anticipation of being able to take advantage of the upturn.  Some are also taking advantage of a slight slowing to get to things they couldn't when they were flat out.  MOst businesses these days don't have a lot of spare capcity just sitting around so a short term slowing is actually an opportunity.

    Most of the rest of the 80% are either cutting development completely or scaling back significantly.

    I'm fairly sure about who will do better come the revcovery.

    Internally, we are expanding and have just moved to larger offices.  We see this as a chance to bring new products and services forward and are acting according to that belief.

     

    Ray Keefe

    Managing Director

    Successful Endeavours Pty Ltd

    http://www.successful.com.au

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