Research & Development
Methods
Design Controls
Dielectrics uses an ISO-13485 compliant design control system to expedite the development process by preventing redundancy and costly mistakes.
Relative Time Lines
In most projects, there are periods when the engineering activities are on hold pending a related deliverable (funding, marketing studies, clinical feedback, etc.). Dielectrics project managers accommodate these periods by "chunking" the projects into discrete scopes of work that can continue to be executed. This way, it is easier to know the appropriate lead time relative to when key decisions are made, rather than committing to a delivery date that might be unattainable.
Ad-hoc Teams
Different skill sets are needed for different phases of the projects. Teams are organized around specific scopes of work, and then transitioned as the project's needs change. Team members may come from any department in the company including Quality, Production, Engineering, Finance, etc.
Risk Management
Dielectrics believes in involving the Quality function as early as possible in the development cycle. In most cases, the quality system develops simultaneously with the product specifications.
Project Controls
Standard professional project management tools are used on an as-required basis.
Monthly Financial Reconciliations
Dielectrics uses a comprehensive accounting system that captures and evaluates all project-related costs every month.
Exit Ramps and Funding
The newer the project, the higher the technical risk. Since the level of technical risk is difficult to calculate in monetary terms, most project time lines are written with "exit ramps." We define these as natural breaking points in the plan when a client has the least amount of forward spending committed, and thus can evaluate the value of the work to date. Exit ramp opportunities are typically associated with a design review or a design freeze.