Agile hardware development explained

Agile hardware development

At DeepSea Developments, we have been implementing a hardware development methodology for a few years, and it has given outstanding results. We are talking about agile hardware development. Let’s see in this article what it is, and why it is crucial for providing great hardware development services.

What is agile methodology?

Agile methodology is an approach to project management that focuses on flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness. This methodology was originally developed for software development.

The main principles of agile methodology are iterative and incremental development, customer collaboration, flexibility and adaptability, and continuous improvement.

Thanks to the great results of this methodology throughout the years, it has been applied to hardware development. That’s why it adopted the name of agile hardware development. By using this methodology, the hardware prototype process delivers better results in a short period of time.

What is agile hardware development?

what is agile hardware development?


In the agile hardware development process
, the product is developed in small increments or iterations, and each iteration builds on the work of the previous one. The product development team works closely with the customer or end-user to gather feedback, which is used to refine the product and guide future development.

Thanks to agile methodology for hardware development, the development process typically involves a series of sprints, which are short; focused periods of development that typically last one to four weeks. During each sprint, the team works to complete a set of specific tasks or user stories, which are short descriptions of a feature or functionality from the perspective of the end-user.

How does agile hardware development work?

As we mentioned earlier, agile hardware development involves breaking the product development process into small, iterative stages, just like in software development. However, the stages in hardware development may be longer and involve more physical testing and prototyping.

For instance, a hardware development team might begin by designing a prototype of a new product using CAD software (see product design strategy). They would then build a physical prototype, test it, and use the results to refine the design of the prototype. This process would be repeated several times, taking into account that each iteration will help to improve the design, and there will be a closer version to the final product.

Remember there are crucial principles that must be addressed. Collaboration is one of them, it means that the engineering team needs to work together with their customers to gather feedback on the design. There is also a chance to work with potential customers to gain better insights on the design and features of the product.

The other principle of agile for hardware development is flexibility and adaptability. For example, if the engineering team runs into unexpected technical difficulties, or a change due to customer requirements, the team must be able to adjust their approach and iterate on the design.

On the other hand, adaptability refers to the capacity of changing the materials of a design when there are specific requirements or obstacles that need to be resolved.

We are an electronic product development company that has managed to help several customers to update their prototypes and products because there was a chip scarcity or because of technologies that are no longer used (or available) in the market. With the help of electronics product design, we have saved several projects from losing thousands of dollars.

This is what makes the agile processes for hardware development so interesting, since quick changes can be made and still obtain great results in the prototype.

If you want a project to be successful under this hardware development methodology, it is important to foster collaboration and communication. Every person involved in the project needs to be informed about the progress, changes, and any roadblocks that show up. Also, this information needs to be communicated to the client, who needs to know how the project is evolving.

Continuous improvement is also a key principle of agile hardware development. Here, there is a constant encouragement of the teams to reflect on their work and identify ways to improve their processes and products. This principle of agile for hardware might involve adopting new technologies, improving testing methods, or refining the design process to be more efficient.

Sometimes an engineering team has found out they don’t count on the skills or capabilities to develop certain technical requirements, and they look for outsourced product services that can help them advance on the project.

3 benefits of agile methodology for hardware development

It is worth mentioning 3 benefits that agile hardware development can give you. Take this information as a motivation to continue with the development of your great business idea.

1. Faster time-to-market


Since agile hardware development involves developing the product in small, iterative cycles, receiving feedback, and implementing changes, there is a higher chance of arriving at a final version in a short period.

This means your company will be able to launch the product into the market and get a great niche percentage. We have helped many customers who have come to us looking for healthcare development services.

2. Increased collaboration


The agile methodology for hardware development fosters constant collaboration between team members, that is, hardware engineers, software developers, and product managers; in which we provide an excellent hardware product management service. Thanks to this, there can be a better understanding of the product, as well as different ways to solve problems or issues that may appear throughout the process (see leadership styles).

3. Better risk management


One of the most interesting added values of agile hardware development is the possibility to quickly identify potential risks early on in the development process through constant testing and validation.

This is crucial for reducing the potential loss of money in unnecessary developments (features that are not necessary or that don’t add value to the initial concept of the project), and for ensuring that the product meets the needs of the potential customers.

We hope you liked this article related to agile hardware development. As you can see, this is a great methodology for prototyping in a fast way, and getting results in a short time. If you need IoT product development consulting that applies the agile methodology with outstanding results, you can count on the services of DeepSea Developments.

Do you have questions? Contact Us!

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