On the technical side, requirements can include:
• Ability to provide a “real world” engineering perspective during product design that addresses component availability, manufacturability, testability and quality considerations
• Ability to support any regulatory requirements related to product or production qualification, plus ongoing requirements for component or process change approvals dictated by the product’s regulatory environment
• Ability to team with each customer on quality initiatives and cost reduction activities over the life of the product
• Ability to address obsolescence issues over time, either through redesign or approved procurement practices
• Ability to support troubleshooting and testing associated with repair depot operations, if product cost and lifecycle length makes repair depot a viable support service.
From the business side, the equation can be far more complex:
• Ability to provide cost effective solutions for varying demand levels over the life of the product, that maximize responsiveness while minimizing inventory pipeline as much as possible
• Ability to provide continuous visibility into product status and quality trends
• Ability to offer a choice in manufacturing locations to support issues such as proximity to product development team, proximity to end markets or access to lower cost labor markets.