Sketch To Scale: The Importance Of Relationship-Building At The Prototyping Stage

By Swati Patel, MA

The product development process for medical devices can seem like a daunting endeavor, especially for startups who are finding their footing in a vast sea of competition. While medical device manufacturers are faced with a litany of requirements and considerations throughout the development process, selecting the right strategic outsourcing partner for medical textile components is a key ingredient of that success.

Medical device component suppliers who provide textile-based components for Class II & Class III implantable medical devices are critical to a device manufacturer’s success, whether the manufacturer is a large, established organization or a young startup still in the early stages of research and development (R&D).

But what qualities and characteristics should medical device manufacturers of any scale look for in an ideal supplier? And how can a potential supplier show that they’re not only capable of moving a project from the R&D stage to full-scale commercialization, but can work as an extension of the manufacturer’s engineering team throughout the process from start to finish?

The answer lies in what many would argue are the cornerstones of any successful relationship: transparent communication and collaboration. Achieving a good rapport with a new partner might seem just as challenging as the product development process itself, but those initial discussions don’t need to be overwhelming—they just need to be open and honest.