Run stage-gate reviews for new product introduction with defined entry and exit criteria at each gate.
Project Management
New Product Introduction Projects and Design Transfer to Manufacturing
Manage new product introduction from concept through design transfer: run stage-gate reviews, prepare manufacturing readiness, and control the ramp from pilot build to full production.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
A product that works in engineering validation can still fail as a manufactured product if the handover from design to production is not managed as its own project. This course covers new product introduction from a stage-gate perspective, with particular depth on the design transfer point where responsibility moves from an engineering team to a manufacturing organisation. Participants learn to run stage-gate reviews with clear entry and exit criteria, apply design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles before a design is frozen, and build the design transfer package, drawings, bill of materials, work instructions and test specifications, that a factory needs to build the product without engineering standing over the line. Sessions cover engineering change order control once a design is released, supplier qualification and first article inspection, and planning pilot builds that surface manufacturing issues while they are still cheap to fix. The course also addresses production part approval and advanced product quality planning disciplines used to demonstrate a process is capable before volume ramp, and the ramp plan itself: sequencing tooling, line balancing and workforce training against a demand curve. Participants finish able to run an NPI project through design freeze and transfer, and manage the ramp from first pilot units to sustained full-rate production.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Apply design-for-manufacture and design-for-assembly principles before a product design is frozen.
Build a design transfer package of drawings, bill of materials, work instructions and test specifications.
Control engineering change orders so design changes after transfer are assessed and approved formally.
Plan supplier qualification and first article inspection ahead of pilot and production builds.
Plan and run pilot builds that surface manufacturing and quality issues before volume ramp.
Sequence a production ramp plan covering tooling, line balancing and workforce training against demand.
Who Should Attend
NPI and engineering project managers taking products from design into production
Manufacturing engineers responsible for design transfer and production readiness
Quality engineers running first article inspection and production part approval
Supply chain and sourcing leads qualifying suppliers ahead of production ramp
Product development leads accountable for design freeze and transfer decisions
Operations managers planning production ramp and workforce readiness
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01NPI Process and Stage-Gate Governance
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Structuring the Stage-Gate Process
- Define stage-gate phases from concept through design freeze, pilot build and production ramp.
- Set entry and exit criteria for each gate covering design maturity, cost and manufacturing readiness.
- Assign gate decision authority to avoid a project drifting forward without a genuine review.
- Track open risks and actions from each gate review through to the next decision point.
Session 2Cross-Functional Planning for NPI
- Build a cross-functional project plan linking design, quality, sourcing and manufacturing milestones.
- Identify long-lead tooling and component decisions early enough to protect the launch date.
- Set a design freeze date and the change-control process that applies from that point onward.
- Align NPI milestones with marketing and sales launch commitments to avoid a mismatched release.
02Design for Manufacture and Design Transfer Readiness
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Design for Manufacture and Assembly
- Apply design-for-manufacture principles to reduce part count and simplify assembly sequences.
- Run design-for-assembly reviews with manufacturing engineers before the design is frozen.
- Assess tolerance stack-up and process capability implications of the proposed design.
- Resolve design-for-manufacture findings through formal change requests rather than informal fixes.
Session 2Building the Design Transfer Package
- Compile drawings, bill of materials, work instructions and test specifications into a transfer package.
- Verify the transfer package is complete enough for manufacturing to build without engineering support.
- Run a design transfer review that manufacturing, quality and sourcing formally accept.
- Establish engineering change order control for any design change after transfer is accepted.
03Pilot Builds, Qualification and Supplier Readiness
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Planning and Running Pilot Builds
- Plan pilot build quantities and timing to surface manufacturing issues while they remain cheap to fix.
- Capture and prioritise pilot build issues by their impact on cost, quality and schedule.
- Use pilot build data to validate work instructions and line layout before the ramp.
- Decide readiness for production ramp based on pilot build results against exit criteria.
Session 2Supplier Qualification and Process Approval
- Plan supplier qualification and first article inspection ahead of the pilot build schedule.
- Apply production part approval process documentation to demonstrate a supplier's process capability.
- Run advanced product quality planning activities to close quality risks before volume production.
- Track supplier corrective actions to closure before approving them for production volumes.
04Production Ramp-Up and Post-Launch Control
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Planning the Production Ramp
- Sequence tooling installation, line balancing and workforce training against the demand ramp curve.
- Plan capacity and inventory buffers to absorb early-ramp yield or quality variability.
- Set ramp milestones with defined yield and output targets before increasing production volume.
- Coordinate a ramp readiness review across manufacturing, quality and supply chain before scale-up.
Session 2Post-Launch Monitoring and Continuous Improvement
- Track early production yield, defect rates and field returns against pre-launch expectations.
- Feed early production issues back into engineering change requests where design is the root cause.
- Close out the NPI project with a lessons-learned review shared with future product teams.
- Transition ongoing production issues to a continuous improvement process beyond the NPI project.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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