New Product Development Explained: The Hidden Risks Between Idea and Production

Episode 310 (January 2026) of China Manufacturing Decoded. Host Adrian is joined by Paul Adams, head of New Product Development at Agilian Technology, part of our group, for a practical walkthrough of how a strong NPD partner guides products from idea to mass production.

The episode highlights key benefits of working with a strong NPD team and NPI process: faster time to market, built-in quality and reliability, better scope and cost control, and robust protection of intellectual property. Paul also discusses practical red flags to watch for when selecting a contract manufacturer and why the cheapest quote can become the most expensive option.

To learn more or discuss a product, listeners are invited to contact Agilian and reach out to Paul and the NPD team for advice, prototyping support, and new product development services.

 

Episode Sections:

• 00:00 – Introduction & episode context
  Why NPD partnerships matter when going from idea to mass production
• 01:55 – Overview of the NPI / NPD journey
  Why new product development is a process, not a single milestone
• 02:36 – The six NPI phases explained
  Feasibility → Prototype → Tooling → Validation → Pre-production → Mass production
• 05:00 – Why pre-production runs are critical
  Real example: catching a potential 30% failure rate before mass production
• 07:30 – What an NPD team actually does
  Acting as both the customer’s voice and the company’s representative
• 11:10 – Managing scope, budget, and expectations
  Why scope creep quietly kills timelines, cost, and quality
• 14:10 – Transparency as a core NPD responsibility
  Why “telling customers what they want to hear” creates long-term risk
• 16:35 – Embedding risk mitigation into every phase
  Living risk registers, phase gates, and cross-functional reviews
• 21:00 – Risk goes beyond engineering
  Budget limits, internal constraints, and customer readiness
• 24:00 – Benefits of a strong NPD partner
  Faster time-to-market, built-in quality, and reliability by design
• 27:05 – Intellectual property protection and trust
  Why IP protection is foundational to long-term partnerships
• 30:10 – Order-takers vs true manufacturing partners
  What importers should look for when choosing a contract manufacturer
• 31:25 – Closing remarks & where to learn more

 

Related content…

• The New Product Introduction Process Guide
• Agilian - How we work (6 NPI Phases)
• Get assistance from Sofeast with your NPI
• 4 types of pre-production prototype to make before production
• 11 questions to ask before working with a contract manufacturer

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