Product Audit – An Outside Perspective on Your Own Product
Whether it's a market launch, a relaunch or handing over a prototype for series production — your own product shouldn't have to prove itself with the customer first. We bring a technical outside perspective and experience from a broad cross-section of subject matter. This assessment is often difficult to make in-house, because every design decision has a reason, and you know what it is.
Anyone who has looked after a product for years knows every design decision and the reason it was made at the time. This closeness makes them the best advocate for their product, but it blocks the view of a buyer picking it up for the first time. A product audit fills this gap: an experienced engineer assesses the product along five axes, without the backstory in mind.
An audit does not replace a test report or a certificate. It checks whether the relevant standards are met — the assessment of whether this legally fulfils the manufacturer's obligations remains with the client and their legal counsel.
Five axes, one report
Function. Does the product fulfil its intended purpose — including at the edges, under atypical operation and over many usage cycles? A tool that behaves differently after a hundred cycles than after one has a functional problem that rarely shows up in in-house testing.
Design and manufacturability. What an engineer reads when taking it apart: material choice, wall thicknesses, tolerances, joining technique, accessibility for assembly and maintenance. This axis also reveals when a product consists of two design phases, because a part was changed at some point and its surroundings were not updated accordingly.
Perceived quality. Gap widths, edge radii, surfaces, the click of a lid, the weight in the hand — factors that determine a buyer's first impression. Large companies assess this with dedicated perceived-quality departments and user panels; the audit provides the expert judgement where a panel is not an option.
Anticipated manufacturing costs. Not the actual costs — the client knows those better than any outsider. But the anticipated costs can be derived from material, processing, part count and joining technique. Where our estimate lies significantly below or above the actual costs, a question arises: either the costing is too coarse, or there is a reason in the process that the client should know about. This method has been standard in automotive supply for decades under the name should-costing.
Risks regarding standards and conformity. Which harmonised standards apply to this product, which markings, which conformity procedures? From 20 January 2027, only the new EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 will apply to machinery. The audit identifies what is affected; the conformity assessment itself is a separate service.
When an audit is worthwhile
Three occasions come up most often. Before a relaunch, when a fully booked development department needs to direct its resources where they will have the greatest effect. Before market entry into a new segment or country, where previously self-evident conditions suddenly become obstacles. And during due diligence, when an investor or buyer needs the report to compare the product against others.
What you receive at the end
You receive a report of 15 to 30 pages, structured according to the five axes. For each axis, it sets out the finding, its evidence point in the product, the assessment in context (green, yellow, red) and, where possible, a suggestion for the next step. This is preceded by a two-page summary for management, which brings together the findings without the technical evidence. This is followed by a discussion of 60 to 90 minutes, in which we present the report and answer questions. During the discussion, connections between the axes become visible that the report presents separately, and the follow-up questions often lead to the concrete next steps.
The audit report states where action is needed. Implementation is a second, separate engagement in the area of Engineering or Product development.
Sources
- Nielsen, Molich – How to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation (Nielsen Norman Group) – expert judgement with a fresh perspective as a method, originally for software.
- Spiegel Institut Produktkliniken – an established address in the DACH region for perceived-quality assessment with user panels.
- aPriori – Should-Cost Analysis Guide – a practical introduction to calculating anticipated manufacturing costs.
- EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 – applicable from 20 January 2027 in place of the Machinery Directive.
IDEA e.U. · Determined Innovation