A Better Plan for Hardware Products

In 2009 I started exploring power management hacks, from fuel gauges to boost converters, photovoltaics and lithium-ion, which eventually became my first hardware startup. That exploration resulted in a company that got acquired and shipped tens of thousands of products, including winning a pair of CES design and engineering awards.

The biggest problem we faced during that time was proper BOM management. Costing, lead-time and time to market were top of mind issues, and running everything on spreadsheets didn’t help.

EnterProduct Planner, a new software tool brought to you by Dragon Innovation, the company that helped MakerBot, FormLabs, and Ring go-to-market. Scott Miller, Dragon’s CEO who’s an MIT graduate and a mechanical engineer, understood that every shipped product required clear BOM management, lifecycle insights and team collaboration. All are critical to manufacturing a successful product.

Grounded in manufacturing, Product Planner provides you with clear reports that explain what is driving your COGS, cash flow, lead times, and even profitability simulation. Better yet, it brings your entire team together on the most critical principle of your project: the single source of truth.

Think you’re ready to take your gadget the next level? Try Product Planner free of charge using the code hackster2018 and let me know your impressions. I’d love to learn what you thought of it!