Production

By early May, our production partner turned around tools and spun up the first preproduction boards. We began inspecting parts and testing functionality immediately. Importantly, a representative from our client organization was on the ground in China as parts began to roll off the tools. As a result the team worked efficiently to iron out the remaining design and software bugs, clearing the way for final production. As with any truly new development program there were some surprises, including a final flurry to correct a design flaw in the battery holder area not previously detected during the prototype phase. Fortunately, we were able to manage tool safe changes and the production partner responded immediately. On the electronics front, the team struggled to optimize the code to work efficiently within the constraints of the microprocessor capability as well as battery life requirements. It was tricky but the team got the job done. And at the end of the day, we moved from concept through production in under 8 months. KidSmart, also working in parallel, began a public relations campaign to build early support for the product. The result being endorsements from fire fighters, very prominent media coverage across the country, and demand for the product that has created a modest but manageable back order.