Where do independent living aids come from?

It’s easy not to think about where the products we buy come from. It’s assumed that they’re fit for purpose, that they’re safe for use, but what really goes into designing and making a product for sale? We caught up with Sally Stothard, Head of New Product Development, and Mark Wafforne, Senior Design Engineer, from our New Product Development (NPD) team to find out.

It all starts with an idea

Mark is the Senior Design Engineer on the NPD team and one of his responsibilities is coming up with new product ideas. 

Once they have an idea, the team evaluates it to see if it could be a winner. If they think it is, the long process of planning, prototyping, testing and creation kicks into gear.

Getting the prototypes and products made

The team don’t just think up fantastic new product ideas, they follow them through right to production. They even head out to the factories that make the products.

Product safety is key

It’s not a race to push out a completed product as fast as possible. Rigorous testing is involved in the process of product creation to make sure the product is as safe and fit for purpose as it can be. The team even get involved in the testing, using the products themselves to see what works, what doesn’t, if they can break them etc.

“We get our Clinical team [NRS Healthcare’s Occupational Therapists] to look at them as well,” says Sally. “They’ll go through the product with a fine toothcomb to make sure there’s no entrapment issues or any weak parts. And then, on top of our testing, every product is tested by an independent test house. We want that piece of paper to tell us that this is absolutely safe to use.”

This detailed and in-depth testing process also helps the team to find and fix (if possible) any issues that crop up with the design, making sure that it’s fit for purpose and does what it’s designed to do.

It’s not just about functionality

Not everything goes to plan

There are plenty of product ideas that ultimately never see the light of day. This can be for a variety of reasons but ultimately, if it’s not right, it’s not right. This is true even if the team have a prototype in their hands, ready to go into production.

“It’s always about what’s the safest thing for the user at the end of the day,” says Mark. “That’s the number one priority.”

“Sometimes it’s quite sad, because we’ve done loads of work on something and then we have to ditch it,” Sally adds. “But we know it’s the right thing to do because eventually we will find what’s absolutely perfect.”

Taking a product to the finish line

The timeline for taking a product from idea to finished piece being sold can take years (yes, years) of tireless effort. There are numerous checks and gates along the way to make sure that the NRS Healthcare product that lands in your hands is something to be truly proud of.

Product improvements never really end

If you’ve ever left a review on an NRS Healthcare product critiquing it, know that you’re not speaking into the void. These helpful reviews and comments are used by the team to see where existing products can be improved, making them better for everyone in the future.

“Any feedback from customers where they’ve maybe seen something that could be improved or something that they’ve difficulty with, they only need to tell us and we’ll look to do a change note,” says Mark.

“We definitely want to hear about it,” Sally agrees. “And if, as Mark says, even if it’s something they’re not happy with about the product, that’s great to hear because then we can do something about it.”

The team are constantly working on multiple projects at once (often with some projects lasting years), so while you may not see instant changes from your feedback, you can rest assured that the amazing NPD team are making note and looking into it.