Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)

'KMED Solutions' provides complete engineering lifecycle services from product conception through design and development to manufacture, deployment, service and support. (Note, this is distinct from Life Cycle Management (PLC) which relates to market strategies in the various phases of a products commercial life). Where necessary, KMED will draw on outside companies and contractors  through partnerships, and contract outsourcing arrangements to complete a project's resource requirements. We promote the use of state of the art tools and training in accordance with the demands of the product being managed. Our product lifecycle services are outlined as follows;

Market Assessment

Typically a market appraisal is performed by the client prior to seeking our services, however in the situations where the client does not have convincing market data, we will invariably make strong recommendations to carry out suitable market research before committing significant money and resources to development. Depending in the circumstances, to obtain convincing market data, we may suggest to or assist the client in performing a dedicated market survey, research of consumer data bases, and interviewing of domain experts, and/or we may refer the client to a dedicated marketing company to carry out the market analysis before proceeding. Market analysis is a crucial element in not only helping to ascertain the balance of risk, but to also help define the details of the product requirements.

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Product Development

KMED's product development process typically takes the form as described in the following table, although is invariably always tailored to the specific needs of the project. KMED promotes the use of advanced methodologies, and  CAD tools to ensure leading edge productivity and capability, and follows a consistent and methodical approach to reviews, procedures, guidelines and documentation processes to build in consistency, traceability and hence quality. The following table lists the possible phases of the development process, examples of relevant tools and the form of deliverable resulting from the specific task or phase.

*Task can proceed concurrently following acceptance of requirements specification

**Task can proceed concurrently with the design phase

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IT Integration

Some of KMED's software products which need to be centrally managed such as remote field devices may need to be integrated with existing IT infrastructures. IT integration tasks can range in complexity from very simple, to highly complex and collaborative assignments. KMED has alliances with highly skilled IT professionals and companies which can provide advanced IT development services in development platforms such as .NET and J2EE and integrating with commercial data base systems such as MySQL and Oracle.

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Test Solutions

Designing a test suite to verify that a design meets all agreed requirements is distinctly different from generating a test suite which verifies that a product has been manufactured correctly. KMED has extensive experience in producing rigorous and comprehensive test procedures in addition to designing and fabricating complex jigs and harnesses needed to stimulate and load a target test unit as necessary for design validation, and also has experience in producing automated production test equipment. We also perform EM emissions, susceptibility, and electrical safety pre-screening tests prior to engaging an accredited EMC conformance test house to reduce the turn around time as well as the costs of engaging as accredited test house in an iterative loop.

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Manufacturing

Apart from some assembly work and basic packaging, KMED typically out-sources its manufacturing activities to carefully selected partner and/or subcontract companies. KMED provides the necessary documentation such as Bill Of Materials, product artworks, manufacturing procedures, and quality requirements. We liaise closely with the manufacturing company to ensure that our stringent part sourcing and quality requirements are adhered to.

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Deployment

Where necessary we provide the project management resources to install and commission our products in the field.

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Service & Support

We provide ongoing service and support for our products through suitable support arrangements. We are keen to provide support for the products and solutions we deliver since it is not only an essential element in maintaining a happy customer, but provides the with feedback necessary to understand and optimise the direction of evolution of our product range.

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