Manufacturing relationships are crucial for the successful commercialization of your robotic system. When choosing a contract manufacturer (CM), it's essential to look beyond cost comparisons and focus on building a strong partnership. The following key considerations will guide you in selecting a manufacturer that will co-create a tailored path toward successful commercialization for your robot worker.

1. Assess Your Capabilities

Begin by evaluating your company's unique capabilities and strengths. When seeking trusted partners, look for organizations whose competencies and qualifications complement yours. By collaborating with well-aligned external resources, your team can focus on your core competencies, driving the engineering and innovative expertise that brought your robotic system to manufacturing readiness.

1. Ensure a Reliable Supply Chain

Trust your partner's expertise in managing the supply chain. Your chosen CM should expertly audit your bill of materials against potential uncertainties in material availability. By working closely with you, they can identify supply chain strategies that provide a balance of stability and flexibility, ensuring you have the parts needed to build your product at scale, over time, and within specifications.

1. Facilitate a Smooth Manufacturing Handoff

Documentation and optimization of build procedures are vital for a successful handoff to production. Active and open knowledge transfer with your manufacturer is critical. Cooperative building (co-building) is a best practice example, where you build your product directly alongside your manufacturing company's engineers. This process validates, documents, and accelerates your product's ramp to full-scale manufacturing while fostering trust, collaboration, and transparent communication.

1. Plan a Path to Scale

Ensure your partner has the right capabilities and adaptability for successful commercialization at scale. Your manufacturing partner should provide a path to scale to meet the increasing demand for your product. They should have the capacity to meet forecasted demand, scale with you during your first production run, and creatively adapt to fluctuations in demand.

1. Maintain Open Communication

Communication with your manufacturer is critical to a successful partnership. Both parties should prioritize proactivity, honesty, and transparency. You should have access to information about any aspect of your product's manufacturing process, including part sourcing, product build status, and delivery status.

1. Align Company Cultures

Company culture plays a significant role in building your product. A strong culture creates an atmosphere of service, excellence, and integrity. It's vital that your manufacturer's culture and values align with your company's vision. Shared values enable mutual trust, which is necessary for creating and maintaining a strong and successful relationship between your two companies.

Selecting the right manufacturing partner is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It takes time and energy to find the perfect fit for your robot job. By considering these key factors, you'll be on your way to hiring a robot worker and establishing a long-term, successful commercialization relationship with your manufacturing partner.