7 Questions to Ask Before You Outsource Reverse Engineering

You have heard and read a lot about how reverse engineering can help you with problems in your manufacturing process, but you are not sure if outsourcing is for you.  You want to be absolutely sure if outsourcing reverse engineering can help your business enhance productivity, reduce costs and recreate processes minus expensive technology. If this describes your situation, then ask yourself the following 7 Questions to Ask Before You Outsource Reverse Engineering:

1. How often do you need to carry out reverse engineering?
If your answer is not that frequently or only for a limited time frame (short-term projects), then outsourcing reverse engineering will be more cost-effective. However, if your business has a consistent requirement for reverse engineering, then you may want to consider leasing or buying the equipment to perform the process in-house.

2. How quickly do you need to see to see the results?
If your answer is within a week or a month, then outsourcing reverse engineering will probably be better that buying new equipment and then training your employees on how to use it. With outsourcing, you can get an immediate solution without the hassles of buying or training.

3. How much are you willing to spend?
The ideal way to evaluate your options is to work backward from your budget. You must also remember to look at more than just the cost of equipment. The up-front expenses may not reflect the overall cost, as you would also have to pay for maintenance and training staff. If you want to save on cost, then outsourcing is definitely a better option, as you need not spend precious dollars on expensive equipment or training.

4. What types of objects do you want to reverse engineer?
If you want to scan different objects, with varied sizes and surface characteristics, then you might require more than one type of equipment to successfully reverse engineer it. In such cases, outsourcing is more profitable as by utilizing the multiple devices of your service provider you can cut back on money and time. On the other hand, if you will be reverse engineering similar objects, then performing it in-house will be a smarter option.

5. Do you employees have the know-how on to reverse engineer?
Your staff may be skilled at their work, but that does not mean that they have the required knowledge and skills to utilize new equipment and successfully reverse engineer objects. With outsourcing, you need not have such worries, as a fully trained team with ample experience will be working for you. If you do decide to buy the equipment, then do consider investing on training.

6. Is NIST traceability important to you?
If you need NIST traceability, then outsourcing will be right way to go, as the personnel of a qualified service provider will be proficient at operating the equipment. If you want to buy the equipment, then make sure that you give your staff the right training, in order to achieve NIST traceability in-house.

7. Can you handle in-house tech support and maintenance?
If you buy the equipment, then it means that you must also calibrate, operate and maintain it. If you are not keen on doing this, then opt for outsourcing. If you still want to buy the equipment, then choose a seller who will provide you with ongoing support, maintenance and training.

Now that you have asked yourself the above questions and jotted down your answers, which option would you consider, outsourcing reverse engineering or buying the equipment? Which do you think will be more profitable for your business?

Got a question on outsourcing, a thought that you want to express or an experience that you want to share? Let us know by leaving a comment in box below. We, at Outsource2india love hearing from you!

Interested to know more?

The following two tabs change content below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*


six − = five