What seems trivial to the expert is likely daunting to the uninitiated
I’ve been putting quite a bit of effort into marketing plans lately. This has forced me to think about what Ingenutec offers and how to communicate that to potential customers, current customers and past customers. I have been an engineer my whole life, I’ve worked in the NFC field since its early days, I started in 2006, almost 20 years ago. I’ve successfully operated Ingenutec for over 15 years. I have built a trove of expertise. Yet, I forget that things that seem trivial to me may be extremely complex to others.
I forget that all of the problems I’ve solved along the way, to which I now “just know the answer” still represent significant hurdles to others, who have never done it. I forget that not only have I learned what to do, I’ve also learned what not to do, I’ve learned what to be aware of, I’ve learned where the risks lie and how to build solutions that are highly likely to succeed the first time. This applies across many knowledge domains, but I’m going to focus on my expertise of software and hardware engineering, with a specific focus on NFC and its use in both payment and non-payment environments.
This doesn’t even address the philosophies I hold of problem solving, never giving up (that doesn’t mean I don’t change course) and always being curious.
The hidden costs of the “do it yourself” approach
When you find yourself working on a new project, one that involves a new technology like NFC. I’m sure you and the other engineers in your organization are intelligent and good problem solvers. In today’s environment, we have, at our fingertips, access to a huge wealth of information through Google, and now through AI. You can figure out how to solve the problem. There are manufacturer data sheets, manufacturer application notes, YouTube tutorials and much more.
But what gets lost in that approach are the elements of time, risk, and experience. The data sheets only give you the details of the components. The app notes only discuss that specific topic. Tutorials are limited in scope and all of these only approach the problem from one perspective and they likely do not take into account all of the constraints and requirements involved in your project.
Consultants and external design resources, like Ingenutec, are expensive. However, what is often overlooked when trying to decide whether to choose to use your own engineering team or whether to get support from an external resource is the savings gained by avoiding failed prototypes, wrong turns, extra iterations, more research, and the list goes on. What you’re receiving in return for the expense when you hire an external resource is not just the hours they’re working on your project.
You’re also receiving the hours they are saving you, the days or months they can help you get your product to market sooner, the time saved in research and legwork. We know the pitfalls, we’ve experienced them, so you don’t have to. It is often a case of not knowing what you don’t know when potential customers have an initial conversation with me.
The Ingenutec Advantage
We have done the hard work and figured out the solutions before. Additionally, we know where the risks are, we know how to plan, from the start, what should be avoided and what should be embraced. We have a rolodex of contacts for the related, but peripheral parts of the projects. For payment, we have relationships with the certification labs, we understand the process, the requirements and how to be prepared the first time so you don’t waste money attempting certification multiple times.
For antenna designs, we know what needs to be avoided, we know what to design for (if you’re curious why you shouldn’t make your antenna 30mm wide, or 50mm wide, we know and we can teach you). We understand what is needed for optimal performance and the limitations and capabilities of the NFC controllers.
Realizing the value of expertise
Bottom line is that yes, you can do that NFC project yourself. We’ve had potential customers that have taken that approach, deciding that our costs were too much and their engineers could figure it out. What are the chances of that being a smooth and flawless path, pretty slim. Some of those potential customers became actual customers months, or sometimes one or two years later. After realizing that they are struggling to achieve the functionality or performance they need. Consultants and external design resources, will save you money in the long run.
Partner with Ingenutec for Success
Ingenutec, and any good consultant or external design resource, will get you to the finish line faster, with a better performing solution and with fewer issues. Partner with us for your next NFC project and experience the difference that seasoned professionals can make.
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