Transfer to Production Services
We Support Your Team in Electronics Supply Chain Purchasing
DE Design Works is a Transfer to Production services partner for several of our customers. We can recommend qualified contract manufacturers from our network of CM experiences. Then, the design for manufacturing (DFM) and pilot run phase will be managed while finalizing production testing plans. As the architect of the electronics system, DE is also in the best position to create test fixtures for QA at your chosen contract manufacturer. Additionally, DE can provide a turn-key solution for low-volume, complex box-build projects.
- Design For Manufacturing (DFM / DFX)
- Smooth Transition to Ideal Manufacturing Resource
- Production Functional Testers
- Sustainment Updates
- Low-Volume / High-Complexity Box-Build
Why Choose DE Design Works?
Integrated Engineering for Real-World Products
Modern electronic products require tightly coordinated hardware, firmware, and connectivity decisions. Misalignment across disciplines introduces risk, rework, and delays. DE Design Works brings these capabilities together, enabling system-level thinking from the start.
Senior Engineering Expertise Based in the US
Our engineers bring deep experience across industrial, medical, and military environments. We design with compliance, reliability, and long-term lifecycle considerations in mind, ensuring solutions perform beyond the prototype stage. Our entire team is based in the United States.
A Risk-Reduction Mindset
We focus on architecture, verification, and disciplined execution to identify and manage risk early. This approach helps teams avoid surprises later in development and supports confident decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
Adaptive Partnership
DE works seamlessly with internal teams to fill gaps in specialized engineering technology. We support full product development, platform modernization, new technology integration, troubleshooting, and obsolescence management—tailored to each client’s needs and development stage.
Predictable Execution
Our proven processes emphasize clarity, accountability, and dependable outcomes. Clients rely on DE for steady execution that keeps complex electronic product development moving forward.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
DE Design Works is different from traditional contract manufacturers (CM) by offering a full-service approach from design to production. We sell design services by the hour to ensure the customer gets the optimum product design to reach their company goals. This allows the customer to own the design and all the source files. From there, the customer is free to look for the best manufacturing contractor for the product vs a product that may be designed to fit a CM’s production efficiencies. Further, we have met many customers whose product improvement efforts have been hampered because they do not own their software source code or PCB design files – this is not the business model DE follows.
DE has worked with many larger product manufacturers who have a well-established network of electronics or sub-assembly contract manufacturers. This presents a great opportunity to establish clear design for manufacturing (DFM) goals early in the new design phases. Our experienced engineers work seamlessly with your purchasing and CM contacts to make the transition as efficient as possible.
There are many companies producing products in niche markets in quantities of 100 or even 50 per year. These could be specialized control systems, or laboratory equipment that cost tens of thousands of dollars per unit but still require PCB controls or sub-assembly manufacturing to be outsourced. Compared to typical consumer electronics products that may produce millions of units per year, these low volume production runs can be challenging for traditional contract manufacturers who rely on running thousands of PCBAs per assembly line setup. DE Design Works has served many of these low volume customers by stepping in to find the correct CM or in several cases, DE can actually be the production supplier.
This answer is evolving as we type and can be dependent on many details. Over our history, we have specialized in providing comprehensive design and electronics engineering services, and then collaborating with our customers to find trusted contract manufacturers (CMs) to handle the actual manufacturing. Our role in the later phases of designing a new product, is to ensure the design is optimized for production, help our customers source qualified CMs, and oversee the process to guarantee quality and efficiency. For some customers, DE does actually assemble full box-build product. These situations usually require high quality assurance testing that allow our engineer-built staff to meet the need for the customer better than traditional higher volume CMs.
DE has been successful in helping low volume product customers connect with a contract manufacturer – our network of contacts in this area can be a game changer. And in some cases when the product circumstances align, our highly-skilled staff can provide the manufacturing solution (we currently box-build for a few of our long-term customers who demand the highest quality assurance for their low-volume product).
No, DE does not profit from their preferred Contract Manufacturers (CMs). We recommend qualified CMs to our customers based on the best fit for the specific project needs, ensuring quality, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. DE Design Works remains independent and impartial in this process, with no financial incentive tied to the choice of CM. This allows DE to prioritize the customer’s interests, ensuring that all decisions regarding manufacturing partners are based solely on performance and project alignment, not profit.
Our Process
