Design Assurance: The Unsung Heroes of R&D

What is design assurance, and what function does it serve in the overall product design process? It’s not a role that gets a lot of upfront credit or name recognition, but it’s an important part of the process and impacts product development more than you may think at first.

Orla Connaughton joins the podcast today to discuss design assurance with Etienne Nichols. Orla began as a mechanical engineer and has a Master’s degree in Project Management. She has 18 years of experience, mostly working in the medical device sector, and has worked at a Senior Management level for both multi-national and start-up organizations. She’s been running her own company, Aztek Medical, for over 8 years. And she has a lot to say about design assurance.

Listen to the episode to hear the conversation as they discuss what’s involved in design assurance and why it’s so important. Orla shares how her thoughts on the scope of the design assurance process are related to The Lion King and how design assurance “packs the parachute” for the overall product design process.