Research and Planning

Panacis works in partnership with its customers to establish the goals and plans that guide the product development process that ensure adherence to budgets and schedules.

At Panacis we seek to get involved as early as possible in the design cycle, in order to fully capture and develop the requirements that affect the final form of a product. We believe that this is the best time to identify and plan for any risk that can increase the cost and duration of a program. By involving us in the concept stage, our customers benefit from the breadth of our experience – we are often able to improve the direction of a design to reach objectives faster with better outcomes. Panacis uses industry standard controls and processes to develop and manage the program plans that are used to drive the success of our customers’ product develop programs.

Panacis has managed and delivered on product development budgets from the tens-of-thousands to the millions, spanning months to years.

Research

A clear understanding of requirements allows for the creation and management of reliable schedules and budgets. Business plans and company objectives, market and user needs, and existing technical specifications together inform the product development planning effort. When product requirements have not been locked down, or when there is uncertainty about the cost or viability of a product concept, Panacis will often work with its customers on the development a feasibility study. Conclusions from this study bring technical risks to light to focus design efforts and inform the project plan. This work can be exploratory, requiring creative problem-solving approaches, and is often where the best ideas are developed.

Planning

Once product requirements are well understood, we work with our customers to set program scope, schedules, and budgets in advance to focus collaborative efforts and to remove risk. Resulting from this effort is a project plan that includes a comprehensive statement of work and validation plan: two vital resources that are used to provide visibility in to project performance.

Controls

Panacis uses an industry-accepted phase-gate approach for measuring and controlling progress through development programs. Through regular, collaborative review meetings, our customers remain key stakeholders and maintain oversight of the product development process. These controls ensure that programs remain on time and on budget, and that risks are identified and managed well in advance.