Architecture
What is Product Architecture?
Product Architecture serves as the blueprint for your product, delineating its structure and organization. It provides the framework for designing and developing the product, outlining its key components, their interrelationships, and dependencies. The Product Architecture is instrumental in shaping the product’s quality, cost, and time-to-market.
The Product Architecture phase is a highly collaborative phase used to define the product requirements, and the path to completing the product including the schedule and the various disciplines necessary for the project completion, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, software engineers, industrial engineers, and manufacturing experts.
Arira’s role in Product Architecture
During the Product Architecture phase, Arira will work with the client’s team to develop an architecture that meets the demands of the product. Typical deliverables from the Product Architecture phase include: Support in the creation of Product Requirements based on marketing input, Selection of key components, Creation of electrical block diagrams, and Creation of a development plan.
Selection of major components
Key components are reviewed and selected based on product requirements. Metrics reviewed to determine if components are acceptable include, but aren’t necessarily limited to: functionality, power, size, component lifecycle, and cost & lead-time. The deliverable is a report indicating the trade-offs associated with different component options and recommendations on which parts should be used in the Product Design.
Electrical Block Diagram
A block diagram indicates how the key components connect with one another and serves as a pictorial guide for team members to better understand how the product will function.
Project Development plan
Once the key components have been selected and how they are connected is defined, Arira is able to provide a development plan for the subsequent phases of the project. The development plan includes the cost of the labor as well as the schedule for developing the product.
Additional Architecture Deliverables
Initial Power Consumption Projections
A summary of the power consumption for the major components can be provided to help plan for applicable challenges such as thermal, battery life, and other issues.
Estimated PCBA Size
A "floorpan" can be provided showing location of major components and an estimated size of the PCBA.
Praise from Our Partners
Michael Johnson, Head of Products
Performance Software
"Arira has provided excellent engineering services for the development of hardware for an avionics product. Their highly skilled and experienced engineering resources have been invaluable in the overall support of high quality and efficient product development. Arira has proven to be very adaptable to the complex and changing requirements as well as providing invaluable support in working with other development partners. Arira delivers a great customer experience."
Justin Dollinger, Engineer
Room Inc.
"Arira Design is truly a one stop shop for everything electronic. The team has helped us with everything from circuit board design to firmware development to safety certifications of high voltage systems. The team is always quick to respond, treats us fairly, and operates gracefully when we tend to increase the scope mid-project. Overall, I would strongly recommend Arira Design to anyone looking for similar help."
Kenneth North, VP of Engineering
Elo Touch
"Elo has been using Arira Design for their schematic and layout review, as well as PCBA design services for the past 20 years. Arira offers a quick turnaround and detailed design review process. They've been able to find issues that even our internal resources have missed. Saving Elo weeks, if not months, of potential schedule impact by making these changes later. Arira's engineering review team, on numerous occasions, will get on a call to explain their findings so the same mistakes don't occur ... We would recommend Arira's services to anyone looking for schematic/layout review or design services."
Jim Reding, CEO
Aroma Retail
“Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Excellent R&D partner. We developed a control module with mobile app from scratch, for a new aroma diffusion machine with a completely unique user interface. The entire Arira team was highly knowledgeable, reliable, transparent, and professional. While the project was completed under budget and on time, and the final product far exceeded my expectations, the most important value to me was the relationship. Arira Design, with Craig Paulsen as my main point of contact, remains an important ally as they help me navigate the current global supply disruptions. I cannot over-express my gratitude for their concern and help in making sure I do not run out after launch of the new machine. It was Craig from Arira that reached out to me to alert me to the long-lead issues that required early purchase or substitutes; otherwise, I would not have seen it coming soon enough to adjust. I consider Craig and his crew an extension of my team.”
Client in stealth mode
"Arira just handles it. I can't say that enough. I can throw things over the fence, not look into every detail and they work with me to define our product. I don't feel overburdened with every single detail up front, and they're very quick to react and make changes. We've been able to keep designs flexible and serviceable. For a growing company looking to find our product market fit I can't imagine a better experience. Craig is a pleasure to work with, is incredibly knowledgeable and handles my stupid questions very well. The supporting engineers he's brought directly to us like James or behind the scenes have always been very professional and knowledgeable."