The pretypes i.e., the forerunners of the product

The pretotype i.e., the forerunner of the product

In this interview with Antonio Panareo for “Storytime,” we talked about “pretypes ”This is an innovative concept in product development where pretypes are essentially quick and inexpensive demonstrators of the final product that allow key ideas to be tested before investing in a full prototype.

I shared my experience on pretypes, gained from about 60 development projects, telling in particular about an automatic palletizing project based on the use of special trays. The trays were the key and most critical element and a way had to be found to validate the solution devised by the team.

During the project we built, in just 15 days, a wooden pretotype of the tray with the surface coated with the materials considered by the team.

We saved nearly 5 months and several hundred thousand compared to building a traditional prototype. As a result, the development team was able to validate the most suitable materials.

A pretotype does not have to be fully functional, but it must allow crucial product features to be tested.

Although it may initially seem more expensive, in the long run this method leads to significant savings and allows companies to be more competitive in the market.