A new pack: adapt an existing platform or develop from scratch?
One enquiry in the training described a product direction while leaving capacity, structure, material, quantity, timing and tooling responsibilities unresolved.
I do not want the team to forward “can we make this?” straight to engineering. Sales should first organise the question so that it can be assessed.
Start with a one-page requirement brief
Section titled “Start with a one-page requirement brief”Record the use case and contents, capacity or dimensions, user actions, material and appearance preferences, expected volume, timing, and any images, samples or drawings. Separate confirmed requirements from open items.
If a term is ambiguous, retain the customer’s wording and request a reference before identifying a specific structure. Do not turn an interpretation into a confirmed requirement.
Compare two development paths
Section titled “Compare two development paths”| Path | Initial assessment | What the customer needs to understand |
|---|---|---|
| Adapt an existing platform | Functional fit and the changes required | Adjustment scope, validation and applicable conditions |
| Develop a new design | Structure, resources, validation route and tooling | Development stages, cost scope, timing basis and responsibilities |
These are assessment paths, not advance commitments on feasibility, price or timing.
Tooling is about more than payment
Section titled “Tooling is about more than payment”Another training topic is the need to clarify ownership, permitted use, exclusivity, intellectual property, maintenance and what happens if a project stops.
Sales assembles the questions for engineering, finance and legal owners to review. Paying a development fee does not, by itself, settle ownership or usage rights.
An example internal assessment request
Section titled “An example internal assessment request”Please assess both adaptation of an existing platform and development of a new structure. For each, identify technical gaps, required validation, development scope and the basis for the timeline. Customer volume and tooling responsibilities remain open; please label the assumptions in the assessment.
This is easier to answer than “the customer wants a new pack—please check.”
Sales’ first judgement does not replace engineering’s feasibility decision. It makes the requirements assessable, comparable and specific enough for the next questions.
Adapted from sales team training. Project details are generalised; examples do not report actual project outcomes.