In order to launch products earlier while balancing limited company resources, outsourcing is becoming more and more of a necessary alternative. Currently, original design manufacturing (ODM) is a convenient and potentially cost-effective production option, where outsourced suppliers (i.e. ODM companies) are contracted to handle product design and manufacturing. For ODM companies, procuring ODM business will increase sales and boost revenue. This paper presents a product development method based on concurrent function deployment and concurrent engineering to assist ODM companies in generating detailed proposals and in carrying out product development. With this method, ODM companies can engage in and effectively complete ODM projects, and, most importantly, meet customer's requirements: high quality, low cost and time-to-market. Three liquid-crystal-display television design and manufacturing companies in Taiwan will be investigated to formulate this method. An example is shown in this paper in order to present its application in a real-life setting.
