New tool helps manufacturers transform product testing

A new online product development tool designed by The Open University is helping manufacturers streamline how they verify, validate and test new products, supporting faster routes to market while keeping customer needs firmly in focus.

The Verification, Validation and Testing (VVT) tool was developed by Dr Khadija Tahera, Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management at the OU Business School. Designed to support organisations of all sizes, the tool helps product development teams take a structured, highlevel view of projects, enabling clearer decisionmaking, better collaboration and more efficient testing processes.

The tool was recently trialled by a team at Terex, a global manufacturer of materialsprocessing machinery and waste and recycling equipment. The pilot was led by Ciaran Fanning, Engineering Director at Terex’s Northern Ireland operation, which specialises in crushing and screening technologies used to process stone and rock materials into specific sizes for customers.

Although Terex already operates a highly robust product development and safety framework, the team was keen to explore how the VVT tool could complement existing processes, particularly in improving speed to market. Large organisations, Fanning notes, often excel at delivering highquality products but can struggle with agility due to the complexity of internal systems and the number of functions involved.

By breaking projects down into clear, ranked elements, the VVT tool helps to examine which testing activities add real value and where duplication or unnecessary effort might exist. This clarity could translate into significant savings in time and manpower, particularly by identifying areas of waste within the testing process.

The tool also encourages a sharper focus on customer requirements, providing a common framework that different teams throughout the design and delivery process could easily understand and work from. This shared language helps to support more meaningful crossfunctional discussions and collaboration.

Terex stated that they see clear value in using the VVT tool alongside established internal processes, and that it could be particularly transformative for small and mediumsized enterprises. For organisations without access to specialist product safety or testing expertise, the tool offers a practical way to identify gaps, reduce risk and ensure products meet customer and regulatory expectations.

Reflecting on the trial, Fanning commented:

In big organisations, projects pass through many departments, and the original customer goal can get lost. Your tool can be used to keep everyone aligned and focused on the customer, not just their own priorities.

Ciaran Fanning,
Engineering Director at Terex Northern Ireland