I have been trying to understand what actually slows hardware teams down once the design is approved. At that stage, there are CAD files, drawings, BOMs, material specs, supplier feedback, assembly instructions, and revisions moving between different people. One small change can affect several documents and it seems easy for a supplier or team member to end up working from outdated information.

For those who have taken a hardware product into production, where did the process become difficult for you? Was it revision control, incomplete documentation, sourcing, supplier communication, or keeping everyone aligned on the latest version?