Why prototyping?

Prototypes play a central role in many areas—for example, in manufacturing, logistics, plant engineering, and technical product development. The crucial question is not whether, but when a prototype should be used. Ideally, as early as possible.

A prototype used at an early stage helps to clarify processes, highlight risks, identify potential for improvement, and obtain feedback at an early stage. This allows misconceptions to be avoided before they lead to costly changes or unnecessary expenses.

On this page, you will learn in which development phases prototypes are particularly helpful and how they offer decisive advantages, especially for complex processes.

Why timing is crucial

The usefulness of a prototype depends heavily on when it is used. If prototype development takes place too late, key decisions have often already been made—and can only be corrected with considerable effort.

Particularly in the case of complex workflows and technical processes, it is therefore crucial to establish a common understanding at an early stage and to review assumptions before they are incorporated into planning, design, or implementation.

Identify risks early on

Prototypes make it possible to scrutinize concepts at an early stage and make them tangible. Potential weak points, unclear handovers, or critical process steps become apparent before they become entrenched later in the project. This early examination reduces risks and prevents costly corrections at a later stage.

Reduce costs and effort

The further along a project is, the more expensive changes become. A prototype developed early on helps to identify undesirable developments in good time and make adjustments while they can still be done with manageable effort. Digital prototypes in particular offer the opportunity to gain insights quickly and in a resource-efficient manner.

Clear communication and better decisions

A visually presented prototype makes coordination with customers, project teams, decision-makers, or investors much easier. Instead of abstract descriptions, processes become clearly visible. This reduces room for interpretation, speeds up decision-making processes, and creates a common basis for discussion.

Conclusion

The right timing for a prototype determines whether processes are understood, coordinated, and developed in a meaningful way—or whether misunderstandings only become apparent late in the process and at great expense.

Types of prototypes

Different types of prototypes are used depending on the project phase and objectives. Below is an overview of the most common types of prototypes and their areas of application.

The Feasibility Prototype

A feasibility prototype is used to check at an early stage whether a technical idea is fundamentally feasible. The focus is clearly on function and technology—not on design or attention to detail. These prototypes are deliberately kept simple, but provide important insights for decisions such as "develop further or discard".

The Functional Prototype

The functional prototype combines several core functions for the first time. The aim is to understand processes, dependencies, and interfaces. This prototype helps to reveal complexity and identify potential problems at an early stage.

The Demonstration Prototype

This prototype visualizes processes and functions in a way that is easy for customers, decision-makers, or investors to understand. It is not completely ready for production, but it clearly illustrates the planned process, logic, and interaction of the components and is ideal for coordination and decision-making.

The Pre-series Prototype

The pre-series prototype is already very close to the final product. The design, function, and system behavior largely correspond to the later solution. It is used to carry out final tests, optimize details, and ensure feasibility under realistic conditions.

The Process & Sequence Prototype

My prototypes belong to this category. They focus on the representation of processes, movements, and boundary conditions—for example, in plant engineering or in the manufacturing process.

Process and workflow prototypes are particularly suitable for identifying optimization potential and risks at an early stage, coordinating processes with customers, supporting internal planning, and communicating complex technical relationships in a clear and understandable way.