The effectiveness of the best-conceived design transfer process will be diminished if it is not properly supported and carried out. Some of the more common problems that arise include the following:

-Product developers do not have a finalized design.
-Business managers and technical experts do not grasp the scope of the design transfer effort and underestimate the amount of time and effort required.
-Manufacturing processes have not been developed, documented, or validated.
-Developers have not created a vendor supply chain based on an approved-vendor list.
-Developers bring unresolved cost, reliability, or safety issues to the manufacturer.
-The design transfer process is well understood by both parties, but the inability to plan the transition of a product design into a controlled manufacturing environment results in slow starts and unacceptable delays.
-The purchasing department does not have enough time to identify and approve new vendors, verify component specifications, and update the manufacturing planning system.
-The workflow of the manufacturing organization is disrupted by having to wait for released materials, procedures, and test fixtures.
-Delays occur even after all the documentation is approved, because manufacturing must receive, inspect, and finally release parts for production.
-Failure to appreciate these challenges inevitably leads to unnecessary project delays, frustration, and misunderstandings between the developer and manufacturer. It is a reason some firms have not taken full advantage of the benefits that an outsourcing relationship can provide.