Choosing the wrong technical partner for a hardware project is expensive and slow to fix. Software can be refactored. Hardware, once manufactured, is committed to a set of decisions that may take months and significant capital to undo.
If you are evaluating embedded systems partners — whether for a prototype, a production run, or a long-term technical engagement — here are the questions that will separate vendors from genuine engineering partners.
”Can you show me a system you have maintained, not just delivered?”
Delivery is easy. Maintenance is where the quality of engineering becomes visible. Ask to see a project that is 12 or 24 months post-deployment. Ask what broke, what was fixed, and how the fix was implemented. A partner who can answer this question honestly has learned things that cannot be learned from a textbook.
”How does your design handle power instability?”
This question is particularly relevant in the Kenyan context. If the answer is “we assume a stable supply,” the partner has not designed for real-world deployment in East Africa. Press for specifics: What is the input voltage range? What protection does the design include? How does the firmware respond to a brownout mid-operation?
”Who will actually be working on my project?”
Many firms win contracts with senior engineers and deliver them with junior staff. Ask specifically who will be doing the schematic design, the firmware development, and the testing. Ask to meet them. A founder-led firm — where the people you meet during sales are the people who do the work — is a different engagement model.
At Savara Systems, every client works directly with Brian and Maxwell. That is a deliberate choice, not a constraint of our current size.
”What is your test procedure?”
Untested hardware is a hypothesis. A credible partner will have a documented test procedure that covers functionality, edge cases, and environmental conditions. If they do not, or if the answer is “we test it and it works,” that is a significant risk signal.
”How do you handle scope changes?”
Hardware projects encounter unexpected constraints. A part goes out of stock. A regulatory requirement changes. A client’s deployment environment differs from the brief. How a partner navigates these moments — transparently and collaboratively, or defensively — tells you everything about the relationship you will have with them.
Ask for an example of a project where scope changed, and how it was managed.
The right partner for an embedded systems project is not necessarily the cheapest, the fastest, or the one with the most impressive credentials. It is the one who understands your environment, communicates without jargon, and treats your project as a system they will be proud to have built — not just a contract to close.
That is the standard we hold ourselves to at Savara Systems.