At the heart of Van Guard’s success sits the Research and Development team. As the "brain" of the organisation, our R&D department is the driving force behind one of the largest portfolios of vehicle accessories in the market today.  Their work is not only essential in ensuring that Van Guard remains at the forefront of innovation, consistently meeting the needs of our customers with original products but also continues to make improvements or modifications to existing designs.

From brainstorming new ideas to fine-tuning best sellers, the R&D team at Van Guard is dedicated to creating solutions that are not only technically viable but also aligned with market trends and customer needs. Working closely with customers, distributors, and suppliers to gather insights, ensuring that every product developed is both functional and marketable.

Can you give us an overview of a typical day for you and your team in the R&D department?

A typical day within the department is spread between multiple areas. We have worked hard in recent years to create a clear separation between what we class as ‘New Product Development’ and our ‘Day-to-Day’ operations. In New Product Development, the team is either working on improving our current product range or developing new products altogether. Meanwhile, our Day-to-Day tasks include developing our existing products for new vehicles entering the market, carrying out product updates and changes, and supporting the wider business with tasks such as creating jigs and fixtures to improve the manufacturing process.

This separation allows us to continuously bring new products to market while ensuring that we stay on top of the never-ending stream of new vehicles.

Along with this, a typical day will also see us monitoring the market, speaking to customers, liaising between departments, and managing the product information for all products.

What are some of the key sources of ideas for new products and improvements?

Developing new products starts with listening – to our customers and our customer’s customers to manufacture products they want rather than products we think they want. Ultimately there’s no point in producing something that has no market appeal. Van Guard’s close collaboration between the R&D department and customers ensures that valuable customer feedback is continually integrated into the product development process. Whether that’s the conversations we have in customer technical support, via our sales account managers who have ongoing dialogue with customers or from learning about industry ‘pain points’, this information can help spark an idea that helps us refine and improve products based on real-world challenges and needs.

We not only seek out feedback during the development process but also actively gather feedback for products already in the market. We continue to review this feedback and aren’t afraid to make an enhancement if it’s deemed viable following a review.

This feedback, and the way we review it, has been instrumental in ensuring our products remain market leading.

How do you validate product ideas before committing resources to them?

As a British based manufacturer, our R&D team has access to the same machinery used to make our products as well as other rapid prototyping equipment that allows us to create prototypes fit for real world testing. We then take these prototypes and collate feedback directly from the end users - the people who will be using the product day in day out.

This enables us to quickly develop and review ideas, and by following a stage gate process, stakeholders from all areas of the business are kept up to date throughout every stage of the project. This helps ensure that nothing is overlooked during the development of a product.

How do you manage the balance between quality assurance and cost reduction?

Quality and safety are our priority, and every product must meet our strict standards. This combined with working closely with our manufacturing and procurement teams during development allows us to identify potential cost saving opportunities without compromising on quality. This approach ensures our products are both high quality and cost effective.

How important is sustainability in developing new products?

The sustainability of a product is always central to the development process from finding ways to reduce weight and maximise fuel efficiency to considering the product’s whole life cycle and end of life reusability. Van Guard products are made primarily using materials like aluminium and steel which have a long-life span and are fully recyclable. Many of our products are designed with modular components, making them easier to repair or upgrade, reducing the need for complete replacements and contributing to overall waste reduction.

Can you share some insight into the projects you're currently working on?

We currently have two main projects in the later development stages, and we're excited to unveil these at the CV show in April. Alongside this, the team are busy ensuring that our product range is available for the new Renault Master and Nissan Interstar which has recently entered the market. We have a list of over 30 products to develop for this vehicle, so the team are certainly being kept busy!

What’s one of the most rewarding aspects of working in the R&D department at Van Guard?

Watching products develop from an initial idea to a finalised product and then seeing them out on the road every day, along with the impact they have on the business, is very rewarding for us all.

The company’s drive for continuous product improvement and new releases keeps us busy, and every project brings new challenges that ensure we're always learning and evolving.

With a commitment to both quality and cost-efficiency, and a constant drive for improvement, Van Guard's R&D department is setting the standard for excellence. The future of vehicle accessories looks brighter than ever.