In most engineering organizations, new architecture, designs, silicon and roadmaps usually get all the attention. But behind every “next big thing,” there’s derivative work. In the engineering world, a derivative is a modification to an existing project — often in design, verification, or validation. These efforts are critical to keeping products compliant, competitive, and functional, yet they’re frequently overlooked.
When Derivatives Get Left Behind
Engineering leaders are under constant pressure to deliver the newest product on aggressive timelines. As a result, derivative work, incremental updates, redesigns, re-verification, and extensions of existing products often get deprioritized.
But derivatives never stop. There is always something in progress. Ignoring these efforts doesn’t make them go away; it just creates risk, delays, and more issues down the line.
Engineering Talent and the Derivative Gap
High-performing engineers are typically interested in working on new cutting-edge products. They are passionate about innovative technology and desire to be a part of large initiatives. Many leaders feel like assigning engineers to modify existing work can disrupt momentum and cause engineers to become disengaged. At the same time, derivative projects still require experienced engineers who understand the original architecture, verification methodologies, and downstream impacts of change.
A New Way to Think About Derivative Support
At Triple Crown, we support derivative engineering work using the same delivery models our clients already rely on:
- Specialized staffing solutions
- Project-based engineering services
- Verification as a Service (VaaS)
Rather than forcing internal teams to stretch further, organizations are increasingly leveraging external resources to address derivative needs without compromising project development efforts. With the right engineering partner like Triple Crown, your derivative projects become manageable, strategically supported and delivery is accelerated.
To learn more on how our service models can support your derivative initiatives connect with our Chief Operating Officer, Sab Guerriero at sab@tripleco.com.