In how many ways can your company benefit from improvements with design? This is not a rhetorical question. Engineering design precipitates so many areas, and the right design touch can increase profitability.
Often the word "Design" is interpreted as "Art" or "Style". We certainly like to put Style with Function, but in context of "Engineering Design" it is much more than the artistic side. For this article, we are referring to creation of new and better function, both in new products and in the redesign of existing ones.
We will look at success in examples from 3 industry sectors. Some are not so obvious – which makes them interesting. Then, we look forward. Design touches nearly everything, but where do the ideas it come from? With the right perspective, maybe your great idea will be next.
Service Sector Company Example
Our first case study comes from a solo-preneur in Colorado who works his day job as a janitor. This gentleman makes a modest living keeping things clean, and he takes great pride in spotless floors. You could say floors are his passion. Parts of the job are difficult, and require less than pleasant chemicals to do a good job.
For one particular job, he found that tedious hand work with a special fabric in a certain orientation drastically decreased the work. Eureka! Then, he thought, "but how can I make it to work like this all the time?" So, he set his mind to work figuring it out.
Engineering design to the rescue. A fairly simple tool was designed to hold the materials properly, and easily change it when needed. With a crude prototype made, his theory was tested. The next generation prototype brought a better design and his cleaning tasks became both easier and faster.
There were some tricky things in the design that he did not anticipate, so he contacted us to help. In particular, we had to get creative to make some of the pieces manufacturable. So we did! And, the tool works great.
His next step is bringing the tool to market.
The Point: Just look at the things you do, and the tricks you use. These are often the inspiration. While some new products are epic, most start as simple ideas that expand with engineering design into new business solutions.
A Construction Sector Example
One company owner turned our engineering design focus toward construction waste. Because of the nature of his work, waste removal takes a disproportionate amount of time and effort by his team. They provide a tear-off and replace service, and handling the volume of waste is cumbersome – both to handle and to haul away.
One day he realized that the waste volume they haul is mostly air. The waste does not stack well, which makes it volumetrically inefficient. For them (and all the others in their industry segment), it means a lot of trash and recycling runs. Of course, these runs take time, people, and money.
The business solution? A custom machine. A pretty simple machine makes the waste comply. This one thing saves the team many man-hours with each job. They also save time and fuel because trips to the dump are fewer.
This machine improves efficiency in load volume so the trucks carry more in each trip.
If you are worried about automation taking jobs – not at this company. They stay busy, and the savings from the machine brought on one more worker. Win-Win!
The Point: Insight often comes just by watching what you spend your time on. While the new business solutions can save a ton of time and money, it would not happen without a step back to look at the processes.
Engineering Design In A Product Sector
We have many examples to share in the product development category. Afterall, it is one of our key engineering services.
One example is the Case Study on Bicycle Chainrings which emphasizes the integration of new technology into several new products. Some of those ideas are from the customer, some from Synthesis engineering design efforts.
Another great example is this Case Study of Custom Trailer Design. The focus is on meeting some very specific, maybe extreme and conflicting constraints. Although this trailer looks normal, it has several functions that similar low trailers cannot do. Interestingly, you do not see the uniqueness from the outside. It is hidden in the engineering design.
Finally, the Case Study on License Plate Frames where the focus is artistic presentation within many legal and manufacturing constraints. It is truly where art meets science, and engineering design pulls them together – including optical illusion and design tricks for manufacturing. When it all looks so easy, then we have done all the difficult parts of our job really well.
The Point: While all of these are engineering design improvements, the studies each give a different perspective. Functional engineering development is the focus with the bicycle components, while artistic presentation within legal limits is key with license plate frames. Trailers require structural and functional engineering design. Because these are all product sector designs, they have similarities, yet each has a unique focus.
If you want to see more, we have many examples in pictures on our presentation site big slide show. Please visit. The show is on a different URL if you are into watching that kind of thing, and it works best at full screen.
Where Can Your Company Benefit With Engineering Design?
In all of the above examples, the customers enjoy the benefits of the business solutions that come from design. For some it is in efficiency for doing their work, while for others the benefit is new things to sell. In some situations they sought the solution, and in others, the solution came because they took a step back to look at their world.
What is your next step for progress? If you need some thought stimulation, we can help with that too. There is never a shortage of new ideas, but sometimes it takes the right stimulation to see them.
Business solutions do not usually happen by accident, so take a look. You may have ideas already – but perhaps you don't know how to implement them, or where to start. The driver may be one of your employees, or an annoying problem you don't like to think about. Almost all businesses have something to help them improve, and often it begins by looking.
We are ready to help – both to stimulate new ideas, and to assist with the engineering design when the great ideas come.
The Point: Innovation is a great tool for building a company. Engineering design is the way to bring it to reality. Because we have seen the results, we think it is a Great Business Strategy . So, if you are up for success, we should talk about it. Let's build your ideas into a clear path to move your business forward.