Design for Profit
Commercial information and background
I have got a proven track record of successful products that have assisted my Clients to achieve growth and establish themselves in the market place. Between the technical knowledge and business acumen of my Clients, together with my design input, we have formed working relationships that have led to products that succeed in the market. Here are two case studies of such relationships:
DIAL-A-CAB (DaC) GPS TAXI TERMINAL CLIENT : MICROBUS MANUFACTURING LTD - UK
My client, an electronics manufacturer, had the opportunity to bid for a contract to equip 2000 taxi cabs subscribing to the Dial-A-Cab London network, which wanted to equip the cabs with modern GPS communications and navigation technology. The only problem was that they did not have a product, only the basic technology and they were competing with existing products made by major brands such as Panasonic.
But these products were not exactly what the taxi cab company wanted. I was contracted to put together an innovative concept for the finished product, and a method to mount it in the cabs - made by 4 different manufacturers. I teamed up with the electronic designers of my client company and put together a presentation, in the form of visuals and CAD layouts. On seeing the presentation, the cab company saw that the product could become a reality and they gave the contract to my client.
The contract was for 2000 systems at £2000.00 each, total £4,000,000. I formed a team consisting of a software developer, the client's electronics designers and even the managers of Dial-A-Cab (ex cabbies). I developed the concept, created CAD data, prototyped it, organised trials in taxi cabs, generated the specifications, found manufacturing subcontractors in the UK and Far East (for economy of production), organised the tooling production and the components production. From this point my client took over to assemble, deliver and support the units.
RANGE OF RUGGED COMPUTERS FOR INDUSTRIAL AND MILITARY USE CLIENT : EUROPEAN DATA SYSTEMS LTD. - UK
I designed and developed a computer range for one of my major clients over a number of years. The first product I designed for them was when they were two partners and a secretary working from a garage in the West Country. Their annual turnover was less than £65,000. This first product, an industrial computer, was very successful and I continued to design other products for them in the following years.
As a result of further successful products, their turnover rose to £1,000,000 two years later, to £5,400,000 another two years later and to £12,000,000 in the following two years.
The end users for the computer products include the British MOD, Royal Navy, Belgian Army and NATO.
European Data Systems was sold to DRS Rugged Systems - USA for an undisclosed amount (but I know the partners became wealthy).