The industrial design of our voice remote for media center was one of the major steps that we had to accomplish to get to market. The media center software plugin that forms the basis for our voice interface had been in development for almost eighteen months. The hardware development of the associated remote control internal electronics had been progressing for at least twelve months. These were needed first, Use Of Technology In Different Fields to demonstrate the idea. But to make it real we needed a form. A shape to contain the magic. This was one of the most interesting aspects of the project for me. I have previously been involved in high volume consumer devices, but not something so tactile. It needed to round off the product and provide the final polish. The outside appearance needed to measure up to the internal advanced technology.
We worked with industrial designers to get to the final design. The first step was to give them a brief, the guidelines that we thought were needed to do the technology justice. The brief took a while to crystallize, but it soon became obvious after some discussion. A voice remote control has to stand out from the crowd, because it’s not just another remote control, it’s got voice! It has to look distinctive, and still function as an ergonomic, usable media center accessory. There were also the technically detailed aspects of the brief such as button type, layout and styling to meet the Hans Swildens Linkedin criteria for a media center addon product. But more importantly there were the higher level, aesthetic elements, which we eventual summarized as “distinctive, stylish, a new type of interface device”.
Our industrial design partners initially produced three prototypes which were used to examine possible directions. One of these want on to be what is now in the shops. The two that went by the wayside were interesting and we may yet do something with the design ideas they showed. We incorporated some aspects of each into the final design.
I believe we succeeded in achieving what we had specified in the initial brief. The finished product is a sculpted, ergonomic design in black with silver highlights. The buttons are hard covered with a positive action. There is subtle back-lighting of the whole face. The distinctive logo at the top highlights the microphone, and gives visual feedback to the user. This distinguishes it as not just another remote control.…
Tag: challenge
Avoiding an Inventory Stock Out – A Manufacturing Challenge
“A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse” cries King Richard III in Shakespeare’s well known drama – and you may well ask what relevance does it have to Starting Your Own Business With No Money the manufacturing world!!! Closer consideration of this quotation allows us to draw a number of analogies to an out of stock manufacturing situation.
there is a desperate need for an item that appears to be currently unavailable
the value of the item has risen dramatically Product Competition Examples to the party wanting it
locating a replacement item becomes paramount
and any delay in obtaining the item may prove fatal
Harsh analogies perhaps but there have been many instances where a manufacturing operation has foundered because of poor purchasing policies and a lack of inventory control. It is one thing to have the ability to fabricate and assemble the required order. It is a very different matter to ensure that all the component parts and material are available on hand and that they can be readily located when required. This takes us into the realms of purchasing procedure and inventory management both of which are key components in the manufacturing process.
In a previous article in this series, entitled ‘Estimating – A Key Profit Parameter for Manufacturers’, it was noted that accurate estimating and costing of a job is crucial to a profitable outcome. However, no matter how accurate the cost estimation, it is of limited value once manufacture commences if the material and consumables needed for the job are not available when required. The lack of a component or the inability to locate its whereabouts will often materially impact the flow of a job through the shop. Typically this may result in one or all of the following scenarios
urgent ordering and delivery of the item
diverting or delaying manpower resources to locate the item
delays at a work station with a partially completed item
reconfiguring machines to take on another task
rescheduling of other activities on the shop floor to accommodate the delay
reallocation of labour
Unavoidable delays and mishaps do occur on occasions but these should be the exception rather than the rule. If there is a high incidence of urgent ordering or the shop floor seems to be in a frequent state of turmoil, looking for components or consumables, then it is almost certain that there are some serious issues that need to be addressed.
Urgent ordering is a classic symptom of a purchasing system under stress. Provided that an inventory is being properly managed there should be very few urgent orders placed. Inventory management requires good interfaces with the estimating process so that the requirements for a specific job are known before a quotation becomes a firm order. Once the manufacturing order is confirmed timely component and consumable ordering should follow in an measured manner.
Proper inventory management must also include
maintaining appropriate levels of stock and components based on well developed max / min figures
the timely placing …