Innovation "deep diving"

Blog post: February 5, 2008
By Justin Knabb
Controller, Specialty Design & Mfg. Co.


Specialty Design & Manufacturing has been fortunate over our history to help hundreds of industrial clients to revolutionize and streamline their operations.  We think outside-the-box, we identify opportunities for real long-term cost savings, we make laborers' jobs safer, and ultimately, we help our clients to produce better products for the good of the common consumer.  Our in-house engineering design team is experienced with (but not limited to) prototyping, metal fabrication, tool and die-making, assembly, high-volume CNC machining, low-volume CNC machining, fixturing, robotic integration, and finally, long-term customer service whenever necessary.  We have thought outside-the-box for 41+ years now and look forward to the next 41 years!

Where large-scale automation and production is our forte, we'd like to bring light to one very fascinating and innovating product design consultant based in Silicon Valley, CA called IDEO.  On ABC's Nightline, the firm was the subject of a "Deep Dive" approach to innovating new products.  They were presented with a challenge: to re-invent a regular shopping cart, that could be commercially successful, in just five days.  In this time-frame they needed to work from concept to fruition.  Nightline captured their innovation process at work: their brainstorming, market research, collaboration, concept presentations, prototype design, concept selection/voting, product manufacturing, and customer presentation.

The video feature from Nightline can be found by clicking HERE, and is truly an inspiring, engaging, and thought-provoking process to watch.  Where at Specialty Design, we take pride in the uniquely intimate and experienced approach that we take with our customers to identify machining, automation and production solutions, this extraordinary "Deep Dive" approach to new product development is worth considering and emulating in any company.  The "Deep Dive" method is a powerful way to think outside-the-box in an even broader scope, as outlined at this link by Deloitte Consulting.

Thanks to IDEO for offering not just engineers but all professions a peek inside to the extraordinary way that they manage innovation within their company.

Specialty Design awarded for supplier excellence!

JANUARY 2008 -- Specialty Design & Manufacturing is proud to announce that a long-time customer recently presented our firm with their 2007 Excellence Award.  In the words printed on our plaque, the award is "in recognition of and appreciation for excellent performance and significant contributions to (their) success.  Specialty Design & Manufacturing is one of only 10 companies to receive this award."  Furthermore, our customer stated that of these 10 companies, Specialty Design is 1 of only 2 machine shops to receive this honor in 2007.

We are most appreciative for this accolade, especially given the size and international focus of the customer, as well as the fact that we were among the few companies acknowledged from their network of over 700 vendors.

Over the past decade, we have helped this fire pump and rescue equipment manufacturer (name withheld to protect confidentiality) to cost-effectively machine high-volume castings, manage their parts inventory in our own plant, and meet tight delivery schedules.  By outsourcing much of the CNC machining and inventory management with Specialty Design, our customer has greatly reduced their costs and re-focused on much more profitable assembly work in their own plant.  This relationship has truly been a win-win opportunity for both Specialty Design and our customer, and we are both grateful for this 2007 Excellence Award and our long, mutually-beneficial relationship.