The Challenge
The world of motor speed controllers, the electronic devices that control the rotational speed of motor-driven equipment such as fans, pumps or compressors, is perhaps unglamorous but nevertheless highly competitive. The low-power AC motor speed controller market is worth £2.2billion (Euro 3.2billion) and is characterised by well-understood technology and high user acceptance. In 2004, Control Techniques needed a replacement for its SE drives range, whose bulky design was starting to be perceived as old fashioned and which was starting to lose market share.
The Brief
Kinneir Dufort were asked to design a new family of drives, but under a number of design constraints. Control Techniques wanted to reduce the physical size of the products, reduce manufacturing costs and reduce the selling price while increasing margins. They were also ambitious to create better ergonomics and enable easier commissioning and cable management. The final nine major products would also have to co-ordinate within an existing range and accommodate pre-existing accessories, as well as working with the overall Control Techniques brand.
The Design
The design solution, the Commander SK family of drives, was launched in January 2005, with each drive between 25% and 40% smaller than its predecessor. Ease of use was significantly improved by implementing an easy push button set-up user-interface, unique in this market: now 90% of applications can be set up through the front keypad, which has the ten most common parameters printed on front of the drive.
Intelligent use of plastics and injection moulding meant significant part reduction, while snap-fit features mean that assembly now takes seconds.
The Results
With a sales increase of 40% and an increase in market share of 1.5%, the Commander SK drive has more than met Control Techniques’ ambitions for this product. In terms of raw technical performance, the product is very similar to its predecessor, which makes its success all the more impressive. A 30% reduction in assembly time, a 25% lower manufacturing cost and a reduction, by a third, of the number of mechanical components used has enabled Control Techniques to increase margins while reducing the selling price to bring in line with market price.
Judge’s Comments
The judges were extremely impressed by Control Techniques’ decision to put design at the heart of its commercial strategy. ‘For this company to say, “Let’s try and differentiate ourselves through design…”, I think is pretty visionary,’ said Brian Tickle, Director of eCommerce, Orient Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises. ‘In an environment where focusing on design might be seen to be gratuitous,’ added Gabrielle Teague, Joint Director, National Patient Safety Agency, ‘this winner stands out as a tremendous example of the positive power that good design can have on a product's market share’.
