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Pulse Global
Achieving Impossible Deadlines by Switching to CoCreate
"As a consultant-based company, we know our clients are going to make changes and we work on projects that change all the time. The last thing that we want is software that is going to slow down our ability to adapt. CoCreate Modeling gives us freedom to move and respond like no other."
Tim Nugent, Founder & Partner, Pulse Global
The Complete Story
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ABC's hit show 'American Inventor' is one of the most compressed product development timelines a design firm may ever face. The development cycle starts with being selected only hours before participating on the show and ends in just 3.5 weeks.
"We were given a two sentence description for each of the different inventions the day before we met the inventors. From that, we created concept sketches of what we thought the different product ideas might be. We even went so far as to rough out some CAD models to start thinking about manufacturing approaches," said Tim Nugent, Pulse Global founder and partner.
"When we met the six different finalist teams the next day we presented our company's product development capabilities. The natural dynamics we had with some of the inventors caused us to stand out from the many different design firms competing for contracts that day."
"We were selected by two different teams to finalize design concepts for 'The Claw' bicycle storage mechanism and the 'Wrap-a-Way' gift wrapping station into production ready prototypes in just 3.5 weeks. The time compression was crazy," said Nugent.
Winning two contracts for the show doubled the demands upon Pulse Global and the eyes of the American TV audience were watching. In order to meet the show's demanding timeline, Pulse Global's other founder and partner, Alan Fujii, switched from a parametric-based 3D CAD system to the explicit approach of CoCreate Modeling.
"Speed was required to do the show and I don't think we could have done what was needed using a parametric-based 3D CAD system — it just takes too much time," said Fujii.
Fast, innovative design is what Pulse Global offers to their customers and 'American Inventor' put the design firm to test.
"Everything is about speed and how we compress the timetable for our customers. Key to our success is the ability to move and evolve an idea quickly. So in regards to the American Inventor show, one product needed a facelift in 24 hours. We had originally scheduled 4 days for doing the 3D design but I knew that I could get the CAD work done overnight and buy more time for prototyping," said Nugent.
Evolving an idea quickly is critical to the innovation process, allowing companies to rapidly learn and respond within new product development. That comes from having the ability to rapidly perform multiple iterative design cycles within the development schedule.
"In order to be an effective source for innovation we have to be able to explore a multitude of ideas quickly, which requires tools having the ability to move fast," said Nugent.
"I go to 3D early in order to explore 'what if' scenarios. With CoCreate Modeling it is easy to explore many different options, as well as merge multiple concepts together as the design evolves," said Fujii.
The Wrap-a-Way gift wrapping station underwent many rapid evolutions as it progressed from concept to manufacturing-ready product.
"The Wrap-a-Way inventors gave us a design concept made from PVC pipe, wood and off-the-shelf blades. The inventors really wanted to focus on coming to a design that could have a production volume measured in 100,000's of units per month," said Nugent.
"This placed the Wrap-a-Way on a very fast track as we went from concept to producing 5 different prototypes for the inventors."
"At the end of the 3.5 weeks the Wrap-a-Way was ready to go to market. That included having a full bill of materials, cost of goods and tooling, and part material specifications. The inventors had everything they needed to understand what was needed to go to production."
Team design is another enabler for rapid product development.
"Our team is made up of people having different specialties. Sometimes a project can stay with one person, and other times it requires more. The nice thing about an explicit-based 3D CAD system is that anyone can work on a model because it is in a format that everyone can use. It allows the team to do what is necessary for the project," Nugent.
"That gives us options as we look to compress timetables and make decisions on when handoffs between team members can occur. We aren't faced with opening up a design and having to ask ourselves, 'How did he model that?'"
Short development schedules and changing design requirements are characteristics of companies that immediately benefit from an explicit approach to 3D product development.
"As a consultant-based company, we know our clients are going to make changes and we work on projects that change all the time. The last thing that we want is software that is going to slow down our ability to adapt. CoCreate Modeling gives us freedom to move and respond like no other," said Nugent.
"During the show we completely changed one of the products overnight as we went after a different form factor. There are some 3D CAD software programs out there where you wouldn't even have the conversation about doing that because you know you wouldn't be able to get it done in that short of timeline."
'American Inventor' is a true test of a design firm's capability to perform under pressure while celebrating the spirit of innovation.
"One of the great things about American Inventor was that it allowed us to show how fluid our development process is."
"We did so many things in parallel to hit the timeline. Some people would be working on the design to finish mechanical components. Others would be taking CAD data to make parts on our in-house manufacturing equipment. While others would be creating quick prototypes to validate the design as yet another would be creating the tooling."
"Our methodology provides us the ability to move all over the place, which is why CoCreate Modeling is such a great fit. We are beyond calculating the time savings of using the software. We are completely committed to using it in order to achieve our deadlines."
"The timeline for American Inventor was so compressed that it really highlighted the strengths of CoCreate Modeling. We couldn't have done this without CoCreate. The American Inventor experience made me a believer," said Fujii.
Company Profile
Pulse Global represents a teamed partnership of award winning designers and veteran mechanical engineers whom originate pioneering solutions for companies ranging from start up to Fortune 500. Pulse Global leverages in-house manufacturing capabilities for CNC machinery, casting and molding to produce exact design data in a physical form factor.
The company leverages both virtual and physical prototypes to validate design and engineering criteria and finalize designs for manufacturing.
Pulse Global helps clients achieve innovative products and brands that not only exceed the bottom line, but also inherently raise the bar on brand experience.
For more information, please visit: www.pulse-global.com.
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