Case Studies

European Aerospace Manufacturer

A European Aerospace manufacturer, the Wing Physics Division had an unexpected change in the design specification requirement which drove a new wing design. There were three choices for a new wing design but not enough time to use standard design process for the complete evaluation for each option. The problem was to select a design in three weeks instead of usual eighteen month timeframe. The client applied a PRIZM SuperCell session with the core design group of five engineers and eight related stakeholders. The outcome was twenty possible actions that could be taken to achieve the desired outcome. Five actions combined meant that they could choose one of the three design options. This meant that this design process was changed from a 18 month lead time and on the programme critical path to a design process completed within three weeks and no delay impact on the overall programme. And the engineers were happy.

International Branded Kitchen Equipment Manufacturer

An international branded kitchen equipment design through to distributor wished to ensure they captured leading innovation in their product designs. The founder and executive vice president of product development wanted to create a new cutting device with an elegant core design supporting low cost through to premium product categories and pricing. The goal was to have an elegant cutting device however low production cost. PRIZM GameStorming and ExpandedFocus was used in sessions spread of two days. The end result was three distinct product concepts for different unit cost levels yet reflecting premium products to department stores and standard product offerings to discount stores in the USA market. All are elegant in design and easy for customers to use.

The founder said that this process of just two days compares to the usual design process that typically takes 60 days yielding a massive saving in engineering time and also the ability to come to market quicker. The Founder was most impressed by the fact that the time saving would mean they could spend the effort in ensuring the designs were market leading and so maintain the recognised market leader position for innovation.

Aerospace Manufacturer

Aerospace manufacturer, Structures Division was at the early design stage and a decision was made to move the engine locations. This meant that several new locations needed to be assessed and the key problem was vibration transfer into the passenger cabin area via engine pylon fixings. There were currently no candidate solutions. The client applied a PRIZM SuperCell session over a period of two days with the core design group of eight engineers. The outcome was fifteen new fixings and vibration damping solutions options.

These solutions were seen as useful and unique enough to be patented.

Fashion Apparel and Shoes

The global market leader in Sports Fashion Apparel and Shoes took part in a PRIZM GameStorm. The quest they set was to increase the uptake of training and its recognised value to the organization. This is a long term perennial problem in training. Although the core training group of four executives have been working together for several years they were surprised and delighted to develop a new measurement method on how people were taking up training and the value the company got from it; and a new strategy to market training to department heads. They were excited by depth of innovative solution gained in just a few hours and recognised the value in running PRIZM sessions. PRIZM Innovation is in discussion to implement a long term innovation partner program.

Manufacturing Logistics

A manufacturing company’s logistics arm of a large international multinational corporation needed to ship high value engineering products between company sites in several countries and multiple locations. Each equipment used a transportation crate which was semi-custom yet often be reused. The equipment had a comprehensive tracking system yet the transportation of the boxes had little. The transportation boxes were stored between use in the local shipping warehouse. The problem was to avoid making excess transportation boxes and so needed a simple logistics tracking system. The PRIZM SuperCell session was used to identify the logistics information needed for effective tracking. This took one day involving five managers. The outcome was that the key design elements of the tracking system were identified and provided the input for a requirement study to take place prior to the design of a tracking system.

European Aerospace Manufacturer

The Cabin Systems Division of an Aerospace Company needed to simplify the design of a future passenger cabin. At the conceptual design stage for a future passenger cabin to simplify three and integrate three sub-systems: electrical, plumbing and air supply subsystems. They wished to identify four options on a continuum from classic approach on sequential build, test and installation into the aeroplane structure to an advanced approach of a parallel subsystem build, integration. The client applied the PRIZM GameStorm sessions, on the four options over a period of two days with the core design group of multi-disciplinary fifteen engineers. Each option gave ten to fifteen useful ideas. The outcome was to simplify the complexity of the problem into a way in which the problem could be clarified and codified so that a design programme could be developed to work on the design ideas.

Established Telecommunications Company

A small SMS text telecommunications company in Malaysia wished to determine a new growth strategy to increase sales volume of SMS and Voice over IP call traffic. A shortened PRIZM GameStorm session with the two founder owners and two marketing consultants was held. The outcome of the session was that the founders remembered that their passion for business was creating innovative solutions that earned great cash flow and that pursuing growth would not necessarily achieve that. They realised that they were too conservative and were hoarding cash and reluctant to spend top dollars to hire a sales man. The strategies for growth meant enhancing the sales capability and they determined an innovative method for selecting an aggressive salesman that had and shared their core conservative and family values.

Social Enterprise Start up Company

The start-up company had eighteen founding members and when determining the goals they became anxious as to whether the team could deliver the commitment and capability. The founding members wanted a strategy that the team could be committed to work together and to prove this to prospective customers. A PRIZM GameStorm session was held over a day involving eight of the 18 founders. At the end of the second game there were valid three strategies, one of which could be implemented immediately. In addition the issues raised could also be used as a process for ongoing building of trust and commitment. One strategy was executed immediately by the founding members.

EcoTextiles Social Enterprise

An start-up social enterprise wished to effectively launch a new range of organic naturally dyed textiles with rainforest botanical designs. The three founders ran a PRIZM GameStorm for a day in Los Angeles to determine a low cost and effective strategy to launch and market the eco-textiles. The outcome was a greater shared understanding of the passion and purpose of the business and several innovative ways to engage the Brazilian community and the Wholefoods supermarkets and related outlets in Los Angeles.

Property Investment Company

An established set of very successful property investors wished to take their successful investment model and start-up an Asia-wide investment club. The key issue was how to get services agreements in place between the hubs in different capital cities across Asia. The PRIZM GameStorm was played for a half day with four of the business founders present. During the session greater clarity of how the business needed to be structured to become an international organisation became clear with roles and responsibilities for different parts of the organization. The outcome was a clear action plan of issues to be resolved by the founding partners prior to setting up more of the organization. This saved expenses mistakes in setting up education centres in Australia which would have been premature and wasted.

Group Coaching – Survive and Thrive

A group of four consultants in Los Angeles came together to determine survive and thrive strategies. The PRIZM GameStorm session was paid for a half day. The outcomes were innovative ways for collaboration between the consultants and exciting areas to use clients as reference sites to drive new business. There were also low cost and simple ways of using internet based technology such as creating audio and video testimonials, creating a collaborative consultants web-site. Hosting a blog of key issues facing their clients, all of which would serve as a window to generate sales leads, add value and individually deepen their relationship with existing clients.

Executive Coaching

A Group coaching of Senior Executives in a large company was undergoing restructuring due to economic constraints. This meant that the three senior executives needed to be redeployed across the organisation. A group coaching session was set up using the PRIZM SuperCell so that three executives playing together created clarity on career path options and providing criteria for career path decision making. Each was able to get insights and make informed decisions on their preferred career path in the organization and also the benefits to the organisation in terms of being more resilient.

Lifestyle Coaching of a Husband and Wife

The UK economic climate meant that house prices were falling, and the couple wished to get more clarity of their criteria for buying an investment property. A single PRIZM ExpandedFocus session was held over a day. The couple put forward their criteria, potential issues and concerns. The end result was that in the game process, arising from the discussion of what they wanted and what they did not want, they realised that they did not want to buy an investment property and instead wanted to buy a home in anticipation of starting a family. The couple gained greater clarity of their lifestyle in terms of exposing their emotional needs in combination with their financial desires.