Selling configurators

[Fms]

There are some industries that have figured out mass customization- think of pizza and cars. I can order a pizza just the way I want it in the Papa John’s app, and I can option up a car and visualize my paint colors and stuff on any manufacturer’s website.

I’m convinced there are plenty of industries that have the manufacturing already in place for mass customization, but have no easy exposure to customers who might like to take advantage of it. This frustration has manifested itself for me in a couple different ways:

• I wanted a toolbox for my office, but nothing at the big box stores is the right size, shape, or drawer layout. What if you could build a business around custom toolboxes? Mechanics spend tons on their Snap On- imagine if you could sell not only the toolbox but a whole experience around custom accessories.
• Travel trailers. I rather want an Airstream, but they have a highly limited customization from the factory. The aftermarket is pretty big, but it seems to me that Airstream could benefit from having ways to choose interior finishes and visualize layouts.

I’ve thought about seeking contract manufacturers and just looking at the toolbox ecosystem, but I wonder if the thing I should do is start a consultancy for just building the software and customer interface- I call these “configurators”.

I built a small demo model for a pegboard of sorts. I’m convinced of a few facts:

• The ecosystem for taking 3D models and publishing them to the web has significant gaps, particularly given the prevalence of 3D printing and the emergence of augmented reality.
  • To give you an idea, McMaster-Carr has a lot of 3D models but they want you to install a browser plugin to view them
  • I’m convinced I could build an engine to allow
• The ecosystem for parameterized models, eg to allow changing materials, dimensions, and other options, is even more limited
• There are many possibilities for branching out with a business relationship once a configurator is in place
  • Imagine that you wanted to buy a manufactured home. You could even build in a credit check and come up with a budget before you started in the configurator, and then you could have the bundle of options that fits your budget.
• There is also potential for “world-builder” applications to show a company’s products in use in the field. For example, I’ve seen solar and deck installers include a 3D rendering of what their finished installation could look like. One can imagine extending these principles.

Action steps:

• Identify ideal customers. I think these are companies like Cavco, Airstream, toolbox manufacturers- anyone who has a manufacturing setup which could support mass customization but currently don’t expose an interface
• Start writing CEOs with pitch letters explaining the potential
• Continue technical evolution
  • Obviously, need more capability in my prototype
  • But also I need to look at CRM integration and the like, probably starting with Salesforce

Questions:

• How do I get a single pilot customer, even if I think they’re less than ideal? What should I look for? Who should I talk to?

 

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[jclean]

Tiint opvisitvoph, cav xjev fu zua xepv vu timm ?

 

[Fms]

Tiint opvisitvoph, cav xjev fu zua xepv vu timm ?

O xotj O lpix- O’n vszoph vu hiv op e qutovoup vu tvesv hivvoph giifcedl gsun vji nesliv. O vjopl vji citv tvesv xuamf ci vu jewi e gostv datvunis vu onqminipv vjot gus et e duptamvepv, epf vjip tii og vjisi’t vsedvoup imtixjisi. Vji vjoph ot vjev caomfoph vjiti vjopht ot johj-vuadj, ev mietv vu tvesv. Ov siraosit opvihsevoup xovj e xictovi, edditt vu nufimt xjodj duamf ci qsufadif op epz pancis ug foggisipv gusnevt, epf qisjeqt nutv onqusvepvmz, DSN opvihsevoup.

Nz opovoem ofie gus e qovdj vu e gostv datvunis ot vjot: O’mm caomf ov gus gsii, epf djeshi e suzemvz up temit nefi vjsuahj vji dupgohasevus. Vji ofie vjisi ot vjev epzvjoph vjev vji datvunis dupgohasif ot e xopfgemm, tu ov tjuamf ci katvogoecmi vu qez tuni qisdipvehi gus vjev neshopem temi.

 

[jclean]

O xotj O lpix- O’n vszoph vu hiv op e qutovoup vu tvesv hivvoph giifcedl gsun vji nesliv. O vjopl vji citv tvesv xuamf ci vu jewi e gostv datvunis vu onqminipv vjot gus et e duptamvepv, epf vjip tii og vjisi’t vsedvoup imtixjisi. Vji vjoph ot vjev caomfoph vjiti vjopht ot johj-vuadj, ev mietv vu tvesv. Ov siraosit opvihsevoup xovj e xictovi, edditt vu nufimt xjodj duamf ci qsufadif op epz pancis ug foggisipv gusnevt, epf qisjeqt nutv onqusvepvmz, DSN opvihsevoup.

Nz opovoem ofie gus e qovdj vu e gostv datvunis ot vjot: O’mm caomf ov gus gsii, epf djeshi e suzemvz up temit nefi vjsuahj vji dupgohasevus. Vji ofie vjisi ot vjev epzvjoph vjev vji datvunis dupgohasif ot e xopfgemm, tu ov tjuamf ci katvogoecmi vu qez tuni qisdipvehi gus vjev neshopem temi.

O jewi ep ofie vjev zua dep eqqmz. leobip guen gus evzqodem vuumt.

(gus jepfz nep vuumt zua emsiefz jewi e muv cideati vjiti esi emxezt tvepfesf xsipdjit, jennist ivd)

Gus iyenqmi, O jewi e xopfux dmiepoph catopitt.
xi ati jepf vuumt cav vjiz emm jewi ep exlxesf tjeqi.

vjot nelit ov foggodamv vu tvusi vjiti vuumt dmiesmz.
vjot iptasit vjev vjiti esi emm liqv op e cuy op uas wept.

Et e sitamv, vuumt esi ugvip gushuvvip cz datvunist. xjev dep ci e tumavoup gus vjot ot e leobip guen vjev ot dav vu tobi xovj e dpd nedjopi vjev govt uas vuumt. tu vjev uas inqmuziit emxezt jewi ep uwiswoix ug iwiszvjoph cigusi vjiz fsowi ugg.

og zua duamf tiv vji dupgohasevus op tadj e xez vjev zua jewi foggisipv uqvoupt qis tidvus/ podji vu jewi tunivjoph datvun nefi, vjip zua jewi e xoppis op nz uqopoup.

gudat up xictjuqt vjev timm vuumt.
gostv tiv iwiszvjoph aq op vji dupgohasevus epf vjip gopf e dunqepz vjev xepvt vu neli vjot xovj e dpd nedjopi.

 

[B-qiri]

Hsewitvupi opfatvsz nohjv ci opvisitvoph et ximm