Sweetwater Case
Essay by Rohan Srivastava • June 28, 2016 • Case Study • 686 Words (3 Pages) • 2,960 Views
SweetWater: Case Write Up
Introduction: Following an Alaskan fishing trip Sandy Platter a computer peripherals engineer has a new idea for a portable water filter device for use by outdoor recreationalists. The case focuses on developing a promising idea into a viable product design by considering customer needs early in the design process. During the 1990s, Outdoor recreationalists faced a major problem of unavailability of safe and clean drinking water. In addition to visible hazards like silt, there was an increasing threat of invisible contamination due to rising industrialization, inadequate waste disposal , and aging municipal water supply systems leading to a variety of gastrointestinal illnesses and in some extreme cases even death. This led to an increasing demand for water filtration systems for avid outdoor recreationalists like backpackers, hikers and climbers.
Issues with current products available in market:
ISSUES | FIRST NEED | POCKET FILTER |
Ergonomics | Clumsy, awkward to handle, bulky ,difficult to pack(separate bodies for pump and filter cartridge) | Heavy, clumsy to use, intake apparatus heavy and rested on water source bottom where muck and pathogens were thickest. |
Functionality | - | Didn’t remove dissolved “tastes” or chemicals (no activated carbon),Filter clogged easily |
Durability | Body made of PVC,carbon filter cracked easily by rugged use | Ceramic filter can crack with a heavy blow |
Pricing | Ambiguous price-to-value ratio (Suggested retail Price : $49.95) Replacement filter : $29.95 | Retail Price range: $225 to $275 Replacement Filters: $130 |
Decision Points:
Pertaining to the available potable water problems in mountains and other remote areas and unavailability of a proper light portable water filter ledd Sandy platter to think to fill this vaccum area and create a business opportunity.After doing a proper market research about the already available (first need and Pocket Filter) products in market they took a few important decisions in this front like:
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