Taking a Closer Look

Having a background in Industrial Engineering and having worked in several different manufacturing industries both as a designer and provider of products to an end user of products worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, I have seen first-hand how important a finishing process can be to the success of a product.

Imagine for a moment that you have developed a system that works for an industrial application. The production value of the equipment is stellar, and the customer is willing to invest a large sum of money in your product to incorporate your system into theirs.

Now imagine that piece of equipment arrives on site, the new owner comes by to see his latest addition and the finish on the equipment is bland and unappealing. Or worse yet, it has scratches, runs, and chips in its finish. Imagine how your customer feels at that moment. It would be like buying a high end automobile and having it arrive looking like someone painted it with a spray bomb.

Perhaps you have experienced this from a buyer's or a supplier's perspective. The problem is companies go to great lengths to ensure their products do what they are supposed to do as far as fit, form, and function. However, less thought is given to how the product will look in the field or the first visual impression it will make.

Even worse is when the finishing is defined as the area used to cut the cost of manufacturing by providing products coated with the most cost effective and least visually appealing finish that can be found, thinking that it does not really matter.

Consider this, the products we produce are a reflection of our brand and in some cases are our brand. They are out there in the world leaving impressions about our company to anyone and everyone who encounters them. This can be a good or a not so good impression. We are a society that is busy and involved and we have developed a keen sense of making a first impression based on a visual inspection. This visual impression can have a huge impact on our attitudes towards products and companies.

So if the products you present to the world do not visually make the impression that you are trying to portray about your product or company then you are doing yourself a disservice.

Products are show pieces for the companies that produced them for as long as they exist. They are truly one of our best or worst marketing tools. Is it not in our best interest to make them look as good as possible?

I can remember being on tours of facilities and people would comment on a piece of equipment because the piece stood out and was visually appealing enough for someone to ask the question about it. At that point a conversation usually ensued about the equipment and its value to the operation. Ask any marketer about the value of having someone else saying something good about your product.

So why then do a lot of companies opt for the least expensive and least visually appealing finishes they can get? Well, in most cases it has to do with the fact that companies are not aware of the value of the finish. They have not considered the impression that a good quality or unique finish can provide them in their market place or the positive feeling it can inspire in our customers. Other times it is a costing decision, in that when trying to keep our cost competitive we choose to reduce the quality of the finish thinking that it really does not affect how our product will perform.

So when reviewing your product offering to your market consider the effect that your finish has upon how your product and your company are viewed in the eyes of your customer. Give some thought to the finish process you are using and look at it from all perspectives including added perception of value for your customer to the marketing appeal of a great looking product to perspective customers.

Until next time,

Imagine it......Dip it!