QWIZDOM
Case Study
Project Description
Qwizdom is a market leading provider of Audience Response Systems, sometimes referred to as Electronic Voting Systems or Audience Clickers. As a software and hard-ware development and production company founded in 1984, Qwizdom must maintain its competitive position in an innovative field by careful management of manufacturing costs and supply chain efficiency.
Qwizdom provides on-demand, instantaneous response systems that use Radio Frequency technology to poll business or educational audiences during meetings, trainings, or presentations. Qwizdom audience response systems combine both hardware and software components into integrated systems that poll and tabulate results, then produce graphic summaries for immediate projection. Qwizdom’s innovative tools promote interactive learning and heighten the quality of audience engagement.
About the Project
Qwizdom is a small company competing with companies who have substantially higher resources and revenues. The company relies on competent outsourced expertise in production and supply chain management so Qwizdom product managers can remain focused on product development, marketing, and sales. Before engaging with E-BI, Qwizdom safe-guarded the continuity and ability to increase production as demand required by spreading manufacturing across multiple factories. This system solved one problem but created another: the challenge of managing and monitoring a complex international network when the company’s strategic need was to keep its focus on growing and sustaining its position in a niche market.
E-BI established itself as the reliable, trustworthy, and competent resource that Qwizdom needed to manage the behind-the-scenes policies and processes. E-BI provided stability and accountability, as well as the ability to communicate with Qwizdom’s engineers to lower cost and accelerate new product roll outs. Over time, E-BI took on increased involvement in sourcing components and participating in the factory selection process. In addition to handling all aspects of the manufacturing process, E-BI began providing industrial and mechanical design modifications for an existing Qwizdom line. E-BI’s contribution and competence in this expanded role prompted Qwizdom to invite E-BI to assist with product management, encompassing industrial design through go-to-market planning, manufacturing, distribution and even handling the FCC testing.
The CEO of Qwizdom, Darin Beamish states that as a result of E-BI’s input into Qwizdom’s design process, they have been able to put out a new device with improved features at a reduced cost. E-BI has also managed the timeline well, despite introduction of unexpected elements, such as additional design complexities and revisions in the production process. Initially, Qwizdom selected E-BI based on price, but over time they have found value in E-BI’s ability to expand the scope of their involvement to save time and staff resource. E-BI is continuously finding ways to help Qwizdom be successful. E-BI seeks joint success, offering more a partner model than a vendor model. That is a superior value proposition.
Educational Electronics
Initially we selected E-BI based on price, but over time we have found value in their ability to expand the scope of their involvement to save time and staff resource. They are continuously finding ways to help us be successful. They seek joint success, offering more a partner model than a vendor model. That is a superior value proposition.
Darin Beamish
CEO, Qwizdom