Edyn Garden Solar - Case Study Example

Description of Edyn Garden Solar Name Institutional Affiliation Instructor Date Innovation Characteristics Description of the Innovation Edyn Garden Sensor is a device that keeps farmers connected to their gardens by giving them information and guidance as to what their plants need to thrive. The device is planted in the soil where crops have been grown. This is because the environmental conditions are constantly changing, hence the need to have a comprehensive information in real time. The device gathers, analyses and sends data to the users through smartphones on a real-time and long term basis. The device monitors certain environmental conditions like humidity, sunlight intensity, soil nutrition and moisture and temperature. A significant feature of this innovation is that it helps the gardeners decide which plants to grow depending on the prevailing geographical conditions. Edyn Garden Sensor works with the help of Edyn App to relay information through smartphones with a Wi-Fi connection. The app has an automatic water function that measures and keep track of underground water levels and weather forecasts. Type of innovation This is a product innovation that constitute a sensor, an app, brand and logo. The philosophy behind this kind of innovation is the acknowledgement of the fact that user experience is so critical. To avoid user disruption, the innovation is made up of an elegant hardware, charming app radical wireless technology that work together to deliver the vital information that one needs to have in order to grow healthy plants that can thrive without the threat of garden aesthetics. Product Lifecycle Analysis Product Life Cycle involve three basic stages: Fluid Phase: Many changes innovation changes takes place including customization of the device’s design, size and shape. The functionality of the sensor is also tested and its performance maximized. At this stage Engineering Validation Test (EVT) is done. It aims at addressing the question as to whether the manufacturing company (Fuseproject) would build several units of the Edyn Garden Sensor that would function as per their expectations and meet all the functional requirements. Transitional Phase: The stage involves major process changes to the sensor, then the design of the product is stabilized and differentiated in order to distinguish it from those of the competitors. At this stage also, sales maximization is given a concern. Design Validation Test (DVT) is done to ascertaining whether the manufacture is able to not only build a lot of units that work as expected, look great and meet all functional requirements but also aims at meeting the appearance requirements. Specific Phase: This is the final stage and it entailed improvements to the sensors, adjustment of prices and cost minimization. Product Validation Test (PVT) is done to test the ability of the manufacturer to build tons of units that work in accordance with their expectations, look great and function together quickly and easily and meet all functional requirements is tested. This is tested in regard to great manufacturability matrices such as processing capabilities, rolling throughput and fast pass yield. Following the prototype and conceptual work, the three phases occur later in design and development processes. Before entering the EVT phase, the various teams involved in designing put more efforts in prototyping. This helps them in understanding the product much better to easily and quickly pinpoint failures and institute corrective measures as production volume increases. Adoption attributes Relative Advantage Whether one manages a small-scale organic farm or is a novice gardener, Edyn Garden Sensor is there to eliminate guesswork in gardening. It keeps the gardener connected to his or her garden irrespective of his location. This means that one can know the state of his farm even when travelling. The Edyn app displays real-time picture of a garden, thus allowing swift corrective measures, thanks to its large data storage on soil science and plant information. In addition, the automatic water function of this innovation has enabled busy people to get their farms watered when they are unable to. Compatibility The guidance generated from Edyn device is not based on generalities. Rather, it is based on the data and science from the garden. With these analyzed recommendations, one can further dig into knowing the historical trends based on the past guidance. It is therefore in line with the needs of the adopters. Complexity It is easy to use and interpret the information relayed by Edyn Garden Solar because gadget analyzes the garden information and identify plants that best match the prevailing climatic and soil conditions of a farm. Edyn’s database has over 5000 varieties of plants that will provide tips to gardeners as they prepare their gardens and discover optimal spots for each plant. Tri-ability Edyn Garden Solar has been subjected to numerous tests before it was fully launched into the market. The device has proved beyond reasonable doubt that it is working and hence worth adoption. Observability The outcome of adoption of the innovation is seen through improved productivity, increased yields and reduced cost of production due to mechanization. Therefore, adoption of Edyn Garden Solar has brought practical and tangible benefits to the users. Innovation Strategies First mover approach Edyn is definitely the first company to come up with this kind of working innovation. Therefore, they have the opportunity of not only building brand loyalty and technological leadership, but also enjoying profits from its newly created market by creating such an innovative product that distinguishes it from competitors. By being the first mover, the company has set up prices for the gadget at $99.99. This is relatively affordable to most potential adopters, hence minimization of switching cost. Protection strategy Edyn is has a distinct trademark that distinguishes its products from those of competitors. The trademark is exhibited by its logo, the shape of the sensor and its yellow color, which is attributed to the company as shown below; Complementary assets Edyn innovation does not work alone. It depends on the services of other parties. For instance, technical support from a Mechanical Engineer is required to install the whole system. The services of a social scientist and a botanist are necessary to facilitate the analysis of soil factors and plant nutritional requirements respectively. Appropriability strategy  The ease of copying the innovation is low due to the intense complexity involved in creating the product. It requires a lot of financial resources, technical expertise and time to test and prove that the product really works to serve the intended use. It requires a team of designers to create and assemble different units and ensure that they are working as a single unit. References Cyndi Huang (2016). Top 5 Gardening Innovations of 2016. http://www.begardenly.com/urban-gardening-guide/top-5-urban-gardening- innovations-for-2016 www.edyn.com Read More