Substitute Materials In Existing Products
An existing product can sometimes be improved by changing the material from which it was made. This can easily alter the product's characteristics, making it lighter, stronger, more flexible, cheaper to produce and/or more environmentally sound. Products with different characteristics appeal to different target markets.
Some Examples
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A company substituted plastic for metal in fishing lures. The lures are now less expensive to produce, lighter in weight and easier to keep shiny.
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A plastics manufacturer makes plastic buckets for grain elevators. These are an improvement over the metalbuckets previously used, because they are stronger, do not dent and do not corrode.
How To Do It
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Examine products to see where they might be improved or appeal to a different market through the use of substitute materials.
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Consider any material which you have in good supply, analysing its characteristics to determine which products use similar materials and might benefit from a substitution.
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Find production processes which are inefficient due to the materials currently used. Find ways to improve the process by replacing the inadequate materials. For example, materials may be inadequate if they are too expensive, too difficult to work with. unsafe, in short supply, or consumed in the process. Look for substitute materials which are cheaper, easier to work with, safer, in greater supply or re-usable.
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Talk with potential customers to determine whether they would purchase the improved item you want to provide.
Key Questions
What products can I think of which could be improved by substituting one or more materials?
What materials do I have which could be substituted for an inferior material currently used in a product?
What customers have stated they would purchase the improved product?
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