Case Studies

Revitalized Portfolios — 3D Printing Case Study

The Problem

Scaling stalled due to post-processing bottlenecks, despite advancements in printing capabilities.

The Context

The 3D printing landscape is constantly evolving, with printers delivering better parts, faster. But post-processing—the stage after printing—remained a bottleneck. Removing supports and curing parts was manual and inefficient. To scale into true production use cases, this pain point had to be resolved.

The Design

Following expert interviews, on-site contextual inquiry, and a review of adjacent solutions, a strategy was developed. Multiple projects—ranging from partnerships to clean-sheet designs—were proposed and approved, setting a path toward scalable production 3D printing.

The Impact

Launched a production-ready platform that eliminated scaling barriers and leapfrogged the competition.

Faster Execution — Computer Vision Case Study

The Problem

A critical 18-month development timeline needed to be compressed into six months to avoid a product gap.

The Context

The engineering team at this computer vision startup had used agile methods consistently for over two years. Velocity was stable and estimations accurate, but new hardware components required a fresh software foundation. Without it, the new devices were effectively non-functional.

The Design

An MVP was defined, and opportunities to leverage the existing codebase as a temporary bridge were identified. Collaboration with the sales team helped force-rank new features, while the engineering team phased in the software rearchitecture. This approach enabled a clear line in the backlog and delivery of a breakthrough product within six months, with a roadmap for future updates.

The Impact

Delivered a major platform launch 3x faster than projected, preserving revenue and customer trust.

Aligned Teams — Acquisition Spree Case Study

The Problem

Fragmented development across seven teams resulted in stalled launches and zero throughput.

The Context

The company had acquired dozens of firms over 30 years without meaningfully integrating teams. Product development spanned 300 engineers and managers across fluid teams with no shared framework.

The Design

A two-week sprint gathered input from nearly 80 team members and collected relevant artifacts. A cross-functional core team was formed to co-create a lightweight process reflecting best practices. The process was launched through interactive training sessions and supported by a weekly feedback forum. Adherence exceeded 90% among team members and gatekeepers.

The Impact

Standardized development with 90%+ process adherence, accelerating time to market and unifying teams.

Increased Value — Runaway Complexity Case Study

The Problem

A 10x surge in demand created fulfillment delays and pulled engineers into routine assembly.

The Context

As a critical tool supplier for semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing, fast delivery was essential. Rapid product launches and soaring demand overwhelmed existing processes, creating upstream supply ripple effects.

The Design

Two primary issues were addressed: lack of centralized planning and poor manufacturability of shared subassemblies. A custom MRP (Manufacturing Resource Planning) system was developed to automate production scheduling and improve visibility. In parallel, subassemblies were redesigned for easier, more consistent fabrication and handoff. Updated documentation and tooling enabled assembly technicians to take on more work, reducing the load on engineering.

The Impact

Reduced lead times from 10 weeks to one, cut costs, and restored engineering focus to product innovation.