Designing generations of flagship products that enabled growth.
Cashmaster
For big stores and supermarkets, manually counting notes, coins and vouchers from the till at the end of each day can be very time consuming. To take on this tedious task at rapid speed, Cashmaster created a range of money counting machines.
Facing new competition, in 2006 Cashmaster partnered with 4c to help them stay ahead. Our task was to design a new flagship system that could speed up production, reduce costs and provide their customers with a better product experience.
Almost 10 years later, Cashmaster approached 4c to do it again.
Part One
Back in 2006, our relationship with Cashmaster kicked off with the Cashmaster Omega. At that time, the company was manufacturing a range of different products in bespoke batches for different customers. However, these products essentially had the same core technology and capability. We were brought onboard to consolidate the design approach and build a family of products around a ‘common cabinet’.
Working on this range over two years, we were involved at every stage of design and development from research, concept sketches and prototyping, through to final product testing. The initial research stage involved not only consumer research but also ethnographic research with Cashmaster’s electronics engineers and assembly line operators to help learn how efficiencies could be made in the assembly and packaging process.
The end product uses consistent materials across the range, with every version of the product utilising the same ‘common cabinet’ housing and main PCB. Furthermore, the original product was being pieced together with a whopping 32 fixings. We created a snap fit design, reducing this to a more manageable 8!
Capabilities Utilised
- Design thinking
- Stakeholder management
- Ethnographic research
- Industrial design
- Rapid prototyping
- Mechanical engineering
- Computer Aided Design
- Product Testing
Part Two
In 2015, 4c was tasked with a new challenge. In the interim period, with the Cashmaster Omega had become a resounding success, and competitors were moving in. During this time, new technologies such as touch screens had been further developed, and were now ready for mass adoption. Our task for Cashmaster’s next generation range was to ensure it would be relevant for the following 5+ years.
Although our pre-existing relationship meant that we weren’t starting from scratch, our ‘fresh eyes’ approach allowed us to improve everything about the product. Working with stakeholders, we could identify the pain points and together with Cashmaster’s engineering team, we incorporated new components such as touch screen and batteries, as well as utilising electronic manufacturing techniques. This helped us develop an innovative product with a more compact frame.
Capabilities Utilised
- Design Thinking
- Ethnographic research
- User experience design
- Stakeholder management
- Concept design
- Prototyping
- Industrial design
- Design engineering
- Product testing
- Manufacturer liaison
Value Generated
For both the above ranges, it was much more than just delivering a product- we also reviewed Cashmaster’s assembly and packaging processes. In the original Cashmaster Omega product, this led to an 86% increase in manufacturing efficiencies, dramatically reducing the time it takes to build a single unit. Helping increase the company’s profits.
On the back of this success, Cashmaster was sold in 2014 and the new owners soon approached 4c to help them stay ahead of the competition. Again, we were able to improve the manufacturing process with a new battery, a compact printer module and redesigned key internal components to suit different manufacturing techniques. In particular, we enhanced the feel of product with the inclusion of removable sections, pouring time into achieving the perfect tactile feedback and improving the user centred design elements when assembling. Since our involvement this time around, Cashmaster has seen its net worth double.
"Our relationship with 4c has led to the development of our flagship products and help us push into new ground."
Amanda Treend - Marketing Director
