Case Studies

Next Generation OEM Service Partners Includes Design,
Integration, Manufacturing, Assembly Private Label and Logistics Solutions
Under One Roof

When a company that created in-store, camera download stations needed a partner to manufacture, assemble, warehouse and ship their product, they partnered with CSS Laboratories.

CREATING A NEW PRODUCT

Providing customers the ability to download, edit and print digital photographs from a disposable digital camera at a stand-alone kiosk requires computing hardware that can stand up to the rigors of general retail use. In the case of this particular manufacturer, these kiosk stations would be staffed by store employees, the equipment would have to perform with minimal training – so that retail store employees could use it – and provide an interface that was easy to use – so that customers would not have to wait long periods of time for picture uploads. 

Each station required not only the sturdy, external casing necessary for repeated public use, but also internal hardware that was as fail-safe as possible with limited maintenance. Each unit also needed to be assembled, tested, branded, warehoused and shipped to retail outlets on an ongoing basis according to a schedule dictated by sales.

CUSTOMIZED MANUFACTURING

CSS Laboratories is a privately held global manufacturer and supplier of desktop and server solutions, rack mount computers, custom design and development services, and integration services. 

When the creator of the camera download stations approached CSS Laboratories, they had a plan for the configuration of the system, but found that the specifications they had in mind were either not available from the usual, large-volume suppliers, or the cost for a customized solution was prohibitive. 

In stark contrast to this approach, CSS Laboratories encouraged the innovations of the client, and was able to configure both the external encasement and interior hardware to suit the both the client’s blueprint and business plan.

This custom-engineering approach partnered engineers at CSS Laboratories with those of the client to design and test all possible avenues to achieve a product that was cost-effective and eventually boasted a six to eight percent industry failure rate. 

During the development and manufacturing phases CSS Laboratories worked with the client on several levels:

The product’s stand-alone nature required a desktop-style box, but the industry has trended toward nearly exclusive use of tower cases. Because CSS Laboratories maintains strong relationships within the supply chain, they were able to negotiate a long-term contract with a off-shore manufacturer to continue to supply desktop boxes at the rate of approximately 5,000 chassis annually.

CSS Laboratories maintains an ongoing dialogue with all suppliers in order to anticipate and avoid parts obsolescence – such as upcoming driver changes – and monitors quality and performance statistics across the industry.

The client’s specifications include imbedded software packages. Because software upgrades are an ongoing process, CSS Laboratories works with the client to schedule attendant hardware upgrades that would allow for overlapping system replacement minimizing “out of order” stations in retail locations. This advance strategy eliminates software downtime, which could otherwise result in as much as a 120-day lapse in production and fulfillment and adversely affect the bottom line.

BRANDING AND DELIVERY OF PRODUCT

CSS Laboratories worked with the client’s marketing and sales department to create exterior branding – such as paint, logos, labeling and user instructions – resulting in considerable cost reduction for the client as they were not required to ship to a secondary vendor. 

In order to ship product within days of an order receipt, CSS Laboratories maintains a ready inventory of retail-ready systems and has the capacity to ship either a single system or as many as 250 on short notice. Each system is bar-coded and CSS Laboratories tracks the equipment door-to-door in order to ensure security and delivery. 

By warehousing and shipping the kiosks for the client, CSS Laboratories offers economies in both logistics and cost.

ONGOING PERFORMANCE AND SERVICE

The depth of CSS Laboratories’ testing standards – from interior interface to environmental stress testing – is reflected in the product’s low industry failure rate of six to eight percent. The industry average is 36 to 37 percent. In addition to a lower than usual industry mean time between failures, this comprehensive quality control has resulted in longer product life cycles. 

Each of the systems carries a complete service and warranty package, which exceeds industry standards.