Artlinco FAQ

Find anwers to frequently asked questions…

insight, innovation, implementation and everything in between…

Services

Which services does Artlinco offer?

Our foundational service is counselling and execution of development- and innovation projects. During the last 20 years we have build up knowledge, insight and methods that secure optimal processes and progress and reduces pitfalls and risk.

 

Besides that, we have a solid network of manufactures, experts and suppliers that you will have access to. So, in this case it is not about choosing between what you know or who you know. You get both!

I'm not sure that I really understand what you do. Can you explain it in another way?

We develop products and services that generate revenue.

 

We help people and companies that want to develop a new product or service. Or maybe they want to improve an existing product, a service or the communication for the costumers.

 

We also help clients getting more knowledge and insight of their target costumers, market or production. In this way we increase the chances of a product and avoid mistakes that we have often seen.

Which competencies do you have?

We have competencies within analysis, visualisation, design, engineering, construction, business models etc.

That’s why several of our customers use us for ad hoc construction work or development of VR, besides buying general innovation services from us.

What does it mean that you work with insight, innovation and implementation?

It means that we work from an innovation system we have developed. It is a system and a process that secures that solutions are based on facts, knowledge about costumers and the market.

It means that solutions live up to the company’s values, strategies and goals. We minimize project risks and secures effect in the market.

What do we get from using Artlinco’s services?

By using our services you increase the chances that your development project succeeds.

It might sound a little perky and we apologize for that. The typical development department normally develop one or two per year and spend the rest of the time on day-to-day operations.

At Artlinco we work innovation projects every day and typically 10-12 projects concurrently. Our team is in shape and keep ourselves fit.

What are the benefits of using an external innovation house?

The benefits are that we see other things than for example your development department, because we are not a part of your culture and daily routines. We ask questions that might have been forgotten in your daily routines, which can be the start of your development.

We help you keep or change focus because it is easier for us as external partners. We have specialized knowledge because it’s solely development and innovation we engage in and have done it for the last 20 years.

What does it mean that you are a full-service innovation house?

That means that we deliver whatever it takes. That is project management, analysis results, design, construction, prototypes, packaging, graphic design, service and costumer experiences, manuals, sales material, coordination and dialog with manufacturing staff, suppliers, patent staff and additional organization.

How are you able to do so many different things?

Because it is our trade. Even though there is a big difference between developing a toothpick and a type approved vehicle, all our work is based on a strong and professional knowledge, experience, analysis, structure and insight. We use all of this to create positive changes for our customers.

Idea- and productdevelopment

How do you work with innovation?

We work with innovation from a fundamental idea that it should lead to a new product or service – or optimization of those. The aim is to make it visible on fx the bottom line, the revenue, better communication, more joy and higher satisfaction.

We work on the basis of evidence, facts and a big portion of experience.

How do you estimate if our idea/development project has potential?

At Artlinco we lean towards the fundamental questions: “Is it doable? Is it saleable? Does it pay off?” In other words; we don’t do anything without the business case being sound. We think that is a healthy approach at development.

A project must pay off for everyone involved.

Can’t we just do product development ourselves?

We don’t know because we don’t know your skills and competencies. But we do know that product development and design acquire many skills; technical, aesthetic, communicational and analytical. It pays off to invest in this because it often can be seen on the bottom line.

Is application of design thinking visible on the bottom line?

According to Confederation of Danish Industry, 90% of the companies that integrate design thinking in their strategy, say that it has a positive outcome on the bottom line . Hereof over half of them experience a very high degree of influence on the bottom line.

Why should we use you, when we already have a development department?

Good question, that causes a line of perhaps cheeky counter questions. How big is the department, how much experience do they have and how much time do they have? What experience do they have with development, what is their success rate, and do they have the right tools and training?

We have experience from over 430 projects in many different industries that we use as inspiration. We do not wear blinkers and see problems from new perspectives. We have a system and methods that projects succeed.

We, in the development department, are concerned that you are taking over our jobs?

You do not need to worry. Our finest job is to make your department look and perform good. We have no interest in taking over your jobs, we are interested in good results for your department and the company.

One of the things that we live on is customer satisfaction – and of course that also goes for your department.

How can you develop such complex things?

We are able to do that, because we are experienced engineers and designers that supplement each other’s competencies.

We work on a base of knowledge, experience and evidence that we collect or already have. The team are experts in developing, testing, evaluating – and doing it over and over…They do it until things work perfectly. They have a broad knowledge about materials, design and calculations.

90%
90% of the companies that integrate design thinking in their strategy, say that it has a positive outcome on the bottom line, according to Confederation of Danish Industry

Source: Danish Design Center, Design Report 2016-2017

Costumer and market insight

What is a pilot project and when does it make sense?

It is a way and method for securing that an upcoming project is viable and profitable. That secures that big innovation projects are started on a validated foundation.

Unfortunately, we often see that larger innovation projects are based on faith, hope and gut feelings and that the lacking business is identified when it is already too late.

What does a design brief contain and why is it valuable?

At Artlinco we always develop on the basis of a design brief. If there isn’t one, then we create one after the insight phase or pilot project.

A design brief typically encompasses the company’s effect- and project goals. It also encompasses market- and legal standards, information about costumer- and user demands.

A design brief is the foundation of a successful innovation project and secures that everyone works in the same direction with the same goal and that solutions are prioritized correctly.

Time horizon

How long time does a development or innovation project take?

Projects come in all sizes and complexities and at Artlinco we have had projects lasting from a couple of weeks to several years.

If speed is an important parameter, then we have designed the Artlinco Sprint concept. This takes you from needs to validated basis for decision within 4 weeks. In the Artlinco Sprint the process is compressed without compromising the results, but the Sprint demands more regarding decisiveness in the company.

Why should we use time on insight?

Without insight you develop from guesswork and gut feeling. Insight gives you knowledge on fx costumer needs, market, competitors or materials. All that knowledge is going to be used in the upcoming work so choices or opt-outs are based on facts, rather than hunches.

Results

How do you secure that we reach the goal?

We do that in two ways. 1: we develop on the basis of our design brief and 2: we work effectively and structured following a detailed project plan based on deadlines, subsidiary goals and a thorough work breakdown as well as using our innovation system (AIS).

How do you secure ROI?

We do that by securing that the project has a solid business case (through pilot project) and by securing in-house consensus.
We do that by working effectively and structured, stick to the design brief and on any account avoid unnecessary iterations. But we also avoid one of the most common mistakes; going too fast into solution-mode.

How do you the secure basis for decision?

We do that by gathering all the data and information that is relevant to the project as well as having made the relevant calculations. Of course, you need to know which risks that exists, how the market look, costs, return etc.

We gather all the necessary information that you need, so you get the best possible basis for decision. That way the management can make decisions on a validated foundation and technicians and production staff get the information and drafts that they need. But not least so buyer and user quickly understand the product and get motivated to act.

90%
af de virksomheder, der bruger design i processer og strategiske beslutninger, angiver, at design har positiv indflydelse på bundlinjen

Kilde: Danish Design Center, Design Report 2016-2017

Market and product

Hvordan kommer jeg på markedet med mit produkt eller service?

That depends on your product or service, your target segment, budget, goal, laws and regulations etc.

It is a puzzle that look different at the clients that we work with. When we are in that part of the process, we will lay down a strategy in collaboration with you. We help you navigate in laws and rules, what moves in the market and where you find your co-players and opponents.

How do we get success with our new product?

Unfortunately, there is no formula to that. But one thing is certain; if you want success with a product or service, then it takes thorough preparatory work.

It takes exhaustive knowledge about market and users, and what their actual needs and desires are. Plus a lot of data as well as professional engineering skills. Too often products have entered the market, that no one really needs. We want to help you avoid that.

Our industry is very special, are you sure you can help us?

Yes. We have experience within many different industries, products and services.

We have worked with anything and everything – and have designed everything from a toothpick to an electric cargo scooter. We are used to putting effort into things and have a broad knowledge within many different industries.

If we lack knowledge, then we will make sure to get it!

Can you help us avoid mistakes in the product development?

Yes. We are used to working with minimizing mistakes and errors and in the same time forecast where things could go wrong.

We are able to do that because of our experience, our calculations and the data we collect. We have often been contacted by clients when the development process has reached a deadlock. Therefore we have experience with the typical mistakes and where things often go wrong. These risks can be minimized by having a focus on this before the development starts.

You are a design- and innovation house but still some of your products are ugly. Why?

Our projects have different focus’s. For some first priority has been cost price, producibility on one’s own machines, hygiene or speed.

We have also designed for others than ‘the ones with the classic Danish design taste’ for example the average American.

Our job isn’t to promote a specific taste, but to create solutions that appeal to the defined target group and secures revenue.

AboutArtlinco

What do you think about the term ``Design Thinking``?

We have worked on the basis of that thinking for many years, because it puts people in front and combines data and analysis with the practise-oriented and creative.

 

Design thinking is a circular process where one develops many different suggested solutions and test ideas, to be able to sort those and end up with the best solution.

Do you have a mantra?

Yes, “everything looks a specific way – for a specific reason”

We do not like guessing and gut feelings and gets really concerned when companies develop without adequate knowledge about what their costumers need. To base future products and business on guesswork is to expose the company to unnecessary risk.

That is why we take pride in securing that everything looks a specific way for a specific reason.

How is it possible to be creative, innovative and structured at the same time?

Because these things are connected and don’t work without one and another.

Creativity is great, but it only has potential if it is also put into structure, is made concrete and leads to something.

Talk and idea development is good and necessary but or focus is always that it leads to a product or service is optimized or developed. The product or service gets the best conditions or odds when we combine creativity with evidence and our professional knowledge.

What do you mean when you say, that your team is cross-functional?

A team that has been put together, so it holds different skills and expertise, that supplement and challenge each other. Therefore, we have expertise in both the same and different areas as for example materials, calculations, outlining, graphic design, rendering, data collection and administration.

Can I see the ‘tools’ and models that you use in your work?

Sorry, but no. We keep those relatively close to our chest but will show you more when we start a collaboration.

You can read more about our models and way of working, on our webpage.

How do you deal with risk?

We deal with it as something that needs to be minimized. It can be minimized through insight, analysis and calculations. There must be clear goals, subsidiary goals as well as time- and method plans.

Risk is per se negative but positive in the way that it means that you are developing and trying new things and perspectives. Risk is impossible to eliminate, because that would mean that there wasn’t potential for great development.

Betaling og omkostninger

Hvorfor bruge eksterne, når det er dyrere end vore interne udviklere?

Inden vi svarer på spørgsmålet, ville vi gerne bede dig lave et regnestykke og udregne de interne udvikleres effektive timeløn.

En medarbejder pa 37 timer får løn for 52*37 timer pr. år, fordi ferien også betales. Men det er kun ca. 60 % af denne tid der er effektiv. Ferie, frokost, sygdom, småpauser, kompetenceudvikling, personalemøder er en ”overheadtid”, der ikke direkte anvendes på kerneopgaven, men er nødvendig i en eller anden grad for at kerneopgaven kan leveres.

Så ud af 1924 (52*37) timer er det kun 1154 som er effektive, hvorfor en ingeniør med månedsløn på 45.000 + pension (8%) og goder (telefon, internet mm.) vil have en effektiv timeløn på ca. 520kr. Hvis vi tillægger virksomhedens overhead til drift og adm. på 25% lander den effektive timepris på 650kr.

Og ja vores timepris er lidt højere, men vi mener, at vi arbejder både bedre og hurtigere. Vi fakturer kun de timer vi anvender, og når projektet er færdigt, er der intet opsigelsesvarsel, og dermed ingen omkostninger.

Hvad koster det?

Det vil vi gerne fortælle dig, når du har sat os lidt ind i problemstillingen. Det afhænger nemlig af omfanget af projektet, kompleksiteten, tid og meget mere. Vi laver skræddersyede løsninger til alle projekter.

Want us to take a look at your next project?


+45 70 20 80 36