Case Study Michael Smith Engineers - successful IndigoBlue pilot system

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The system shows great potential for using intelligence to match client needs to suppliers."

IndigoBlue has developed a successful pilot system for Michael Smith Engineers for an industrial pump selection advisory website - PumpFinda.

Michael Smith Engineers Limited is the UK's leading pump specialist, providing:

• Specialist pumps for difficult liquid handling applications
• Consultancy on appropriate solutions to meeting specific requirements
• Special pumping applications
• Turnkey pumping systems to meet client requirement
• Resources and advice

Michael Smith Engineers wanted to investigate the potential for adding to their services by developing an online advisory system to:

• Allow clients to define their key requirements
• Match these requirements against the available solutions
• Provide a workflow system for then requesting quotes from the suppliers able to match the requirements

IndigoBlue developed a pilot system - PumpFinda - using the Product Development system KnowledgeBench. KnowledgeBench includes a rules engine together with methods to represent and structure knowledge about pumping requirements and solutions.

IndigoBlue combined KnowledgeBench with a set of web pages and processes to produce the pilot system. "An Agile approach helped to provide the most important features first" said Denis Howlett.

The pilot system successfully met its objectives and currently the market potential is being assessed by Michael Smith Engineering and partners. "The system shows great potential for using intelligence to match client needs to suppliers" commented Sam Smith, Managing Director of Michael Smith Engineers.