Ronan Naughton

I was responsible for leading the SPC Compact Keypad project from concept to shelf. The goal was to design a keypad which could meet the toughest security standards (VdS C), yet still be appealing to the end-user.

The result was a keypad which has a white-washed surface when in idle mode with no visible buttons or display. When activated by touch, the user interface illuminates via backlight, allowing for end-user interaction. After use, the interface fades away into the background again.

My role involved the development of the vision, and distilling this down to a concept, and then requirements. Close interaction with the design and development teams were required to ensure that the communicated goal was always in sight.

In addition, competitor benchmarking, market analysis, creation of product collateral, and product pricing were key activities which fed into the complete product package to enable the product to become a success.

The SPC Compact Keypad and its accessories have generated over €4 million in revenue since launch, and won multiple security and design awards.

Like all industries, the security industry changes rapidly, which mandated me to take a fresh look at the security system needs of the future.

This project required significant research to understand:
1. Market trends.
2. Geographical sales trends.
3. Customer needs.
4. Technological innovation on the horizon.
5. Manufacturing costs.
6. SW development costs throughout the lifecycle of a product.
7. Product certification and regulatory standards.

The result was a solution designed on three core principles:
1. Scalability.
2. Simplicity.
3. Modularity.

I took these three principles as the foundation for defining a vision for this product. This vision was then distilled down to a set of requirements which excited the customer and challenged the development team.

The result was a Lithium-Ion based intrusion alarm system which could be factory configurable, and end user-customizable. The components of this product could be approved individually, on an entry-level domestic system, or enterprise financial systems.

This achievement led to lower inventory, reduced SW development overhead, reduced manufacturing costs, and regulatory and certification costs.

I identified a shortlist of potential suppliers to build a suite of ODM products for the Vanderbilt organization to work with the SPC security alarm system.

After a series of intensive interviews and negotiation, a single supplier was picked to deliver these products to the strict specification outlined by the Vanderbilt team. I managed the relationship with the supplier and ensured that the development and integration periods ran smoothly.

Key competitor and market analysis were crucial to my role in finding an entry point for these products. The USP which I pursued was best in style, comparable in technology, and best in price.

I led pricing negotiations and achieved a great margin on every sale for the Vanderbilt organization. I also led the very successful market launch for phase one of these products, and presented them at some of the worlds' most important security fairs.

These products have become a core component of the Vanderbilt product portfolio and a significant revenue contributor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp0pl42wJaM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO0XI3cB3I4