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by Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor   Most people will never tackle a challenge as daunting as scaling Mount Everest. Likewise, most companies won't embark on a product redesign and manufacturing overhaul as extensive as the one Carrier Corp. recently undertook to rearchitect its air conditioner line to meet growth imperatives for the next decade. The historic, $251 million redesign initiative, dubbed Everest by the company, won top honors for Innovation Mastery as part of Managing Automation's 2006 Progressive Manufacturing Awards. The effort was spearheaded by a dedicated, 100-person, cross-functional team from Carrier Residential, North America. With Everest, Carrier (Farmington, CT), a $12.5 billion maker of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, was able to upgrade hundreds of models and nine major air conditioner brands to meet emerging government mandates for energy efficiency. It was also able to reposition the line to better serve multiple customer segments -- with the goal of improving its current 30% market share, according to company officials. One of the principal drivers of the Everest project was a Department of Energy (DOE) order to boost the efficiency rating on air conditioners and heat pumps from 10 to 13 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio). SEER is comparable to the automobile industry's miles-per-gallon efficiency measurement. [Click to continue] |