CATEGORY DEVELOPMENT

	Active collaborates with its clients to develop category and product solutions relevant to and successful in the market. Through consumer insight work, market based analysis and innovative design solutions, AP enables its clients to bring everyday innovations to market quickly and effectively.
CASE STUDY > SUPERIOR USABILITY AND DESIGN
	One of the largest retailers in Canada was looking for a vendor with a strategy of differentiation through superior usability and design. Recognizing the technical challenges with the category, as well as service and warranty issues that needed to be overcome, Active Products put together a plan that enabled our partner to sell the most valuable pressure washers available today, without the current headaches associated with the category.
SOLUTION > USING RESEARCH TO FULFILL THE CUSTOMERS NEEDS
	The AP pressure washer design process was grounded in user insights, market research data, and engineering feasibility studies. Using all this data enabled AP to design pressure washers that were unique and distinct in the marketplace, fulfilled unmet consumer needs, and created a memorable cleaning experience. Working with award winning industrial design teams in North America, we created designs which eliminated the typical pain points of cord and hose management. We also took cues from other product categories to create designs that were compellingly different. Leveraging our North American engineering resources, our call-center data, and our factory based manufacturing teams; we identified the major quality and technical hurdles and worked hard to overcome them. Most importantly, we collaborated closely with the retailer every step of the way to ensure the relevance of what we were doing.
SUCCESS > OVER ONE MILLION UNITS OF PRESSURE WASHERS SOLD
	The outcome was a line of product designed specifically for the North American market, with North American voltages, and consumers needs in mind. The result is over one million units of pressure washers sold in Canada since 2003, making Active Products one of the biggest exporters of pressure washers from China. Since 2007, Active Products has started its own manufacturing facility by joint venturing with one of the largest manufacturing groups in China. Our mission is to be the best facility of its kind in the world.

MANUFACTURING AND SOURCING

	Active has a diverse manufacturing base made up of numerous joint venture manufacturing facilities in China. Our background in manufacturing means we understand the importance of quality. Manufacturing and selling our own products means we know how important IP protection is. Active's experience in manufacturing its own product and its diverse network of vendor partners ensures the best fit for a specific product, component or service.
CASE STUDY > EXPERIENCED NETWORK
	Pharos Life, a Canadian based technology company, was looking to manufacture their innovative and patented personal skin care device in China. Being a premium priced, medical grade product, quality manufacturing with the proper factory certifications was important. Scalable and dependable delivery and intellectual property protection were critical considerations as well.
SOLUTION > ALIGNING STRATEGY WITH PRODUCTION NEEDS
	Active identified suitable manufacturing locations and pre-qualified them based on suitability with the client's objectives. Active was involved in initial China design considerations, engineering issues and manufacturing plans; production and testing set up also required additional coordination. Active also worked with the factory to ensure their certifications, standards and strategy were aligned with the customers'.
SUCCESS > DELIVERING A UNIQUE PRODUCT
	Pharos Life successfully launched their product on time and to great reviews, and has since gone on to develop additional product and product extensions. With Active's help, Pharos has since begun developing its own team and sourcing additional manufacturing resources in China to keep up with growing demand for its products. www.tanda.com www.pharoslife.com

LOGISTICS AND FINANCE

Global logistics: AP leverages our strategic relationship with our China partners to offer our client partners supply chain management, customs compliance, documentation programs, logistics optimization, order management and customer relationship management competencies. Financial services: we help our partners navigate globally by offering specific financial services and specialized banking solutions. Our program is tailor made to your specific needs.

MARKETING AND SALES

	Active markets and sells its own products into the North American marketplace, and understands what makes consumers buy. Active understands the mindset of retailers and collaborates closely with them to hear what they want. Management of a product and its identity from idea to execution is also critical.
CASE STUDY > REDEFINING A CATEGORY
	The leading 12 Volt Air Compressor retailer wanted to improve on their already dominant market share. They offered 12 different models, with 7 brands, no merchandising, no customer support, and obvious gaps in product opportunities and price points.
SOLUTION > CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM
	Active Products entered the highly competitive Air Compressor market with a compelling strategy and action plan, to differentiate ourselves from the flooded marketplace. Starting from scratch, AP researched the current market and developed a business case and plan to deliver the best air compressor line available. We developed innovative product solutions - identifying current pain points of consumers and designing around them - Active Products Tire Repair and Cordless Inflation Station. We looked out to industry, both OE and DIY, for the best ideas and designs, and also for trends and technologies that could affect the category. Then we put together a product plan to incorporate these trends, as well as an industry map to educate the customer on where the category is headed. Our online strategy included a branded website that includes interactive demonstrations, customer testimonials, warranty registration and online purchase for spare parts. This kind of commitment to a web strategy was unheard of in this category, but absolutely necessary to convince customers of the strength, trust, and value of the Active Products brand and its product line. Providing education in multiple channels (Web based, Educational Take-aways, POP & Packaging) we took the leadership position in the category and started building trust and confidence. We know that an educated customer is an engaged customer, and engaged customers spend more informed valuable money. Education and awareness is how to attract new customers, and create new demand for the product. By educating customers we will take a leadership position in the category. We also developed a strategic system for merchandising the category - a way to present the products so that customers could understand what they were buying - helping them to choose the right compressor for their needs. We developed an iconography system so that consumers could easily grasp the technical aspects of the products. A complete packaging system and language was launched for the Active Products family. Special attention was paid to ensuring that the iconography was used along with eye catching graphics and images.
SUCCESS > INCREASING 33% HIGHER
	With the launch of the Active Products air compressor program, we have grown the business in overall POS sales and increased the average selling price by 33%.

AFTER SALES SERVICES

	Active understands the importance of after sales and its impact on the overall profitability of the business. After Sales is a critical element in protecting your brand, ensuring customer satisfaction and reducing overall cost of quality. We partner with OSIRUS to offer industry leading solutions to our clients.
CASE STUDY > WORLD'S LARGEST BARBEQUE MANUFACTURER
	Located in China, the world's largest barbeque manufacturer, Winners Products Engineering, became the primary supplier of full-size gas grills to Canada's largest retailer of barbeques. In support of this large program, the retailer expected the manufacturer to have domestic presence for both fulfillment and call center support, with national access to bi-lingual (English and French) agents. In addition to the large scale of this program, the barbeque category itself presented many challenges from an after-sales perspective: •   From a logistics standpoint, gas grills are physically large and can be a challenge to     transport and warehouse •   Looking at end users, consumers can be nervous and unsure of themselves when dealing     with propane and open flames •   Similarly, while many Canadian consumers consider themselves to be barbeque "experts",     very few understand the basics of cooking over an open-flame and many have unrealistic     expectations of barbeque performance
SOLUTION > COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM
	In close consultation with the manufacturer, our after-sales consultants developed a comprehensive after-sales program for their full line of premium gas grills, including some non-traditional after-sales services: •   Call center set up, training and ongoing support •   Preparation of detailed trouble shooting documents for retailer and call center •   Integration of Osirus platform with the manufacturer's branded website to enable     online product/parts ordering and troubleshooting •   Parts warehousing and fulfillment •   In-home visits from product experts for escalated trouble shooting cases
SUCCESS > ACCESS ACROSS THOUSANDS OF PRODUCT CATEGORIES
	Many stores within this retailer's dealer network now cite Osirus as the best after-sales service program available across the thousands of product categories they deal in. So much so, the retailer's own internal after-sales department now consults regularly with Osirus on best-practices for their own internal after-sales programs. From the perspective of the manufacturer, with the addition of an Osirus Solutions after-sales program, they have grown to be the number one supplier of gas grills to the Canadian market and are considered one of this retailer's largest vendors.