Deann GarciaInnovation Tools & Techniques | Project 2 | 4.30.14

intro.In building a new Product / Service System (PSS), we begin by examining the Strategic Enterprise Innovation Framework. This is a tool for examining all the different aspects of the way a business is set up, to be sure innovation is happening in all areas of the system. Herein, I will outline and detail a new PSS; a casual cycling apparel company creating sustainable clothing for the women’s market. The apparel is thoughtfully designed, uses excellent quality, sustainably sourced materials, and fills a need in the marketplace that isn’t being met. I will touch on all aspects of the Strategic Enterprise Innovation Framework: tangible products, intangible services, brand experience, business model, internal processes and sustainability.

Beryl seeks to offer sustainably sourced and manufactured clothing for women which can be worn comfortably on the bike and in the office.

mind mapproduct / service system: beryl cycling apparel

tangible productwhat will be made and sold?When it comes to appropriate clothing for cycling, women have shockingly few choices. Expert level athletic clothing for fitness, racing, and riding long distances is easy to come by, in fact, most cycling apparel companies make ample choices for women. However, many women ride bikes for reasons other than fitness–for transportation, to run errands, or to commute to work. While many of the same companies which manufacture cycling apparel have “urban apparel” lines for men, very few options exist for women. Many times it is cited that the market for women’s bike apparel is just to small to warrant dedicated lines, but this presumption is not supported by the facts. A 2012 report by the City of Portland, Oregon found that 31% of bicyclists were women. This means that nearly 1/3 of the potential market is being under-served by the current options, and the potential customer base of these companies could be increased by 50%. It seems unwise to continue to actively ignore this segment of the population.

current options for men: rapha, levi’s, girocurrent options for women

tangible productThis project proposes to create a line of apparel, particularly pants, for the actively cycling female population. These pants will be fully functional on the bike, but will not look strange being worn in a store, restaurant, or around the office. There is a need for this type of cross-functional apparel, to allow women to ride without carrying around an extra change of clothes, or remove padded chamois shorts once they arrive at a destination.

proposed designs

tangible productThere are many features which make for a great cycling pant. The crotch area of the pant must be gusseted, to remove any seams which can cause discomfort and chaffing. The legs must be tapered or use some type of fastener to keep the cuff away from the chain. Strategic areas should be reinforced against wear, and knees must be articulated for extra room during pedaling. High rear waists, loops for carrying a lock, and thoughtfully placed pockets can all add to the functionality as well.These pants will be made from a blend of undyed, unbleached wool. Wool is a great fiber for athletic apparel, because it is antibacterial, handle moisture well, and does not stink, even after the wearer has sweated in it. Avoiding bleaches and dyes allows the natural color of the wool to shine while lowering the chemical and water use impacts of the material.

intangible servicewhat innovative services can be offered to enhance the product?Cycling pants have a tendency to wear out quickly in certain high-friction areas. The inner thigh rub against the seat of the bike, resulting in pants which are unusable much earlier than if they had only been walked in. This is a common complaint in women (and men) who cycle in jeans.While some wear can be delayed through reinforced materials and effective gusseting, eventual wear is inevitable. I will offer a service to extend the life of the garment, sending out free patches and replacement panels to customers who request them and can handle basic sewing repairs on their own. For customers who are not comfortable with a sewing machine, I will offer repairs at a small fee.Some day, even well-made, well-designed, and repairable pants will become unwearable and require disposal. I will offer a product take-back service for this stage of the pant’s life cycle, and encourage customers to return their pants in exchange for a discount on a new pair. After collecting the used pants, we will downcycle them into insulation and stuffing. They will be cleaned, shredded, and sold to a secondary market to further extend their usefulness. Shredded wool has many possible scenarios for reuse. Wool makes a great insulation, and could be packed around sewer and intake pipes for protection against freezing. Felted wool can be stuffed into mattresses or bedding, and has good demand in undeveloped nations or even refugee camps. Finally, it could be used as cushioning and packing materials in shipping.At first blush it might seem that wool should be compostable, but in fact wool takes an unreasonably long time to break down, even in an industrial composting situation. Currently, the only options for responsible disposal are through reuse, until technology advances. Because these pants are designed to last for several years, there may be opportunity for further secondary uses to be developed before the need arises.

brand experiencewhat will make this pss stand out from the competition?Branding is crucial to establish the identity of a product in a consumer’s mind. As has been said in several ways by different folks, branding is essentially what your customer describes you as when you’re not around.I will be tying the identity of my product to an important female bike racer from the mid-20th century–Beryl Burton. Beryl began cycling when she met her husband, Charlie, when they both worked in an apparel factory in Northern England. She started by riding her bike to work, and quickly became stronger and faster. Eventually, she and her husband joined a racing team. Beryl ended up becoming one of the most decorated athletes in history, winning 72 national time trials title, 12 national road race titles, 12 national track racing titles and 7 world championships, during a career which spanned 4 decades. Beryl was such a dedicated cyclist that she rode until the day she died, in 1996, while delivering invitations to her birthday party. I want to tether this story to my brand in order to associate the limitless potential of bikes for women.

brand experienceVisually, the branding is bright and cheerful, but not typically “feminine.” One thing which became very clear during my research is that women do not want to be pandered to or be given more pink flowery garments. Stereotypically “girly” looks do not appeal to many active women.

Deann Garcia | Founder

c: 503.277.0326 w: beryl.coms: beryldeanne: deanng@beryl.com

f: 503.277.0300

garment tag business card

color palettelogo supporting graphic element

PMS 151

PMS 7540

PMS 635

brand experienceI will start with gathering a group of brand ambassadors–women from different flavors of cycling, to give potential customers a picture in their heads of what it means to wear Beryl. These women will be stylish, in shape, doing well in their careers. Some will be bike industry people, others will just be powerful women from different walks of life. They will showcase the ethos of the brand: women who ride are influential, capable, fun, and stylish. We will walk a fine line, however, and never call our ambassadors “female cyclists.” Instead, they are simply cyclists, who are also impressive women. The term of cyclist does not require a gender-qualifier. But women do require clothing tailored to their bodies.

brand experienceWe will spread the word of our brand through social media (Instagram, Twitter, and to a lesser degree, Facebook). Our traditional media exposure (print ads, TV) will be limited, but we will place web ads on cycling websites. One important group to get on board is the blogging community. There is a solid group of cycling bloggers who have become quite influential in the greater bike community, writing about issues and opportunities for cycling’s advancement in transportation and as a sport. Strategic product previews and testing samples will be crucial to gain exposure through these heavily-visited websites.There is definitely resistance within cycling to overbearing, oppressive corporations. Recently, the bike maker Specialized has been under fire for their tendency to litigate against any party whom they deem to be infringing on their product name copyrights, and this has received a great deal of backlash from customers who identify with the smaller, independent shop owners who have been at the raw end of these deals. It is important to avoid any appearance of being too large, so telling our story of our growth from a local-oriented product will be a big boon to us.

brand experienceSustainability will be more than something we mention in passing–it will be a core value and foundation upon which the brand is built. We will take an uncompromising stance on sustainability (the specifics of which will be discussed later), and will make a point of being transparent and open to criticism. Our website will feature detailed reports on suppliers, distances traveled, and manufacturing standards. Each hang tag will feature a QR code, which can be scanned to take the user to a digital experience which displays the actual distance the garment has traveled to make it to the place the user is standing.

Made in USADye free

12 hour pant

Crafted of 100%holistically managedsheep’s wool

When you’ve finished with thisgarment, please return it to Beryl.Visit beryl.com for instructions.

Crafted of 100%holistically managedsheep’s wool

When you’ve finished with thisgarment, please return it to Beryl.Visit beryl.com for instructions.

Made in USADye free

12 hour pant

This garment began as a Willamette Valley sheep, in the beautiful state of

Oregon.

From sheep to finished pants, the wool incorporated in this garment never

traveled farther than 80 miles.

If your 12 Hour Pants begin to wear out, give us a call. We may be able to assist you in repairing them, so you get

the longest possible life out of your pants.

We do our best to keep our impact low. Please keep paying it forward, by returning these pants to us when you are finished with them. We will take

care of recycling them for you.

Would you like to know more about the ecological footprint

of this garment? Scan the code below to learn about what wentinto this pair of

pants, and how you can help support holistic sheep farmers

world wide.

Hang tag printed on 100% PC Environment® paper by Neenah

• FSC certified

• Milled with 100% renewable power

• Manufacturer supports environmental causes (“ENVIRONMENT® Papers.”)

• Size is kept to 2.5” long for minimum resource use

brand experienceBelow is a mockup of the basic design of the digital footprint experience. It includes maps and facts about the garment, as well as information about how to repair or recycle your pants when they wear out.

business modelhow will business be carried out?Beryl will be dedicated to a fully-localized supply chain. Our suppliers will be carefully chosen, among a plethora of options for sheep production in the Willamette Valley, here in Oregon. We will use woolen mills in the same communities as the sheep, and cut & sew facilities in Portland. In all, materials will not travel more that 100 miles during production.All out suppliers will be required to meet certain standards for quality and sustainability. Sheep farmers will need to use Holistic Management practices, and will be checked in on at least twice a year to ensure compliance. Woolen mills and factories will have to meet pay standards for their employees that guarantee a living wage, and will have to show progress toward reducing waste, with the ultimate goal of all partners being waste-free. This could mean that Beryl works with them to develop product line extensions, such as creative ways to use waste cloth, or it could mean installing higher-efficiency machinery to use less power.

business model

business modelCurrently, there are very few companies serving the customer that Beryl will target. Beryl’s garments will also likely be quite expensive, due to the high standards set for production and suppliers, and the cost of materials. For this reason, even though there isn’t a direct low-cost comparison, we will be operating in a Value-Based business model. If customers are unwilling to pay the price required for these goods, they will most likely just not buy anything. We have the job of convincing customers that the product is worth the high cost they are being asked to pay. There are intangibles, such as supporting a sustainable system, giving workers a living wage, and regenerating damaged lands, that will need to be explained to some extent, to justify the value proposition.

business model

internal processeshow will we foster employee growth?Once a business has gotten off the ground, with employees on board and customers in the pipeline, culture begins to take hold. Culture can be one of the most important aspects of a business–products change, customers evolve, but culture is a legacy. Establishing the right culture at the very beginning can send a business in the right direction.Beryl is embedded in the cycling industry; we need to make cycling part of our core values. Authenticity is crucial, and the public can tell when you’re faking it. To encourage biking to work, we will have indoor, locked bike parking, showers, and dryers for getting gear warmed up on wet days. Beryl will offer financial incentive to employees who ride bikes or take public transport to work, giving a concrete value to leaving the car at home. Lunch rides will be established, with groups for differing skill level and goals.

internal processesBeryl will also encourage employees to interact with each other at work, using an open office plan to foster cooperation. For those employees who prefer to work in a quiet, more secluded setting, individual office spaces will be available for anyone’s use. Cube walls will not exist here, and bosses will not have offices. We will encourage people to innovate on a daily basis, trying out new things and allowing them to offer up suggestions in a formalized manner. Overall we will have a flattened hierarchical structure, so that no one feels intimidated to innovate.One important program for employee growth that will be implemented is a mentorship program. I myself have benefited from mentorship programs, and I’ve seen it to be an invaluable resource for entry level to middle management employees to grow and become better at their jobs.

internal processes

sustainabilityhow can we be better earth stewards while still selling product?Beryl’s entire product supply chain will be built upon sustainability goals. Wool suppliers will have to meet strict standards for environmental and ethical goals. The most important of these will be operating under Holistic Management practices, as outlined by the Savory Institute. Holistic Management rest upon 4 principles:

1 Nature is complex and must be considered as a whole system2 Every environment is different and must be managed uniquely3 Proper management of livestock can improve land health4 Timing of grazing rotation is more important than the number of animals on a parcel of land

The Savory Institute’s framework is not without its detractors, who criticize the lack of published, controlled studies supporting its efficacy. However, anecdotal evidence is quite impressive, and it is most definitely worth further development. Implementation of these practices has resulted in the regeneration of native grasslands in Africa and South America, creating vast carbon sinks and better managed watersheds.

sustainabilityIn addition to holistically farmed wool, Beryl’s garments will be made without the use of bleaches or dyes. In traditional wool production, bleaching is carried out using oxidative peroxide chemicals to remove the yellow tone that merino sheep naturally have. Beryl will purposely source wool from sheep of different fleece colors to achieve color tones naturally, without bleaching or harmful dyeing.By sourcing our wool from local farmers and performing all our garment production in Oregon, we will be able to create garments which have traveled fewer than 100 miles in their entire production lives. This will keep the carbon footprint of the garment as low as possible (in fact, when coupled with regenerative land use practices, the footprint can actually be negative). We will use plug-in electric vehicles to transport materials within our small radius, which is especially helpful in Oregon where the majority of our electricity can come from renewable sources (or can be offset with renewable credits).Overall, these standards for sustainable innovation will result in a product which has little to no carbon footprint and supports the improvement of the local grasslands, creating carbon sinks which, at a large enough scale, can help to mitigate the ongoing effects of climate change.

conclusion.I have attempted in this PSS description to achieve innovative ideas and concepts in each of the six categories in the Strategic Enterprise Innovation Framework. The product itself is thoughtfully designed, drawing upon a variety of influences and responding directly to needs of the target consumer, resulting in a garment that is unique to the women’s cycling market. Beryl will offer repair services to extend the life of the product, adding real value that can help justify the cost in the consumer’s mind. Once the product is worn out, the recycling services developed create a secondary use and market for the material, resulting in both an additional revenue stream and an ecological benefit.From a branding perspective, Beryl tells the story of a remarkable female cyclist, giving the consumer something to aspire to. The marketing plan builds slow, grassroots traction, which increases loyalty and proliferates brand ambassadors, and the bright, cheerful visual identity is appealing and one of a kind. This leads to the business model, which relies on a value proposition, using a fully local supply chain to increase quality and social and ecological benefits, which should make the decision to support the company easy for consumers to make.Beryl will also treat its employees well, fostering goodwill, loyalty, and encouraging constant innovation through incentives and a structure built upon mentorship and community. The culture this builds will inform our environmental policies and practices, making sustainability at the very core of our identity as a brand. Topping off everything else are our requirements for Holistic Management of flocks and fields, pioneering a new brand of agriculture that is not just light on the land, but regenerates grasslands and offsets carbon.

conclusion.Beryl cycling apparel stands for many things, including active transportation, female empowerment, regenerative agriculture, and employee growth. Mapping out this PSS in terms of the Strategic Enterprise Innovation framework has allowed a clear picture to develop of how these causes and values can also stand together, under one umbrella of innovation.

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“How to Extract Lanolin from Sheep’s Wool.” WikiHow. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. <http://www.wikihow.com/Extract-Lanolin-from-Sheep%27s-Wool>.

“Steps in Processing Wool.” Steps in Processing Wool. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2014. <http://www.blackberry-ridge.com/prosdscr.htm>.

“Healing the Land.” The Savory Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. <http://www.savoryinstitute.com/our-work/healing-the-land/>.

“Evidence Supporting Holistic Management.” The Savory Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Apr. 2014. <http://www.savoryinstitute.com/science/holistic-management-research/>.

Savory, Allan. “Allan Savory: How to green the world’s deserts and reverse climate change.” YouTube. TED, 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpTHi7O66pI>.

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Savory, Allan. “Allan Savory - Reversing Global Warming while Meeting Human Needs.” YouTube. YouTube, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEAFTsFH_x4>.

“ENVIRONMENT® Papers.” Neenah Paper. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Apr. 2014. <http://www.neenahpaper.com/FinePaper/ENVIRONMENTPapers>.