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For
the past ten years, Cygnus Automotive Ltd has designed, manufactured
and supplied electronic taximeters to the UK and Irish markets.
Its taximeter is recognised as one of the best and most reliable.
A
key customer is the "black cabs" manufacturer, London
Taxis International of Coventry. Cygnus supplies the company
with own-branded meters, door locks and specialist control units
for installation in new vehicles. They also supply meters to
end users through a network of more than 100 dealerships strategically
located throughout the UK and Ireland.
Cygnus
also operates a separate division servicing the London market
where taximeters are subject to annual testing and approval
by the licensing authorities. These meters are rented by drivers
or owners and are not owned as an integral part of the vehicle.
Over
recent years Cygnus has expanded into new premises, recruited
a new Technical Manager and gained ISO9000 certification.
The
Challenge of Penetrating Europe
In
order to penetrate European markets, Cygnus wanted to develop
an extended product range, together with the facility for attaching
devices such as printers and swipe card readers to the taximeter.
Such a development would also allow Cygnus to defend its home
market position, particularly if UK legislation were to be harmonised
with that of other EU countries. The new product range would
also have the capacity for GPS interfaces, enabling integration
with on-line reservation systems and optimisation of response
to calls.
To
develop the new product range, Cygnus had first to develop an
appropriate specification based on market knowledge and competitive
research, and then to identify the required technologies to
meet this specification and transfer them into the company.
Finally, after a review of the product development process,
the appropriate improvements would be implemented.
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Support
from the EDSC
To
achieve these aims, Cygnus approached the Midlands Electronics
Design Support Centre at Staffordshire University for assistance,
having heard about its capabilities at an industry exhibition.
The ED Support Centre was able to provide expert help in the
evaluation of the electronics requirement for the taximeter
and made recommendations on the best technological implementation
of the system.
Transferring
Expertise to the Company
One
of the key objectives for Cygnus was the transfer of technology
expertise into the company. This was accomplished, in collaboration
with the Support Centre, by a TCS (Teaching Company Scheme).
TCS
aims to help companies make strategic business advances through
projects which would otherwise be beyond their resources of
knowledge and skilled manpower. Practical help is provided
through the subsidised placement of young graduates in the
company, backed up by high profile training and academic support.
The
TC Associate, Alan Smewing, who had been a student at the
University of Staffordshire, was appointed in May 2001 and
since then, under guidance from the Support Centre staff,
has brought knowledge of both microelectronics technology
and methodology to the design process, improving both the
functionality and quality of the system. In the longer term,
the expected benefit to the company from the TCS scheme is
a projected increase in company profits and an expanded share
of the European market.
The
Support Centre has now built an excellent working relationship
with Cygnus and has as a consequence transferred back much
information about embedded system design. Such has been the
success of the initial TCS that the Company and Support Centre
are now considering a second programme! FARE comment we think!
For
more information visit: www.cygnus-automotive.co.uk
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