CaseStudy DysonsApproachtoInnovation Upload

Learning Case Study No.
1
for Cinema Managers
Dyson Appliances Ltd. and its Approach to Innovation
“As long as we continue to innovate and produce products that have better features and work
better, we can compete. Our only chance for survival is better engineering.”1
James Dyson (Dyson), Founder Dyson Appliances Ltd., in 2004.
“Good design is determined by good engineering… I take Edison’s iterative approach to
developing technology; the step by step testing of ideas. It’s painstaking, but ultimately rewarding.
It’s the only way to get something right.”2
Dyson.
“Entrepreneurs like Dyson have a zeal for developing new concepts and products, demonstrating
an orientation towards innovation rather than a slavish acceptance of what customers say they
want.”3
David Stokes and Nicholas Wilson, authors of the book, Small Business Management
and Entrepreneurship, in 2006.
YET ANOTHER INNOVATION AT DYSON…
What could be 10 times faster than a Boeing 747 aircraft engine, five times faster than a Formula 1
engine, and over twice as fast as the industrial milling machine? The answer — the digital motor
developed by Dyson Appliances Ltd. (DAL) in 2009.4 The digital motor was DAL‘s latest
innovation designed especially for the handheld, DC31 vacuum cleaner. James Dyson (Dyson),
founder of DAL and renowned engineer entrepreneur, claimed that the digital motor that ran at
104,000 revolutions per minute was the ―fastest motor in the world, by a long stretch.‖5 ―The
advantages of our high-speed motor is that it‘s a third of the size of the conventional brushed
motor it replaces, a third of the weight, and it‘s twice as efficient. It can produce twice the power
or it can run twice as long for a given amount of battery,‖6 said Dyson.
With sales of US$ 6 billion worldwide in 2008, DAL had emerged as a market leader in the
vacuum cleaner market, cornering a share of 32 percent in the US market and 46 percent in the UK
market.7,8 Analysts pointed out that DAL was able to achieve the market leadership position
because of the company‘s constant focus on engineering and innovation. Ever since breaking into
1
James Dyson, ―Engineering the Difference,‖ December 8, 2004.
2
James Dyson, ―Better by Design,‖ agenda, Issue 3.
3
David Stokes and Nicholas Wilson, Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship, (Cengage
Learning EMEA, Fifth Edition, 2006).
4
―Dyson Unveils ‗World‘s Fastest Motor‘ in New Vacuum,‖ www.telegraph.co.uk, June 25, 2009.
5
Harry Wallop, ―Dyson Unveils ‗World‘s Fastest Motor‘ in New Vacuum,‖ www.telegraph.co.uk, June 25,
2009.
6
Alok Jha, ―James Dyson Calls on UK Government to Back Environmental Engineering Projects,‖
www.guardian.co.uk, June 25, 2009.
7
―Innovation: Dyson Brings Us Eco-Friendly Hand Dryer,‖ www.foxbusiness.com, May 9, 2008.
8
―Sir James Dyson and Family,‖ http://business.timesonline.co.uk, April 27, 2008.
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the vacuum cleaner market with the first bagless vacuum cleaner in 1994 that took the market by
storm, the company had churned out innovative models of vacuum cleaners at regular intervals
that firmly established it as the market leader. And the company‘s innovation was not restricted to
vacuum cleaners alone. The Contrarotator (a washing machine) and the Dyson Airblade (hand
dryer) were also hailed by experts as being equally innovative.
Experts felt that Dyson was the source of innovation at DAL. He was also credited with having
nurtured a culture of innovation in the company. According to Dyson, his approach to innovation
was inspired by Thomas Alva Edison‘s9 (Edison) step-by-step approach where he made only a
single change to the prototype at a time in order to perfect his invention. Dyson had Edison‘s
method in mind, when he hit upon the idea of developing the bagless vacuum cleaner while
vacuuming his home in the late 1970s. He ripped off the bag from the vacuum cleaner as it often
got clogged and replaced it with a cardboard cyclone. Interestingly, it then worked better than the
vacuum cleaner of a top notch brand, according to Dyson. He then made a single change to every
prototype he made. And with the 5,127th prototype came success. Thus, the Dual Cyclone vacuum
cleaner was born. It was later hailed by experts as a disruptive innovation. Since then, DAL‘s
approach to innovation backed by engineering skills had led to the invention of several path-
breaking products.
Dyson also developed a culture of innovation at DAL. The engineers and the design staff worked
together. He encouraged all his employees to come out with creative ideas since he felt that a
creative idea could come from anywhere. The new recruits too were encouraged to come out with
innovative ideas. The engineers and design staff at DAL adopted an integrated approach to design
and development of new products which involved making incremental changes at every step.
According to Dyson, for engineers, innovation meant hard work. ―It‘s the unlikely juxtaposition of
creativity and logic which causes the wooliness and confusion around the term ‗innovation‘.
Everybody wants to be innovative; many companies and ideas are proclaimed to be innovative and
no one doubts that innovation is a money-spinner. And, thus, we are all looking for the magic
formula. Well, here you go: Creativity + Iterative Development = Innovation,‖10 he said.
Experts appreciated the innovation principles that DAL adopted and said that it was this aspect that
was behind the company‘s dominance in the vacuum cleaner market. The company was also
praised for its focus on design innovation that had led to the development of an innovative product
line. DAL‘s products outsold competitors‘ products, despite being more expensive. Experts opined
that this fact demonstrated the competitive edge that could be gained from design and creativity
where it led to clearer advantages over competitors‘ products.
In addition to growing his business by focusing on innovation and expanding into new markets,
Dyson aimed to encourage the youth in the UK to take up engineering. He criticized the UK
government for what he described as spending loads of money on bailing out banks rather than
encouraging companies that could create high-tech jobs and money. ―[The government] supports
banks, they don‘t support wealth-creators. Instead of giving money to the bankers, give it to
engineers, give it to science in universities, encourage children in schools to take up science and
engineering and not become bankers and lawyers. It‘s a matter of refocusing ourselves on people
and institutions that can solve our environmental problems and our wealth and trading problems in
the process,‖11 said Dyson.
9
Thomas Alva Edison (Edison) was the inventor of the incandescent light bulb. He believed in teamwork
and considered hard work to be a prerequisite for invention.
10
―James Dyson on Innovation,‖ www.raeng.org.uk, September 2005.
11
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DAL – THE INNOVATION JOURNEY

DAL was founded in Wiltshire, UK, in 1993. It was set up by Dyson and four engineers with
whom Dyson had been working in a shed in his backyard since 1988. The first Dyson vacuum
cleaner, the DC01, was launched the same year that the company was founded. By 1994, the DC01
had become the most popular vacuum cleaner brand in the UK, and within the span of a decade,
DAL managed to establish itself as a market leader in the vacuum cleaner market globally by
rolling out a number of innovative products.
Dyson had been associated with many innovative products since the 1960s. When he was studying
at the Royal College of Art at Bath, UK (between 1966 and 1970), he was involved in designing a
new theater for New Stratford East Theater and the auditorium and seats for the Roundhouse in
London. He was also involved in the design projects for Terminal 1, Heathrow, and the Peter
Dominic wine shops with the Conran Design Group. In 1970, Dyson invented and launched his
first product, a high-speed landing craft called Sea Truck12, for inventor and entrepreneur Jeremy
Fry (Fry), who owned an engineering company Rotork. After finishing his education, Dyson
joined Rotork where he handled the Marine Division and developed sales to 40 countries. 13 In
1973, Dyson was appointed director at Rotork, but a year later he decided to leave in order to set
up his own business. He created a makeshift workshop from an old coach near his house. There he
started a small business and designed a number of gardening tools including the highly
commercially successful Ballbarrow14. In 1978, Dyson invented a Trolley ball for the purpose of
launching boats. He then pondered over the idea of designing a Wheel boat that could travel on
land and water at a rate of 64 km/h. He also designed and engineered a water-filled plastic garden
roller, named the Waterolla.
The idea for the bagless vacuum cleaner came in 1978 and Dyson spent the next one and a half
decades in inventing the product and refining it. This was despite the fact that he failed to get any
backers for his project. In 1982, Dyson started looking for a company in the UK and Europe to
license his new product. However, his breakthrough in the technology of vacuum cleaners failed to
excite British manufacturers. They feared that the product would disrupt the bag replacement
market worth £ 100 million a year in the UK alone and turned down his offer.
In 1983, Dyson produced the first commercial model, the pink-colored G-Force vacuum cleaner
that featured on the cover page of Design Magazine. Banks, venture capitalists, and renowned
companies such as the Electrolux Group15 (Electrolux), Royal Philips Electronics16 (Philips), and
Black & Decker17 turned down Dyson‘s invitation to invest in the new product. Subsequently,
Dyson forged a partnership with a Japanese company in 1985 and the G-Force was finally
launched in Japan in 1986.18 Soon the G-Force became a status symbol in Japanese households. In
the year 1987, the G-Force was first displayed at the British Design Exhibition in Vienna. In 1991,
Dyson‘s G-Force cleaner won the International Design Fair prize in Japan.
12
The Sea Truck went on to become very successful commercially with sales amounting to US$ 500 million
in the subsequent years. Dyson also won a Design Council Award and the 1975 Duke of Edinburgh‘s
special prize for its design.
13
―Two Heads, One Mind,‖ www.director-magazine.co.uk, November 2006.
14
The Ballbarrow was a remodeled wheelbarrow in which Dyson used a ball to replace the wheel.
15
Electrolux is a Swedish company with a presence in over 150 countries in the consumer electronics and
kitchen appliances markets, and is the largest-selling white goods brand in the US.
16
Founded in 1891 in the Netherlands, Royal Philips Electronics is one of the biggest electronics companies
in the world. Its core businesses include consumer electronics, medical systems, domestic appliances, and
personal care, lighting, and semiconductors.
17
Founded by Duncan S Black and Alonzo G Decker in 1910, Black & Decker is a home appliances and
power tools organization based in Maryland, US.
18
―The 2000 Dollar Vacuum Cleaner, James Dyson Profile,‖ www.dyson.co.uk.
3
Dyson used his income from the royalties from the Japanese company to manufacture a new model
under his own name in the UK. Dyson marketed the DC01 through word of mouth in the UK
market. The marketing strategy for the product mainly stated that the DC01 had better product
features and worked better than competitors‘ products. Dyson first retailed the DC01 at £ 200 and
within two years, it had cornered the largest market share in the UK.19
Subsequently, DAL came out with a number of innovative products. Since its inception, Dyson
had encouraged a culture of innovation at the company so that employees came out with
innovative ideas. He also set up an open and collaborative environment at DAL so that employees
could communicate effectively and develop innovative products. Dyson adopted Edison‘s step-by-
step approach and encouraged his employees to make use of prototyping and visualizing
techniques during the designing of the product. This helped them mitigate the risks involved with
manufacturing and testing a product. Dyson along with his team also tested and evaluated every
idea – continuously learning, iterating, and collecting feedback in order to move on to the next
level. According to Dyson, several of the company‘s products had been improved on the basis of
the feedback received.
By 2000, the DC01 had achieved worldwide sales of £ 3 billion.20 The same year, DAL became
the market leader in the UK floor care market with a 35 percent volume share and a 52 percent
value share.21 Dyson said that DAL‘s success was the result of pure hard work and perseverance.
He said, ―There is no such thing as a quantum leap. There is only dogged persistence and in the
end you make it look like a quantum leap.‖22 By this time, the company had launched several
models of vacuum cleaners. In 2000, the company launched a washing machine Contrarotator, the
world‘s first washing machine with two drums rotating in opposite directions. Dyson and his
company received several awards and accolades for DAL‘s innovative product line (Refer to
Exhibit I for Dyson‘s range of products and to Exhibit II for a list of awards received by Dyson
and DAL).
In 2002, DAL wanted to expand its Malmesbury factory in the face of growing competition.
However, the UK government rejected Dyson‘s plans to expand the factory as the local authorities
feared that they would lose their identity in the DAL-dominated market. Hence, Dyson decided to
shift his production base to Malaysia (Refer to Exhibit III for details of DAL shifting its
production base to Malaysia). In retrospect, analysts felt that this decision went a long way in
making DAL a market leader in the years that followed.
After successfully venturing into Malaysia, DAL entered the US vacuum cleaner market in
January 2002. Dyson knew that the company would initially face problems in the US market since
it was an intensely competitive one mainly dominated by The Hoover Company23 (Hoover).
Backed by the power of his innovative products and better engineering, Dyson aimed to gain an
edge over US rivals by offering superior products.24 By 2004, DAL‘s popularity in the US had
grown since it had managed to catch the attention of the customers. It was reported that the US
sales of the Dyson vacuum cleaner grew by 350 percent in 2004. In 2004, DAL overtook Hoover
and became the market leader in the US vacuum cleaner market. It garnered a 20.7 percent market
share compared to its 4.5 percent in 2003 in the US$ 2.3 billion vacuum cleaner market in 2004.25
19
―Dyson‘s Heroic Struggle: How a Vacuum Cleaner‘s Success Reveals Brands Need Personal
Associations,‖ www.emeraldinsight.com, 2003.
20
―Dust Settles on Dyson‘s Long Battle,‖ www.news.bbc.co.uk, October 3, 2007.
21
―Dyson Appliances,‖ www.faqs.org, 2000.
22
Adam Jolly, Innovation: Harnessing Creativity for Business Growth, (Design Council, 2002).
23
The Hoover Company (Hoover) is a part of the consumer appliances company, Whirlpool Corporation.
Hoover was sold to Techtronic Industries, a leading provider of home improvement products and
construction equipment, for US$ 107 million in 2006.
24
―Nature Loves this Vacuum,‖ www.forbes.com, October 14, 2002.
25
Stece Hawkes, ―Dyson Cleans up with American Sale,‖ www.thisismoney.co.uk, February 22, 2005.
4
By 2005, DAL‘s vacuum cleaners were outselling those of many other companies and Dyson‘s
had become one of the most popular brands in the UK. In 2006, Hoover was heading for a sale-off
in the wake of increasing competition from DAL in the US market. Commenting on its success in
the US market, Martin McCourt, CEO, DAL, said, ―Without R&D and relentless innovation, we
wouldn‘t be able to take on huge markets like the US or stay ahead of competitors. It‘s our
technology that Americans clearly understand and appreciate.‖26
By 2006, DAL‘s products were hugely successful despite being priced higher than the competition.
However, Dyson worried about the increasing competition from China and said, ―Our current
model is not the perfect model for the future. The frightening scenario is that China copies less and
innovates more, and learns to design and engineer products to a higher standard. Chinese
companies are looking to buy Hoover, and Miele is now manufacturing in China. But China will
only take over our industry if we allow it to do so. We can never be cheaper. The only way to win
is to keep ahead in terms of innovation.‖27
In 2007, DAL launched the new Dyson Airblade hand dryer. According to DAL, Dyson Airblade
was the world‘s fastest and most hygienic hand dryer that also used around 80 percent less energy.
It was launched in 2007 and by the end of the year had won five major industry awards and two
commendations.28 The company continued its innovation journey and in 2009, DAL launched a
digital motor for its DC31 vacuum cleaner. The motor spun at 104,000 revolutions per minute and
was considered to be the ―fastest, highest power density motors ever developed for domestic
appliances.‖29
The company employed more than 1,500 people, and one-third of its employees were engineers.
THE DRIVE TO INNOVATE
According to Dyson, it was frustration that had led to his inventing an innovative product. He cited
several instances of his frustration translating into an innovative product being launched. In 1978,
Dyson came up with the idea of inventing a bagless vacuum cleaner when he was renovating his
home. While vacuuming his house, he noted that the vacuum cleaner was constantly losing suction
since the dust clogged the pores. This was not the first time he had had a problem with a vacuum
cleaner. Dyson recalled that, once as a six-year-old child, he had had to help his mother with her
household chores as his father was ill. This was the first time he had used a vacuum cleaner and
the experience left him dissatisfied. He added, ―I was able to push around the only motor in the
room and in that sense I quite enjoyed it. But there was this terrible smell of stale dog and dust,
and I had to keep bending down and picking things up because the suction was bad. I thought: This
is cackhanded.‖30
Dyson wanted to do something about his frustration. He also realized that if he was frustrated with
the vacuum cleaner, chances were that there would be many others who felt the same. This
motivated him to develop a better vacuum cleaner. He ripped off the clogging bag and attached a
crude cardboard cyclone. Surprisingly he found that it worked better than the original vacuum
cleaner but had its own problems. ―Encouragingly, it worked better than the one I‘d just feverishly
dismantled. The air spun so fast in the card cyclone that the centrifugal force created a powerful
constant suction. But of course there was more: the fluff and hair separation dilemma,‖31 said
26
James Doran, ―Hoover is Heading for Sell-off as Dyson Cleans up in America,‖
http://business.timesonline.co.uk, February 4, 2006.
27
―Plastics on the Move Dyson on Innovation Exploring the Future Face Building the B&Q Brand,‖
www.innovation.rca.ac.uk, 2006.
28
―Innovation: Dyson Brings Us Eco-Friendly Hand Dryer,‖ www.foxbusiness.com, May 9, 2008.
29
―Dyson Launches DC31 and the DC31 Animal Vacuums,‖ www.pocket-lint.com, June 26, 2009.
30
Gary Younge, ―Aiming to Become a Household Verb,‖ www.salon.com, March 4, 2005.
31
―James Dyson on Innovation,‖ www.ingenia.org.uk, September 25, 2004.
5
Dyson. A month later, Dyson encountered the key to the vacuuming problem at a timber yard.
There he noticed that a duct collecting the sawdust was attached to a giant cyclone. Dyson said, ―I
knew enough engineering to know how a cyclone worked… the dust hits the curved walls of the
cyclone tangentially at immense speed and falls into a bin and the clean air escapes at the top; it
was a filter without being a membrane filter.‖32
Keeping in mind Edison‘s approach to innovation, Dyson made one change at a time to the
prototype. He followed incremental innovation. He believed that this helped him increase his
efficiency through higher quality and lower costs. In 1979, Dyson observed that the air filter in the
Ballbarrow spray-finishing room was invariably clogged with fine particles. In a bid to overcome
this problem, Dyson built an industrial cyclone tower that exerted centrifugal forces more than
100,000 times that of gravity in order to remove the particles.33 He then sought to apply the same
principle to the vacuum cleaner. He started working with a conventionally shaped cyclone. He
found out that the dust particles formed a ball inside the cleaner and clogged the exit and often
went inside the motor. He tried all sorts of shapes, but met with little success. He then thought he‘d
try the wrong shape an inverted cone. It worked! He had spent nearly five years from 1979 to
1984 in developing the cleaner, and had come up with 5,126 prototypes of the Dual Cyclone
vacuum cleaner before meeting with success.34 Most of the solutions to the problems encountered
in his earlier prototypes came with 2,498th prototype. A few more changes were made and in his
3,444th prototype, he used rolled brass as a material. However, this material was replaced with
polycarbonate plastic since it had more durability. ―I don‘t want to labor my point, but the fact is
that the hard labor was vital to my innovation: it took some 5,127 attempts before I had it. Of
course I would hope that the more qualified amongst you may have done it in just 127 steps, but I
can honestly say that I learnt something from each iteration (and not just new swear words),‖35 said
Dyson.
Dyson also laid emphasis on the design of the product. Dyson‘s view of design referred to
something that operated well. He said, ―For me, design is about how something works, not about
what it looks like. It‘s what‘s inside that counts. Good design solves problems and changes
something for the better. Aesthetics should be a by-product of the design, not the other way
around.‖36 According to him, styling had become ‗a lazy 20th century conceit‘ and being apromoter
of ‗forms follow function‘, he observed that research and design were far more important than
shallow styling. Dyson said, ―Aesthetics are meaningless unless they are accompanied by
innovation.‖37
Dyson came in for a lot of praise for the way he had brought innovation and improvement to
existing products. Some analysts considered his vacuum cleaner one of the marvels of engineering.
Dyson believed that innovation had to be exciting and had to involve risk taking. He also cherished
the fact that people bought his vacuum cleaner for its functioning rather than its exteriors.
According to Dyson, ―Appearance alone does not make a good product. I am happy when
someone does not like the color of a Dyson vacuum cleaner because it proves the person bought it
because of its performance, not its looks.‖38
32
Robert Collison, ―The Billion-Dollar Vacuum Salesman,‖ www.nationalpost.com, February 28, 2007.
33
―Early Products by James Dyson, Speaks about the Early Years of Dyson. Dyson Story,‖
www.dyson.co.uk.
34
www.news.bbc.co.uk
35
36
―Designing Success from Failure,‖ www.innovationmagazine.com.
37
―Dyson Sucks! (The Best Vacuum Cleaner by Genius Inventor James Dyson),‖
www.kempton.wordpress.com, October 8, 2006.
38
6
DAL also focused on designing a product based on the market it catered to. For instance, in Japan,
he created a compact vacuum that had a cleaner head specially designed for Japanese tatami mats.
In the US, DAL designed the Work Horse for Americans, who had thick shag-pile carpets. Dyson
believed that risk was intrinsic to any innovation venture and thus did not always go by what the
consumers or the distributors said they wanted. ―I could never envisage a risk-free innovation
process. Each new Dyson product is a huge risk. There is no way of proving that people will buy
your product, thank God. Market research never really gives you the answer and you‘ve got to read
it very carefully. Sometimes it is right to do the opposite to what market research tells you. You
can‘t treat it as gospel or people would get it right every time,‖39 he quipped.
DAL‘s innovation was not limited only to the functioning of the product. Dyson extended it to
show his customers the working of the product. For instance, he made the housings of the vacuum
cleaner transparent. Commenting on this strategy, Michael Schrage, a research associate at MIT‘s
Media Lab said, ―While the costs of transparency were minimal, its perceived customer benefits
were immense. Customer research affirmed that being able to see how well the Dyson cleaned was
a valuable feature. Transparency profoundly differentiated Dyson from its competition — a classic
disruptively incremental innovation.‖40 According to industry observers, the design of DAL‘s
vacuum cleaners appealed to men more than to women. Laura Billings, a columnist with St. Paul
Pioneer Press, Minnesota, said, ―The Dyson is worth every penny for the simple reason that men
can‘t wait to drive it… Maybe it‘s because promises of powerful motors and continuous suction
speak to men on a deep cellular level. Maybe it‘s because the first model was released in bright
yellow, the color of construction tools and Caterpillar machines that boys are born wanting to
drive.‖41
According to Dyson, the Dual Cyclone captured the vacuum market as it was an innovative
product and the consumers perceived it as being better than other vacuum cleaners. To ensure that
the company sustained itself in the fiercely competitive market, Dyson was keen on coming up
with innovations. DAL invested 17 percent of its turnover in R&D activities. 42 According to
Dyson, ―Traditional domestic vacuum cleaners had not changed in 90 years… While large firms
fail to focus on R&D, the opportunity exists for young business to take advantage of their
complacency.‖43
DAL followed up its success of the DC01 model with many more models that improved upon the
existing models. According to industry observers, the DC15 vacuum with The Ball™ technology
that was launched in 2005 was another notable innovation. This product was developed by one of
DAL‘s engineers in the new product development team, Stephen Courtney, and went a long way in
ensuring easy maneuverability.44 ―We have developed cleaners that don‘t lose suction and now
we‘ve made one that‘s easier to maneuver too,‖45 said Dyson.
Not only did DAL bring out continuous improvement in its vacuum cleaner range but it also
invented and commercialized innovative products such as the Contrarotator and Dyson Airblade.
The Contrarotator was born out of the insight that in traditional automatic washing machines, the
fabric was not flexed well and, as such, the clothes were not cleaned as well as when washed by
hand. This led DAL employees to invent the Contrarotator with two drums rotating in opposite
directions for cleaning the clothes better. The Dyson Airblade was also hailed as a major
39
40
Jack Lail, ―Election Coverage Becomes a Time for ‗Instant Innovation‘,‖ www.nieman.harvard.edu, 2008.
41
―Cover Story; Made (it) in USA,‖ www.realbusiness.co.uk, October 25, 2006.
42
43
44
―James Dyson on Innovation,‖ www.raeng.org.uk, September 2005.
45
―Dyson Reinvents the Wheel,‖ www.dexigner.com, May 15, 2005.
7
improvement over existing hand dryers as, unlike conventional driers which relied on evaporation
and the rubbing of hands to produce a drying effect, the Airblade used a double air knife to strip
and evaporate water from hands. The air used for drying hands was filtered air, making it more
hygienic. It also dried hands faster and used less energy compared to conventional hand dryers.
The team at DAL was also involved in developing household robots and was working too on a
powerful lightweight motor that would enable electric cars to run fast without causing pollution.46
DAL also developed all the technology used in its products as it felt that development of new
technology was rather slow in the industry. For instance, in 1997, unhappy with the quality of the
motors it was sourcing from external suppliers for use in its vacuum cleaners, DAL set up a small
lab where its engineers started developing their own motors. After that, the team came out with
many higher efficiency motors in the subsequent years,47 the latest being the digital motor for the
DC31 vacuum cleaner that spun at 104,000 revolutions per minute.
CREATING THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR INNOVATION
Dyson felt that in order to get creative ideas, there had to be an environment that was creative.
When he moved to a new factory at Malmesbury in 1995, he appointed Chris Wilkinson
(Wilkinson), an architect, to design the new factory. Wilkinson made some alterations to the
building internally and externally. Dyson‘s wife Deirdre Hindmarsh also took a keen interest in
designing the new factory and designed the interiors in bright colors like lilac, purple, and
lavender, according to Dyson. Dyson along with his team designed the high-tech office tables.
They also bought Vitara chairs designed by Antonio Citerio, an Italian industrial and furniture
designer, priced at £ 400 each, for all the employees,48
By creating an innovative environment, DAL encouraged its employees to think creatively. Dyson
emphasized recruiting fresh graduates from universities since he felt that their minds were open to
new ideas and working methods. The training received by new recruits at DAL was different from
that in other companies. The new recruits were asked to make a vacuum cleaner and take it home
for two weeks to test how the product worked. In case they planned to keep the vacuum cleaner
forever, they had to pay £ 20.49 The idea behind this was to make new recruits learn a critical point
even though they might be working on a smaller part of the machine. Dyson said that the new
graduates helped create an environment wherein they learned the business themselves rather than
having an older employer teach them.
DAL attracted new employees by compensating them well and offering a convenient bus service.
The factory also had a café where employees were served food. Dyson also preferred having his
food at the café. He disliked smoking and the only smoking facility at DAL‘s research center at
Malmesbury was labeled ―cancer corner‖.50
Dyson preferred his employees to wear casual outfits rather than some uniforms or formal wear.
He said, ―A suit is like a biker‘s leathers or a fireman‘s protective kit: it is merely protection… I‘d
rather the qualities of my employees shone through in what they did, rather than what they wore.
That is why I employ brilliant young graduates with no experience at all. I want free thinkers who
can take the company forward and have revolutionary ideas.‖51
46
―Dyson Working on New Generation of Fast, Green Cars,‖ www.independent.co.uk, June 22, 2008.
47
Paul Marks, ―James Dyson: Inventing the Wright Way,‖ www.newscientist.com, July 15 2009.
48
Jane Henry and David Mayle, Managing Innovation and Change, (Sage Publications, Second Edition,
2006).
49
Patrick Mahoney, ―Industrial Design: Design the Dyson Way,‖ http://machinedesign.com, August 7,
2008.
50
Chris Jones, ―James Dyson: Patently Passionate,‖ http://news.bbc.co.uk, May 23, 2003.
51
2006).
8
Dyson also spoke to his employees on a daily basis on issues related to marketing, competitors‘
products, and how they were doing to handle these issues. He also talked to them about how the
company was doing in its international operations and the advertising campaigns being run.
Feedbacks sessions were conducted at DAL every three days to identify problems and figure out
solutions. Dyson also kept a suggestion box in place to receive suggestions from employees who
were introverts.
Dyson acknowledged that timelines, milestones, charts showing status, etc. were good
management systems but that success ultimately depended on whether the employees had the
courage to make mistakes. So, in addition to the prevalent methods of appraising employees, at
DAL employees were also apprised on their ability to take risks and willingness to risk making
mistakes. The employees were not rewarded financially for their ideas; however, they were valued
for their creative contributions.
DAL was characterized by a flat informal structure with no borders, wall, or fence so that
employees could communicate effectively with each other. Dyson also nurtured a culture of
dialogue. He was against sending memos for communication. According to him, ―Dialogue is the
founding principle for progress. Talk to people, they listen. Monologue leads only to monomania.
Memos are also tacky, soulless, and get lost. I would rather people did less, if it means doing what
they do properly, and a memo, though quicker than a conversation, is far more likely to lead to a
misunderstanding.‖52
The company located the graphics people and engineers at the center of the factory in order to
indicate the centrality of engineering and design to its operations. Experts opined that with this
open and creative environment, Dyson aimed to make his employees design conscious and help
them to contribute creatively to the environment. DAL also paid attention to the working
conditions in the factory. ―Far from being sweat shops, our factories are bright, airy, air-
conditioned, with nicely painted floors, and very clean…. All our workers are immaculately
dressed and turned out. They don‘t work ridiculous hours and are paid above-average for the
area,‖53 said McCourt. Every year, the company sent a team of design engineers and a sales team to
the production hub located at Malaysia to have direct interaction with the production staff. This
was done in order to make the design staff understand the manufacturing processes better. This,
according to Dyson, would help the sales team, in turn, to explain the design processes to the
consumers.
NURTURING A CULTURE OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION
It‟s About Hard Work
Dyson encouraged his employees to focus on improving things that had poor operational
performance since most of the products invented by him were the result of his frustration with
existing products. According to Dyson, ―We‘re known for vacuums, digital motors, and hand
dryers, but there are plenty of other inventions we‘re working on, and plenty that have got away. I
look for things that don‘t work properly, things that could be done better, things that are
cumbersome or disappointing in performance. Something fails, something is very difficult to use –
that‘s the starting point.‖54
Dyson encouraged his engineers to follow Edison‘s design approach. He himself took a keen
interest in designing the products from the very formative stage and often worked with the DAL
engineers from the idea stage through prototype testing. ―This Edisonian approach to design is one
52
2006).
53
―Dyson: Martin McCourt,‖ www.growingbusiness.co.uk, July 2006.
54
Julie Schlosser, ―Dyson is Cleaning up in this Industry,‖ Fortune, www.money.cnn.com, January 16,
2007.
9
I always encourage Dyson engineers to adopt. It comprises tiny step-by-step changes. Rather than
spend ages planning and sketching, I just kept building prototype after prototype until I got it right.
I am now a big believer in the importance of making mistakes; they help you learn and can often
lead you into uncharted waters and in exciting new directions,‖55 said Dyson. In other words, at
DAL, the formula for coming out with ideas was ‗Good ideas= Frustration + Problem solving‘.
What followed was a lot of hard work to flesh out the idea into a new product or product
improvement.
Thinking Illogically and Nurturing Ideas
Dyson firmly believed that engineers make a living by innovating. He added, ―The word
‗engineer‘ and its Latin etymology in generare, meaning ‗to create‘, spoke volumes. It‘s not the
terribly serious rote discipline that appearance might suggest. Instead it‘s about being able to
recognize the power of the imagination and the potential of a good idea, and then translate this –
through a rigorous and scientific approach – into a tangible object or a clever piece of machinery.
This is special: having the ability to first grasp that creative moment and then having the scientific
aptitude to bring that idea forward.‖56
According to Dyson, innovative ideas needed to be nurtured. ―Today‘s problems are very real
while the ideas of tomorrow are fragile and ephemeral. But they have to be nurtured,‖57 he said. He
aimed to create a culture in which employees would be encouraged to think creatively and come
out with innovative ideas. DAL encouraged its engineers to come out with ideas at any stage of the
design process. Dyson encouraged his employees to think differently. According to him, the nearly
five billion people in the world were thinking straight like train tracks because they had been
taught to think logically. He also said that by being determined and unconventional as opposed to
being brilliant they could solve the problem. He added, ―If you go in and are illogical, then half the
time people will laugh at you and half the time you will strike up something interesting because
you have stopped everyone else from thinking logically, which has failed to provide a solution. Be
a bit whacko and you shake people up a bit. And we all need shaking up.‖58 Dyson also told his
employees to have confidence in their ideas. He added, ―As an innovator you must have obdurate
faith in your idea. It‘s about identifying a solution to a problem or a need that people might not
know they have in the first place.‖59
Making Mistakes
According to Dyson, the term ‗innovation‘ could be rather vague and people often associated it
with a ‗Eureka‘ moment, but to him, it was a result of constant experimentation and making many
mistakes.60 Thus he emphasized that his employees adopt this approach and he encouraged them to
learn from making mistakes. At DAL, errors were considered to be a part of the innovation process
— a very important one. According to Dyson, 50 percent of the decisions that he made as well as
of the more than 300 engineers who worked at DAL were wrong. Dyson believed that innovation
involved treading the wrong path and failure spurred the determination to succeed. He believed in
nurturing a culture that encouraged people to innovate and try different things. He encouraged his
employees to make mistakes so that they could come out with a really innovative idea at the end of
the process. ―The first thing I teach new engineering and design recruits is that they will learn
more from failure than from success. Failure is exciting. It leads to new ideas. And it teaches the
process of discovery by making single, small changes. Unfortunately, that spirit requires long-term
investment and does not square with an ethos that wants immediate results,‖61 said Dyson.
55
56
57
―Suck it and See,‖ www.london-innovation.org.
58
2006).
59
60
Erik Vlietinck, ―The Creative Process at Dyson,‖ www.it-enquirer.com, December 14, 2005.
61
―Where Have All our Inventors Gone?‖ www.creativeideas.org.uk, 2001.
10
Dyson felt that the company‘s tolerance for mistakes provided people with the opportunity to learn
and take ownership of the projects they worked on. ―I think you‘ve also got to give people the
opportunity to learn […] learn through making mistakes. It means people have a stronger bond to
the projects they‘re involved with. It can be hard work and you learn quickly and it‘s good fun,‖ 62
he said.
Teamwork
Teamwork was the key for working at DAL since Dyson felt that people with different skills and
expertise could contribute a diverse set of ideas to challenge the problem at hand. The teams were
flexible – they changed both in mix and size in response to the stages of the development process.
The team members were rotated from one project to another in order to share their expertise and
cross-fertilize their ideas. Dyson felt that the power of synergies and collaboration resulted in
strengthening the process of innovation. According to him, ―Teams give Dyson its spirit. The
teams need to be at the heart of the company. They are engaged in the core task of making a
difference, through creating and selling new products.‖63
DAL did not consider design and engineering as two separate disciplines. The engineers were
involved in the conceptual idea stage while the design staff was involved in testing. Dyson felt that
an idea could come from any employee. For instance, Jackie, an employee at the services desk,
came up with the idea of printing the company‘s helpline number on the handle of the machine. In
another instance, when the company faced trouble with sealing the motor, an employee named
Pete came up with a suggestion that actually helped fix the problem. ―One of the most important
things is I spend time, not in my glass office here, but going among creative people, not just the
engineers, making sure they‘re doing creative things… I don‘t mean I go around like a policeman,
more just encouraging creativity,‖64 said Dyson.
NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND DAL‟S INTEGRATED APPROACH TO

DESIGNING
New product development at DAL involved a meticulous process (Refer to Box I to see how ideas
are fleshed out into products at DAL). In addition to interactions with other employees, the
engineers also interacted with the customers to get new ideas that could be implemented in the
product for improvement. The engineers then wrote a brief that consisted of suggestions from the
users and the design engineers. Soon after, a brainstorming session took place at which the
engineers produced sketches to arrive at an idea they planned to develop. However, Dyson
preferred his employees to ‗get their hands dirty‘ rather than spending too much time sitting
through brainstorming sessions. The engineers used an integrated approach to designing new
products rather than viewing disciplines such as designing, model-making, testing, etc. as
watertight compartments. During the prototyping stage, the engineers were instructed to make a
single change at a time as this could enable them to know whether the change made had resulted in
improvement or not.65
62
―Ask the Expert: Dyson,‖ www.ft.com, November 17, 2005.
63
64
Ian Wallis, ―James Dyson,‖ GB Magazine, April 2004.
65
―Innovation,‖ www.designmuseum.org, 2001.
11
Box I
Implementation of Ideas during New Product Development
Research: In addition to fixing the existing problems, the scientists were encouraged to carry
out research in the fields of microbiology, fluid dynamics, and electronics. After they had
gained knowledge through the research they had conducted, the scientists fed the information in
the product development phase.
Idea development: After arriving at an innovative idea, the design engineers drew sketches and
discussed the ideas. At DAL, sketching was a key tool in the idea development phase since it
depicted a rough picture of the work they planned to carry out. According to Dyson, sketching
was a bridge between what the designer planned to design and a basic 3D model.
Specification: After the idea development phase, two types of specifications were created –
vision specification and engineering specification. The vision specification was a basic diagram
of what the engineers envisaged the product would look like with its key features. At a later
stage, an engineering specification was created wherein parameters such as power, noise, size,
and weight were listed for the design engineers to follow. This specification was referred to by
the design engineers throughout the design process.
Production: Based on these specifications, production was carried out.
Evaluation + Testing: This was followed by the evaluation and testing of the design. Next
came validation testing that was done to test the durability of the product.
Pick-up tests: At the final stage, the pickup tests were done to know whether the final product
complied with the industry standards.
Adapted from “Design Process,” www.jamesdysonfoundation.com.
The design process at DAL was mainly backed by developing new technologies, challenging the
norm, and making things work better. Employees at the R&D lab, based in Wiltshire, worked on
diverse areas such as fluid, thermal, acoustic, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. The
R&D lab was supported by a microbiology laboratory, in which the company grew and studied
bacteria, mold, and dust mites in order to discover better ways of removing them from homes.
Dyson‘s definition of design consisted of an integrated approach where engineers viewed
engineering, design, prototyping, testing, and machining as disciplines that overlapped with no
boundaries between them (Refer to Exhibit IV for DAL‘s design process).
The design process started with engineers questioning the existing technology followed by a
brainstorming session that focused on aspects that could be improved. This acted as their design
specification. Dyson added, ―The best designs come from someone questioning everything.
Designers, engineers look at the same things as everyone else. But they see something different.
And they think what it could be — and make it happen...‖66 This was followed by engineers
sketching the initial designs. The designs were sketched in order to encourage the free generation
of creative ideas.
According to Dyson, the initial stages of working out functionality and the idea had to start with
the sketching phase where basic pen and paper is used. The sketching phase led to the cardboard
modeling phase wherein the basic layout of the product was made. DAL made use of cardboard in
the initial phases of prototyping since the designers could accurately model each part wherein most
of the design details were resolved prior to modeling it using Computer Aided Design (CAD)
modeling. According to Dyson, ―Many people would consider Dyson‘s design process rather
crude; the tools are very basic in the early stages. The engineers are encouraged to sketch out their
ideas and use card and glue to build models. Of course, we also use computerized systems, such as
66
www.jamesdysonfoundation.com
12
CAD but this is in conjunction with the hand work. The viability of a design is often more
revealing from a simple cardboard rig than from a flashy CAD drawing.‖67
From the idea phase, the engineers moved on to the prototype phase. The engineers then used 3D
CAD to create computer models for each component. These models allowed changes to be made
quickly and accurately and acted as a blueprint for the finished product and the tools used to make
it. ―Our conceptual designs are produced in 3D, which has fantastic benefits, rather than just
producing views of the product, you design the real thing. This reduces ambiguity and often makes
it easier to understand complex assemblies. You get a lot of feedback, seeing it coming together
before your very eyes,‖68 explains John Myers (Myers), CAD systems manager at Dyson.
Having fixed the initial problems related to design, the engineers then designed a breadboard
model that comprised a mixture of plastic, metal, CAD prototyped components, and parts of
Dyson‘s products. These models were malleable, cheap, and were vital for fixing the key issues
that arose during the early stages of designing. The breadboard models were then tested at the
factory. For instance, when Dyson was about to launch the stair hugging version of the DC02
vacuum cleaner, the engineers built a staircase in the factory in order to carry out the testing. The
engineers also used the expertise of scientists and were involved in every step of designing and
manufacturing.
The engineers then studied the flow of air through the machine using computational fluid
dynamics research and the design‘s load-bearing strength from the CAD files. The engineers also
used Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for virtually testing the strength of assemblies and parts, tests
to ensure that the components would not break.
The engineers then designed a 3D prototype of the product using a rapid prototyping system called
the selective laser sintering69 (SLS). The SLS tested the performance of the prototype including
pick-up, filtration, and airflow followed by sound testing. In the final stages of design, foam
modeling was done for ergonomic and visual fine tuning.
The company had been using the UGS NX next-generation digital product development system
since 1998. It could be used to create 3D images, digital simulation, and testing. The engineers
could work with speed while improving accuracy and eliminate errors in the design. It ensured that
the many parts of the products that were created by different engineers fitted together correctly.
Engineers could also view animated sequences simulating the precise motion of the moving
parts.70 The data and analysis from the program could be used to quickly develop physical
prototypes. Once the major design and testing phase was completed, toolmakers in the
manufacturing department were able to access modeling data and employ it directly into their
complex cutting tools.71
The final products were tested by employees at their homes and office. Testing of the new product
was given a lot of priority at DAL. The company‘s engineers in the UK and Malaysia conducted
around 30,000 hours of testing every month.72 For instance, as part of the reliability testing for the
vacuum cleaners, these were dropped with the force of up to 150 times their own weight and a
range of different scenarios were designed to test them to the point of destruction.73 In addition to
dropping, this included pulling, pushing, shaking, and even freezing and baking the products.74
67
Erik Vlietinck, ―The Creative Process at Dyson,‖ www.it-enquirer.com, December 14, 2005.
68
―Dyson Innovation Network Yields Revolutionary Products,‖ www.plm.automation.siemens.com, 2009.
69
The SLS prototyping working consists of laying down a thin layer of plastic powder which, on heating by
laser, melts and forms solid plastic. The process is repeated at every layer until a solid plastic is formed.
70
―Dyson Innovation Network Designs Top Selling Vacuum Cleaners,‖ www.deskeng.com, June 12, 2008.
71
Alliston Ackerman, ―Driven to Innovate,‖ www.consumergoods.com, October 1, 2006.
72
―Dyson,‖ www.mida.gov.my, February 15, 2006.
73
―Dyson Reinvents the Wheel,‖ www.dexigner.com, May 15, 2005.
74
www.dyson.com/about/technology/testingdev.asp
13
CULTIVATING THE ECOSYSTEM
Dyson felt that innovation was of critical importance for surviving in the highly competitive
market place but that the right ecosystem for fostering innovation did not exist in the UK. He
actively lobbied with the government to put the right ecosystem in place. He felt that though the
UK government realized the power of innovation, the country was still far behind other countries.
According to Dyson, when it came to maintaining the country‘s competitive edge, the government
was merely paying lip-service and promoting quick-fix innovations within companies and
industry. He felt that the government should do more and could benefit from following the
Japanese model of encouraging innovation within engineering firms through huge investments in
R&D and promoting risk-taking behavior. Dyson added, ―Give power and confidence to engineers,
put them on the board, and give them enough money to research and develop ideas before they get
quashed. What we are making at Dyson now is important, but we are also planning for five years
time. Of course many of the ideas will never actually been seen by anyone outside Dyson, but at
least we are giving them a fighting start. Innovation needs to be exciting and therefore it must
involve risk-taking.‖75 He felt that the drive for innovation should be created right for the school
stage.
Dyson said that British companies invested no more than 5.2 percent of their sales in R&D,
compared to the German equivalent of 12.6 percent, or the US equivalent of 38.3 percent. 76 Yet, he
argued that it was innovation that had led to DAL attaining a dominant position in the market. The
company said it was trying to do its bit to promote innovation in the UK. Dyson launched The
James Dyson Innovation Fellowship in 2008, aimed at supporting budding RCA designers in
commercializing and protecting their work. The award supported an intellectual property seminar
for RCA students and a fellowship program for graduates who had creative ideas. The award was
launched soon after DAL won a case against Qualtex, a company that infringed on Dyson‘s design
rights and sold copies of several spare parts used by DAL in its products. During the proceedings
of the case, Dyson had pledged to donate all the winnings from this case to help young designers
protect their ideas and work.77
In 2008, DAL also launched The James Dyson Award for encouraging budding engineers and
designers to come up with innovative ideas. The winner was awarded a trophy from Dyson and a
cash prize worth £ 10,000 sponsored by The James Dyson Foundation. Dyson added, ―Young
designers and engineers are brimming with creative ideas to change the world – it‘s this ability to
think differently that our award celebrates. We need to support and encourage the engineers of the
future.‖78 Earlier in 2006, he also planned to open an innovative design school but had to give up
the plan in 2008 as it failed to get the support of the regulators (Refer to Exhibit V for a note on the
Dyson School of Design Innovation).
LEADING THROUGH INNOVATION?
Experts considered DAL as an example of how innovation could lead to a company dominating a
market. They opined that DAL‘s focus on innovation had led to breakthrough products such as the
dual cyclone vacuum cleaner, and other products in the washing machine and hand dryer category.
According to Keith Lincoln and Lars Thomassen, authors of the book, How to Succeed at Retail,
―Dyson is a brand that has let innovation lead it to a better retail future — a retail future where the
retailers queue up to stock it. Radical innovation and design has allowed Dyson to upset one of the
75
76
―International 700 Survey,‖ www.innovation.gov.uk.
77
―Dyson Sets up Innovation Fellowship,‖ www.innovation.rca.ac.uk, October 29, 2008.
78
―James Dyson Award Highlights the Best in International Student Design,‖ www.britishcouncil.org, 2009.
14
longest, most entrenched status quo markets in the world. You sometimes have to strive to totally
exceed yourself to be truly successful.‖79
Experts felt that DAL had developed a core competency in product design.80 They said DAL had a
creative approach to innovation that was unique. ―Dyson‘s [DAL‘s] emphasis on informal dress
(innovation is rarely formal) and its building design, not only communicate innovation visibly, but
also enable innovation to take place through flexible working and freedom of movement, and
associated ideas… At the heart of Dyson‘s way of working is an informal and flexible face-to-face
communication process mirrored in a flat informal structure,‖81 according to Margaret de Latter
(Latter), Managing Consultant, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. The innovation principles and
processes adopted by Dyson also came in for a lot of praise. Experts noted that DAL focused on
building the business from within, creating a drive for innovation, and promoting a risk taking
attitude that was so important for the innovation process to succeed. Latter added, ―James Dyson‘s
own determination and perseverance, as well as his personal role and involvement in the
participative process of idea creation, is highly significant in fostering innovation at Dyson.‖ 82
However, some of DAL‘s competitors felt that its products were successful not because of their
innovativeness but because of how they were marketed. ―Our competitors sometimes say, as a way
of belittling the company‘s achievement, that all we are good at is marketing. Well, all our
marketing has been done by Rebecca Trentham, from a standing start as a languages graduate from
Oxford and all our products have been designed and engineered by new graduates,‖ 83 said Dyson.
Some experts too said that DAL had marketed its products well but innovation played a big role in
its success. It was this aspect that allowed it to sell at a premium price in a market that had
previously been dominated by price-cutting. While vacuum cleaners were not particularly liked by
customers, DAL‘s vacuum cleaners attained a fashion-accessory chic largely due to good
designing.84
LOOKING AHEAD
By 2009, DAL had a presence in 46 countries. According to Dyson, in the near future, it planned
to garner between 50 and 70 percent of its total sales for its Ball vacuum cleaner, which accounted
for 20 percent of its US and UK sales, as of 2008. He added, ―It‘s doing really well and I think it‘s
probably the reason our sales have held up very well in the recession.‖85
In May 2009, DAL was awarded a patent to develop a modular space-saving kit for kitchen
appliances. According to the company, the kit was a rectangular system where all the appliances
could be stacked. Hence, there would be no wasted space. According to Cliff Kuang of Fast
Company86, ―For Dyson, the timing couldn‘t be better. The company has become a textbook
example of how innovation can yield market-share dominance with breathtaking speed (and has
made James Dyson a billionaire), but its growth in the U.K. and U.S. has slowed lately. Could
kitchen appliances be the company‘s new source of growth?‖87
79
Keith Lincoln and Lars Thomassen, How to Succeed at Retail, (Kogan Page Publishers, 2007).
80
Julia Cupman, ―Identifying the Driving Forces of Your Business,‖
www.b2binternational.com/library/whitepapers/whitepapers24.php.
81
Adam Jolly, Innovation: Harnessing Creativity for Business Growth, (Kogan Page Publishers, 2003).
82
Adam Jolly, Innovation: Harnessing Creativity for Business Growth, (Kogan Page Publishers, 2003).
83
2006).
84
Thomas K. Grose, ―The Vacuum‘s Design Moment,‖ www.usnews.com, May 15, 2005.
85
Andrew Cave, ―Sir James Dyson the Inventor Keeps on Motoring,‖ www.telegraph.co.uk, October 4,
2008.
86
Fast Company is a monthly business magazine on innovation, digital media, technology, change
management, leadership, design, and social responsibility. It was launched in 1995.
87
Cliff Kuang, ―James Dyson Patents All-in-One Kitchen Appliance Kit,‖ www.fastcompany.com, May 4,
2009.
15
DAL aimed to continue its focus on innovation and planned to enter the domestic robot market.
Analysts opined that the move was inspired by the success of US-based iRobot Corporation‘s88
Roomba, a floor cleaning robotic vacuum cleaner. Dyson added, ―We made a robot vacuum
cleaner five years ago but didn‘t launch it because, with 85 sensors, powerful motors and huge
numbers of batteries, it was just too expensive.‖89 He planned to launch a robotic vacuum cleaner at
a cheaper price.
While his company continued to expand its product line with innovative product launches, Dyson
felt that something had to be done for nurturing future engineers so that innovative products
continued to be launched in the UK. Since he dropped his plans to start his The Dyson School of
Design Innovation, he advised the UK government to do something for young graduates to take up
engineering as a career. He also said that most of the problems related to the global economy
would be solved by nurturing future engineers. He said, ―This really is a time to back our
engineers, fund them, and set them the challenges.‖90
88
Founded in 1990, iRobot Corporation designs and build robots for different applications for defense and
commercial purposes. For the year 2008, it generated revenues of US$ 307 million (Source:
www.irobot.com).
89
―James Dyson: Inventing the Wright Way,‖ www.newscientist.com, July 15, 2009.
90
16
Exhibit I
Dyson‟s Product Range
Dyson Upright range DC03, DC07, DC14 telescope reach, DC15 the
ball, DC18 dyson slim, DC 17, DC24, DC25,
DC28
Dyson Cylinder range DC08, DC08 telescope wrap, DC11 telescope,
DC19, DC20 stowaway, DC21 motorhead,
DC22, DC23
Dyson Handheld range DC16 dyson root 6, Dyson Root 6, DC31, animal
Dyson washing Contrarotator
machine
Hand dryers AB01 dyson airblade, Dyson Airblade
Fan Dyson Air Multiplier
* The list is not exhaustive.

Source: www.dyson.co.uk.
Exhibit II
Awards and Recognition for Dyson & His Company
1975 Dyson‘s Sea Truck wins a Design Council Award and the 1975 Duke of
Edinburgh‘s special prize.
1977 The Ballbarrow wins the Building Design Innovation Award.
1983 G-Force makes the front cover of Design Magazine
1987 The G-Force is displayed at the British Design Exhibition in Vienna.
1989 The G-Force is included in, and is the poster for, the British Design: New
Traditions exhibition in Rotterdam.
1990 to 1992 Dyson is Chairman of Bath College of Higher Education.
1991 G-Force cleaner wins the International Design Fair prize in Japan.
1993 to 1996 Dyson is the external examiner for the Industrial Design Engineering faculty at
the Royal College of Art.
1996 Dyson is awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Staffordshire
University. Elected Fellow of the Chartered Society of Engineers.
1996 Institute of Engineering Design award Dyson the Gerald Frewer Memorial
Trophy.
DAL wins both the Grand Prix Trophy and the Consumer Product Design
Award at the UK Design Council and Design in Business Awards (DBA).
1997 Dyson becomes a member of the Design Council. DAL becomes the first
British company to win a European Design Award.
Dyson becomes a Trustee of the Design Museum. Institute of Engineering
Designers elects James to Hon MEID.
17
Dyson is elected Philanthropist of the Year for his work through the Dyson
Antarctica Solo project for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.
Dyson is made a Doctor of Science by Oxford Brookes University. He wins the
Prince Philip Designer‘s Prize.
Chris Smith, Minister for Culture, opens the Dyson Center for Design
Education and Training at the Design Museum.
Huddersfield University Business School awards Dyson an honorary doctorate
in science.
DAL receives 1997 Price Waterhouse West of England Business of the Year
Award.
Dyson receives 1997 Prince Philip Designer‘s Prize
1998 Dyson is awarded a CBE in the New Year‘s Honors
Prime Minister of UK Tony Blair announces that the DC02 has been selected as
one of the first Millennium Products.
Dyson is made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University.
In October, he speaks at the IPPR meeting at the Labor Party Conference
In November, he speaks at the CBI conference alongside Peter Mandelson.
Dyson receives a doctorate in Science from Bradford University.
Dyson becomes Patron of The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London.
Dyson becomes a member of the Council of the Royal College of Art.
Dyson is named Number One in Enterprise Magazine‘s Top 100 UK
Entrepreneurs.
1999 Dyson is appointed Chairman of the Design Museum.
DAL wins a place in the 1998 listing of Europe‘s 500. The listing ranks
companies according to their job creation and turnover growth.
Dyson receives a Doctorate in Engineering from West of England University.
In the 1999 Design Week 10th Awards, Dyson is presented with the designer of
the decade award.
Received Product Innovation Award by IER Independent Marketing Awards.
Received the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry Award for
technology and innovation.
DC05, a vacuum cleaner received the France: LSA magazine awards.
2000 The DC05 Clear wins Japan‘s Super Good of the Year 1999 Silver Prize.
In France, the DC05 is chosen as one of the Etoiles de l‘Observeur du Design -
one of the stars of the prestigious Paris design show.
Dyson gives the RSA Lord Reilly Commemorative Lecture.
He is patron of the National Association of Inspectors and Advisers in Design
and Technology.
DC04 wins the Mingay 2000 award in Australia, awarded by Australia‘s
electrical retailers, for best floorcare product. .
18
The Daily Telegraph publishes Dyson‘s History of Great Inventions a six

part series in the Weekend Telegraph.
Dyson receives the Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Prize and gives a lecture at the
Royal Society.
The DC06 receives the l‘Etoile de l‘Observeur du Design 2001in the Mobilite
category.
Dyson‘s Contrarotator wins the Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Bedrooms Review
award for Appliance Innovation
2001 The Contrarotator (washing machine) wins Homes and Gardens Magazine‘s
Classic Design Reader‘s Award
2002 Contrarotator received Best Appliance Innovation from UK: Your Home
magazine.
2003 Dyson receives the Queen‘s Award for Innovation
2004 Received the Germany: PLUS X Award, ‗Innovation, design and ease of use‘
category.
2005 Dyson gets the Entrepreneurs‘ Entrepreneur of the Year at the Growing
Business Awards 2005
2006 He receives Knighthood in the honors list
2008 Dyson Airblade received the DesignEX award for excellence in design
* James Dyson also received honorary doctorates from University of Middlesex , University of Brunel,
Bath Spa University, Royal College of Art, and the University of Bath.
** The list is not exhaustive.
Compiled from various sources.
Exhibit III
Details of DAL Shifting to Malaysia
In 2002, DAL was in a difficult situation. The costs of manufacturing were increasing. DAL‘s
competitors were expanding their businesses with the opening up of the US market. Since the
UK government rejected its plans for expansion, Dyson started considering other alternatives
like off-shoring. During the same time, DAL‘s suppliers were also moving to the Far East,
posing a logistical ordeal91, while its competitors were manufacturing in China. Martin McCourt
(McCourt), CEO, DAL, said, ―The economics were working badly for us and it was too
compelling an argument to resist.‖92 As a result, DAL shifted its production base to Malaysia.
According to Sean Robinson, DAL‘s Design and Development Center and Operations Director,
Malaysia was chosen due to its ―global standing as a nation of manufacturing excellence.‖93
According to Dyson, this was a tough decision to take as it would mean that he had to make
around 800 staff redundant. And this was at a time when the press in the UK was already
criticizing manufacturing firms for laying off workers. Dyson said, ―I was presented with a stark
choice cling to a dream and go out of business frighteningly soon, or eat humble pie and
survive, hopefully to prosper and create more jobs in Wiltshire.‖94
91
―The Richard Dimbleby Lecture – Engineering the Difference by James Dyson,‖ www.bbc.co.uk,
December 9, 2004.
92
―Dyson: Martin McCourt,‖ www.growingbusiness.co.uk, July 2006.
93
―Dyson,‖ www.mida.gov.my, February 15, 2006.
94
―Survival, Dyson Style,‖ www.thisismoney.co.uk, March 21, 2004.
19
Shifting production base to Malaysia helped DAL to cut down production costs and expand
production. Analysts felt that Dyson‘s decision to move production to Malaysia was a very well
thought out one. Dyson knew it was essential to be familiar with the territory before he made a
move to Malaysia. So he and his engineers made themselves thoroughly acquainted with the
Malaysian government and its work life well in advance.95 They found that red tape and level of
bureaucracy were relatively light in that country. Dyson also observed that communication
would be easy as English had established a reliable base in the country. Initially, DAL set up
two factories in Johor Bahru.
Once that was done, DAL was faced with another Herculean task that of shipping the large
number of tools and equipments to the new location of manufacturing. It had to find people who
understood the significance of quality in manufacturing to ensure the smooth transit of the
material. In Malaysia, DAL‘s major suppliers were within 10 miles of its factory. 96 DAL
developed the rest of its suppliers in close proximity of its units.
Dyson apprehended the rising threat from China, which had mastered the art of low cost
production. Chinese manufacturers, who lacked the technological know-how, bought the
Western know-how and also started emulating the Western style. Gradually, they started taking
on the Western companies by making imitations of Western brands. Dyson realized that China
was breathing down DAL‘s neck and to sustain it against the Chinese products he would have to
come up with continuous innovations in the way of new design and technology. He also felt the
need for patenting his products to gain a technological advantage and decided to base his R&D
team in UK. Dyson said, ―Relocating has allowed us to stay competitive while doing what we
do best — designing and engineering new technology. If Malaysia is the manufacturing brawn,
Malmesbury is the brain.‖97 By 2006, the number of DAL factories in Malaysia had increased to
five and the two teams in the UK and Malaysia continued to work in close co-ordination with
each other.
Experts felt that shifting the production base to Malaysia had worked very well for DAL. In
addition to increasing sales and expanding into new markets, the move also catapulted DAL to
the position of global market leader within a span of two years. ―Everything has doubled since
that time – volumes (3m units), revenue, profits (more than doubled). So all the key factors in
the business have responded brilliantly. Before the move, less than a third of our business came
from overseas; now it‘s two-thirds. We‘re also holding the one or two slots in the majority of
markets we‘re in, including America. It was obviously regrettable we had to take that decision,
but it has propelled us onto the world stage,‖98 said McCourt. As of 2007, the company had
expanded its operations to 45 countries from Canada to New Zealand. Dyson also pointed out
that the increase in profit had allowed DAL to employ a hundred more people at its UK office
who were involved in developing new products.99
The decision to shift production base to Malaysia, however, attracted a lot of criticism for
Dyson. Union leaders alleged that this move had affected around 800 workers in the already
waning manufacturing industry in the UK. In 2003, Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia
Hewitt, named Dyson as an ‗innovation tsar‘ for his excellent products that were a result of his
95
―Sweeping the Nation, the Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network,‖ February 2005.
96
―The Richard Dimbleby Lecture – Engineering the Difference by James Dyson,‖ www.bbc.co.uk,
December 9, 2004.
97
James Dyson, ―A Move in the Right Direction,‖ www.latest-science-news.com, April 11, 2007.
98
―How Dyson Went Global,‖ www.growingbusiness.co.uk.
99
Neill Collins, ―Dyson is Making Pots of Money for Britain by Going to Malaysia,‖
www.telegraph.co.uk, February 28, 2005.
20
innovation. However, this decision met with criticism from the employee unions. Again in
end2006, when Dyson was knighted, he faced similar criticism as his detractors felt that he
should not be feted for exporting jobs out of UK.
Defending his decision, Dyson had said then that the company needed to do that to survive in a
very competitive market place. Dyson added, ―The gibe about moving offshore is always in
there whenever people write about us. But really you have to look at the context. We decided to
move our manufacture because local opposition prevented us from expanding our factory in
Malmesbury. Having invested £40 million in a factory in the UK, I was not about to pull out
lightly. But we were already buying all our components in the Far East and shipping them back
to Wiltshire, which was nonsense in terms of logistics. A cheaper production base in Malaysia
enabled us to expand globally. As a result, the tax yield from Dyson in the UK is now higher
than it was when we were manufacturing in Britain.‖100
DAL also maintained that off shoring benefited the British economy. By 2006, DAL employed
more high-value engineers and head office staff in the UK, whereas before it mainly had
assembly workers. He added, ―Our head count is also on the rise again, up to 14,000 in the UK
compared with 16,000 when we manufactured at home. Unemployment is not a problem locally.
We always struggled to recruit staff. The Honda plant at Swindon has to bus people in from
South Wales. Some of the arguments used against us are plain silly.‖101
Compiled from various sources.
Exhibit IV
DAL‟s Design Process for Vacuum Cleaners
Technology Mechanism Function
Initial Prototype
Initial Modeling is done The engineers and The engineers and
prototype using cardboard scientists form basic scientists at DAL find a
modeling and closed-cell prototypes in order to quick way to find the best
polystyrene foam investigate new concepts idea from a pool of good
effectively. ideas.
3D CAD 3D Computer The engineers create a The CAD models allow
modeling Aided Design computer model of every changes in design quickly
individual component with and accurately. They also
focus on the minutest form a blueprint for the
detail. tools the engineers would
use to make the product
and also of the finished
product.
Rapid Fusion Deposition The CAD model is sliced Engineers create working
prototyping Modeling (FDM) into horizontal layers in prototypes from 3D CAD
machine the computer. The FDM models.
machine then builds these
layers in ABS
thermoplastic resulting in
the creation of a prototype
100
101
21
of the final product.

Selective laser Selective Laser Thermoplastic powder SLS is used to build high
sintering Sintering (SLS) (nylon) is spread in layers strength and high
on to a build platform. A accuracy parts directly
laser traces the shape of from the CAD models.
the components and melts
the plastic to form high
strength prototypes of
functional components.
Model making High skilled After the creation of parts The specialists build
engineers using SLS or FDM, machines that are ready
DAL‘s specialists create for testing in their labs
completely working and in people‘s homes.
prototype machines.
Reliability Testing
Bin Emptying Dyson-designed Using an air-powered The individual
Mechanism pneumatic test rig ‗finger‘ the bin opens and components are
shuts 30 times per minute. continuously tested to
ensure that the vacuum
cleaners function well in
the face of rigorous usage
at homes.
User reliability Rapid life testing: Dyson had built a full size The engineers test the
testing Vacuum cleaners house and ‗user course‘ at product beyond the limits
that could be used DAL‘s test facility. The of standardized reliability
for a period of two users put the vacuum protocols to ensure that
years are tested in 2 cleaners through a series the cleaners would
weeks of tests usually perform efficiently in
experienced while people‘s homes.
cleaning normal
households.
Motor life cycle Dyson-designed Around 108 motors are The test rig is designed to
test test rig tested concurrently. The check the strains and
machine varies the stresses a vacuum cleaner
demand on the motor would be exposed to in
airflow to impersonate real domestic usage. This
usage conditions. enables the engineers to
test the motors accurately
for lifetime usage.
Upright lock Dyson-designed A mechanism is used that Tests the head of the
test test rig leans the vacuum cleaner cleaner for wear under
backwards and uses a constant usage of the
‗foot‘ to the push the head machine.
of the cleaner down again.
Drop test Gravity The cleaner is constantly Tests the reliability of the
dropped on a hard surface. cleaner.
Cord oscillating Dyson-designed Weight swings at 180 The cord is stressed
rig test rig degrees puling and where it enters the
twisting the cord. cleaner - tests the cord,
cord protector, and the
22
connection to the cleaner.

Hose test Dyson-designed The hose is stretched and The hose is tested by
test rig released 5,000 times. constant pulling or by
rubbing it over the leg of
a table.
Development Testing
Cleaner head Dyson-designed Measures the amount of The engineers change
development mechanical test dust exactly picked by the one element of the design
method vacuum cleaner. at a time and measure the
difference in the
functioning of the
cleaner.
High speed Digital camera that A slow motion film of This enables the
visualization has the capability of dust particles and engineers to develop
filming 40,000 independent carpet fibers cleaners that pick dust in
frames per second. is taken. large amounts without
wearing the carpet.
Laser Laser flow A flat sheet laser lights up This enables the
Visualizations visualization dust particles at a speed of engineers to track the
150 minutes per hour as path of individual
they rotate round the particles through the
Dyson Cyclone vacuum Dyson Cyclone vacuum
cleaners. cleaners, in order to make
its technology as efficient
and powerful as possible.
Dyson cyclone Scanning mobility The dust particles are Measures the number of
efficiency particle sizer measured from 0.02 particles including house
microns to 0.06 microns. dust and allergens that
The scientists use the the Dyson Cyclone
technology used in removes from the air in
pharmaceutical ‗clean order to improve the
rooms‘ to gain accuracy efficiency of the vacuum
over the standard tests. cleaner.
Microbiological Fully equipped Advanced microbiology Improves the health
test microbiology lab is used to grow and benefits of DAL‘s
laboratory then test dust mites, products, by analyzing
allergens, and bacteria. house dust, and finding
improved ways for
killing micro-organisms,
mites, and allergens.
Adapted from www.plm.automation.siemens.com.
23
Exhibit V
The Dyson School of Design Innovation
Dyson had for long lamented the fact that engineers did not get the respect due to them in the
UK. He felt that people viewed engineers as people who merely repaired machines and not as
people who innovated and designed products such as airplanes. Moreover, he felt that the
British government was not doing enough to mentor and generate interest in the youth to study
engineering and design. ―There aren‘t design schools for 14- to 18-year-olds. They don‘t exist.
We did a poll of 15,000 14- and 15-year-olds, and two-thirds of them said they wanted to study
engineering in high school, yet none of them could. The system doesn‘t allow it,‖102 Dyson said.
As he was very passionate about engineering and design, and took pride in being an engineer,
this pained him a lot. In 2004, Dyson resigned as Chairman of the Design Museum in London
since he felt that their focus had shifted from designing to shallow styling. Dyson said that the
museum was ―ruining its reputation‖ and ―betraying its purpose.‖103
In 2006, Dyson actively advocated the need for the country to take steps to develop engineers.
He argued that the UK manufacturing industry should not lose hope in the wake of cheap labor
coming in from India and China. Dyson said, ―In order to compete we need to come up with the
ideas. We need more creative products, otherwise our trade deficit will get worse and
engineering will disappear altogether. We have 24,000 engineers in the UK. China produces
350,000 and India produces 450,000. Soon things will be invented and made in China and
India.‖104 He added, ―Our choice now is either to see Britain‘s jobs of tomorrow vanish to
Mumbai or Shanghai or to educate the next generation in the skills of invention and business-
building.‖105
Dyson did not have a high opinion of the engineering institutions in the UK and felt that there
was a need to ‗revolutionize how these subjects are taught‘ and to nurture future engineers. He
felt that from a very early age, children had to be exposed to design and engineering classes that
focused on experimentation and creativity rather than on theory papers.
Dyson believed that the next generation of engineers and designers should be build in order to
secure a prosperous future for the UK. He said, ―Creativity has an enormous part to play in
design and engineering to address the big and exciting challenges ahead – environmental,
demographic and ethical. But when we look at the numbers of young people actually studying
design, technology and engineering, the situation is very worrying. We need to form the next
generation of designers and engineers.‖106
Taking his innovation agenda forward and inspired by the Japanese government‘s focus on
mentoring engineers, Dyson announced plans to open a design school called The Dyson School
of Design Innovation, the center for excellence in designing and engineering for budding
engineers in 2007. The design school to be set up at Bath, Somerset, was expected to open in
September 2009. Dyson said, ―The idea is to give children an introduction to engineering and to
excite them as to what engineering can do… It‘s not just about repairing things, it‘s about
creating interesting things that can go on to establish big businesses and profit-earning things
for this country.‖107
102
Chuck Salter, ―Failure Doesn‘t Suck,‖ www.fastcompany.com, May 2007.
103
Jonathan Glancey, ―Dyson Resigns Seat at Design Museum,‖ www.guardian.co.uk, September 28,
2004.
104
―Two Heads, One Mind,‖ www.director-magazine.co.uk, November 2006.
105
―Dyson School ‗To Boost Engineers‘,‖ www.news.bbc.co.uk, July 10, 2006.
106
―Department for Innovation,‖ Innovation Nation, 2008.
107
―Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Inventor James Dyson Plans to Start a School Aimed at Creating More UK
Engineers,‖ www.britishdesign.co.uk, July 12, 2006.
24
The school was expected to provide students with hands-on experience in current trends and
developments in engineering design and technology. The school aimed to enroll around 2,500
students aged between 14 and 18 years. Students aged between 16 and 18 years would enroll for
a full-time program and those aged between 14 and 16 years would attend the school one day a
week. Dyson‘s £ 25 million design school was to receive funding in the range of £ 12.5 million
from the James Dyson Foundation while the remaining £ 12.5 million would be funded by the
government.
In the design school, practicals were to be blended with theory to make learning an interesting
experience for students. Dyson said, ―There‘s nothing new about this — it‘s exactly what
(Thomas) Edison did… Part of the problem with the current schools is they teach the theory
first, and you‘re only allowed to do the practical bit afterward. I want to do the practical first,
and let students make prototypes and test ideas. When it works, they‘ll want to learn the theory
behind it. I think you‘re more inspired to study the theory, which can be dull and academic, if
you‘ve seen it in practice.‖108
The design school also inspired companies like Airbus Industrie109 (Airbus), Rolls Royce110, and
Williams F1111 (Williams) to get involved. These companies agreed to donate prototypes to the
design school. Commenting on Dyson‘s design school, Patrick Head, Director of engineering,
Williams, said, ―I think a school focusing on design innovation will be very beneficial… It is in
this area that we must develop our strength and talents for the future, particularly in the face of
the developing Asian manufacturing economies.‖112
Dyson, who also advised the UK government on innovations in a bid to face competition from
international manufacturing companies, had high hopes of his design school and felt that the
school would churn out a number of engineers and entrepreneurs in the future. However, he felt
that a lot needed to be done, particularly by the government, in this regard. ―I have spent 35
years making things in a country that often has little regard for its manufacturers. It has left me
more convinced than ever that engineering is this country‘s future,‖113 he said.
After having spent nearly four years in setting up the Design school, in October 2008, Dyson
decided to scrap his plans to set up the design school due to the bureaucratic hurdles. The plan
was scrapped after the Environmental Agency objected to setting up the school in a high flood
risk area. Dyson‘s project suffered a further blow after the government turned down its offer of
funding the project. According to Dyson, ―Faced with a planning inquiry and this government‘s
recent rejection of our funding proposal, we have no choice but to abandon the plans for the
school. We deeply regret having to give up on the opportunity to provide an exciting education
for our young people. We now intend to find another way to nurture young engineers - this time
on our own terms.‖114
Compiled form various sources.
108
Chuck Salter, ―Failure Doesn‘t Suck,‖ www.fastcompany.com, May 2007.
109
Airbus is the world‘s largest manufacturer of commercial passenger aircraft, formed by a consortium of
British, German, and French airplane companies backed by their respective governments. The company
was launched to challenge Boeing‘s monopoly in the aviation industry.
110
Rolls-Royce is a UK-based company having a presence in around 50 countries across the world. It
provides services related to civil aerospace, marine aerospace, marine, and oil and gas administration.
111
Founded in 1977 by Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head, Williams F1 is a UK-based Formula One
racing company.
112
―Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Inventor James Dyson Plans to Start a School Aimed at Creating More UK
Engineers,‖ www.britishdesign.co.uk, July 12, 2006.
113
―Knighthood for Dyson Entrepreneur,‖ www.news.bbc.co.uk, December 30, 2006.
114
Marguerite Lazell, ―Dyson Ditches Wilkinson Eyre Design School, Blaming Lack of Support,‖
www.bdonline.co.uk, October 9, 2008.
25
References and Suggested Readings:

1. “Dyson Appliances,” www.faqs.org, 2000.
2. “Innovation,” www.designmuseum.org, 2001.
3. “Where Have All our Inventors Gone?” www.creativeideas.org.uk, 2001.
4. “Nature Loves this Vacuum,” www.forbes.com, October 14, 2002.
5. Chris Jones, “James Dyson: Patently Passionate,” http://news.bbc.co.uk, May 23, 2003.
6. “Dyson‟s Heroic Struggle: How a Vacuum Cleaner‟s Success Reveals Brands Need
Personal Associations,” www.emeraldinsight.com, 2003.
7. Adam Jolly, Innovation: Harnessing Creativity for Business Growth, (Kogan Page
Publishers, 2003).
8. “Survival, Dyson Style,” www.thisismoney.co.uk, March 21, 2004.
9. Ian Wallis, “James Dyson,” GB Magazine, April 2004.
10. “James Dyson on Innovation,” www.ingenia.org.uk, September 25, 2004.
11. Jonathan Glancey, “Dyson Resigns Seat at Design Museum,” www.guardian.co.uk,
September 28, 2004.
12. James Dyson, “Engineering the Difference,” December 8, 2004.
13. “The Richard Dimbleby Lecture – Engineering the Difference by James Dyson,”
www.bbc.co.uk, December 9, 2004.
14. Stece Hawkes, “Dyson Cleans up with American Sale,” www.thisismoney.co.uk, February
22, 2005.
15. Neill Collins, “Dyson is Making Pots of Money for Britain by Going to Malaysia,”
www.telegraph.co.uk, February 28, 2005.
16. “Sweeping the Nation, the Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network,”
February 2005.
17. Gary Younge, “Aiming to Become a Household Verb,” www.salon.com, March 4, 2005.
18. Thomas K. Grose, “The Vacuum‟s Design Moment,” www.usnews.com, May 15, 2005.
19. “Dyson Reinvents the Wheel,” www.dexigner.com, May 15, 2005.
20. “James Dyson on Innovation,” www.raeng.org.uk, September 2005.
21. “Ask the Expert: Dyson,” www.ft.com, November 17, 2005.
22. Erik Vlietinck, “The Creative Process at Dyson,” www.it-enquirer.com, December 14, 2005.
23. James Doran, “Hoover is Heading for Sell-off as Dyson Cleans up in America,”
http://business.timesonline.co.uk, February 4, 2006.
24. “Dyson,” www.mida.gov.my, February 15, 2006.
25. “Dyson School „To Boost Engineers‟,” www.news.bbc.co.uk, July 10, 2006.
26. “Bagless Vacuum Cleaner Inventor James Dyson Plans to Start a School Aimed at
Creating More UK Engineers,” www.britishdesign.co.uk, July 12, 2006.
27. “Dyson: Martin McCourt,” www.growingbusiness.co.uk, July 2006.
28. Alliston Ackerman, “Driven to Innovate,” www.consumergoods.com, October 1, 2006.
29. “Dyson Sucks! (The Best Vacuum Cleaner by Genius Inventor James Dyson),”
www.kempton.wordpress.com, October 8, 2006.
30. “Cover Story; Made (it) in USA,” www.realbusiness.co.uk, October 25, 2006.
31. “Two Heads, One Mind,” www.director-magazine.co.uk, November 2006.
32. “Knighthood for Dyson Entrepreneur,” www.news.bbc.co.uk, December 30, 2006.
33. David Stokes and Nicholas Wilson, Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship,
(Cengage Learning EMEA, Fifth Edition, 2006).
34. “Plastics on the Move Dyson on Innovation Exploring the Future Face Building the B&Q
Brand,” www.innovation.rca.ac.uk, 2006.
35. Jane Henry and David Mayle, Managing Innovation and Change, (Sage Publications,
Second Edition, 2006).
36. Julie Schlosser, “Dyson is Cleaning up in this Industry,” Fortune, www.money.cnn.com,
January 16, 2007.
37. Robert Collison, “The Billion-Dollar Vacuum Salesman,” www.nationalpost.com, February
28, 2007.
26
38. James Dyson, “A Move in the Right Direction,” www.latest-science-news.com, April 11,
2007.
39. Chuck Salter, “Failure Doesn‟t Suck,” www.fastcompany.com, May 2007.
40. “Dust Settles on Dyson‟s Long Battle,” www.news.bbc.co.uk, October 3, 2007.
41. Keith Lincoln and Lars Thomassen, How to Succeed at Retail, (Kogan Page Publishers, 2007).
42. “Sir James Dyson and Family,” http://business.timesonline.co.uk, April 27, 2008.
43. “Innovation: Dyson Brings Us Eco-Friendly Hand Dryer,” www.foxbusiness.com, May 9,
2008.
44. “Dyson Innovation Network Designs Top Selling Vacuum Cleaners,” www.deskeng.com,
June 12, 2008.
45. “Dyson Working on New Generation of Fast, Green Cars,” www.independent.co.uk, June
22, 2008.
46. Patrick Mahoney, “Industrial Design: Design the Dyson Way,” http://machinedesign.com,
August 7, 2008.
47. Andrew Cave, “Sir James Dyson the Inventor Keeps on Motoring,” www.telegraph.co.uk,
October 4, 2008.
48. Marguerite Lazell, “Dyson Ditches Wilkinson Eyre Design School, Blaming Lack of
Support,” www.bdonline.co.uk, October 9, 2008.
49. “Dyson Sets up Innovation Fellowship,” www.innovation.rca.ac.uk, October 29, 2008.
50. “Department for Innovation,” Innovation Nation, 2008.
51. Jack Lail, “Election Coverage Becomes a Time for „Instant Innovation‟,”
www.nieman.harvard.edu, 2008.
52. Cliff Kuang, “James Dyson Patents All-in-One Kitchen Appliance Kit,”
www.fastcompany.com, May 4, 2009.
53. “Dyson Unveils „World‟s Fastest Motor‟ in New Vacuum,” www.telegraph.co.uk, June 25,
2009.
54. Harry Wallop, “Dyson Unveils „World‟s Fastest Motor‟ in New Vacuum,”
www.telegraph.co.uk, June 25, 2009.
55. Alok Jha, “James Dyson Calls on UK Government to Back Environmental Engineering
Projects,” www.guardian.co.uk, June 25, 2009.
56. “Dyson Launches DC31 and the DC31 Animal Vacuums,” www.pocket-lint.com, June 26,
2009.
57. “James Dyson: Inventing the Wright Way,” www.newscientist.com, July 15, 2009.
58. Paul Marks, “James Dyson: Inventing the Wright Way,” www.newscientist.com, July 15
2009.
59. “Dyson Innovation Network Yields Revolutionary Products,”
www.plm.automation.siemens.com, 2009.
60. “James Dyson Award Highlights the Best in International Student Design,”
www.britishcouncil.org, 2009.
61. Julia Cupman, “Identifying the Driving Forces of Your Business,”
www.b2binternational.com/library/whitepapers/whitepapers24.php.
62. James Dyson, “Better by Design,” agenda, Issue 3.
63. “Designing Success from Failure,” www.innovationmagazine.com.
64. “Early Products by James Dyson, Speaks about the Early Years of Dyson. Dyson Story,”
www.dyson.co.uk.
65. “How Dyson Went Global,” www.growingbusiness.co.uk.
66. “International 700 Survey,” www.innovation.gov.uk.
67. “Suck it and See,” www.london-innovation.org.
68. “The 2000 Dollar Vacuum Cleaner, James Dyson Profile,” www.dyson.co.uk.
69. www.dyson.com/about/technology/testingdev.asp
70. www.irobot.com
71. www.jamesdysonfoundation.com
72. www.news.bbc.co.uk
27

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Learning Case Study No.

YET ANOTHER INNOVATION AT DYSON…

DAL – THE INNOVATION JOURNEY

NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND DAL‟S INTEGRATED APPROACH TO

CULTIVATING THE ECOSYSTEM

LEADING THROUGH INNOVATION?

* The list is not exhaustive.

The Daily Telegraph publishes Dyson‘s History of Great Inventions a six

of the final product.

connection to the cleaner.

References and Suggested Readings:

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