News: 1 March 07
Design technology makes better beds

Increasing obesity, stricter safety codes for caregivers and a drive to innovate are behind moves by a Taranaki business to establish a design hothouse to develop first–to–the–world products.

The new direction for Howard Wright Ltd, specialist manufacturers of hospital beds and healthcare products, comes more than 50 years after New Plymouth motor mechanic, Howard Wright, began making items, mainly from wrought iron, in a workshop under his house. When a nurse asked him to make a modern hospital bed similar to those she had seen overseas, he did so but also added the latest hydraulics for easier manoeuvrability. This became the start of a new business. A hospital bed designed by specialist manufacturer Howard Wright.

Majority shareholder and CEO is Bruce Moller, who says the business is transforming into a hothouse of design so it can cut a path to new export markets with its high tech hospital beds, specialist stretchers, shower–bathing trolleys and other equipment which makes life easier for caregivers and their patients.

With assistance of $100,000 from the Foundation? for Research, Science and Technology, Howard Wright has recruited an industrial design expert from Germany for 12 months to help the company convert to a design-led approach.

"We aim to produce distinctive products by combining better design with our engineering expertise and by understanding the issues involved in patient care so we can take more account of the human factors," says Mr Moller.

The company’s need for a new approach was identified in a Better by Design audit, which is a New Zealand Trade and Enterprise initiative. Venture Taranaki was also instrumental in profiling Howard Wright’s potential to the Foundation.

Foundation Senior Business Manager Lins Kerr says the company’s new design-led approach will lead to many new product opportunities.

"This fresh approach has the potential to transform Howard Wright into a leading developer of innovative, new-to-the-world products for the healthcare sector, and the company will grow as a result," says Mr Kerr.

Ministry of Health reports show half New Zealand adults are considered either overweight or obese, and Mr Moller says hospital beds need to cater for heavier patients. Howard Wright beds now have a weight rating of 300 kilograms, up from 200 kilograms. Back injuries to caregivers are a major problem and Mr Moller says improved design minimises the incidence of caregivers workplace injury.

Howard Wright is now designing a new generation of fully electric hospital beds and stretchers, making greater advances in user centred design. The new range is simpler and more intuitive to use and easy to service. It minimises caregiver manual handling while addressing future patient care requirements.

A new electric shower-bathing trolley was launched this year which allows immersion bathing and showering n a height adjustable bath, with bath sides that can be lowered to allow patients to be moved easily from bed to bath.

As part of its tighter design focus, Howard Wright is building a design hothouse, distinct from other areas of the business, where new ideas can be modeled and tested, fast-tracking concept and design stages of the process. "We are more user focused and working closing with the Taranaki District Health Board Clinical Skills and Research Centre. By observing and watching users we gain new insights and we can make better equipment that is unique and commands a higher export value.

"Previously we would have built equipment to meet demand without thoroughly understanding how the product was being used. We are becoming more knowledgeable and, with a better design process, will make life easier for caregivers and their patients."

Howard Wright is one of the only privately owned companies working in this sector in Australasia, with competitors being large corporates.

"This is an advantage because we can take a longer term view and can respond more quickly. We can get heads together in five minutes and make decisions. "It is very competitive. The big guys have got deep pockets but we are having fun, learning a great deal and we are innovative. I’m confident we can deliver exciting world class products which are valued and preferred by caregivers."

For more information contact:

Lins Kerr, Senior Business Manager
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology
Tel: 04 917 7804
Email: lins.kerr@frst.govt.nz

Bruce Moller, CEO
Howard Wright Ltd
Tel: 06 755 0976
Email: bmoller@howardwright.co.nz
www.howardwright.co.nz