The ‘wow’ factor in daily life
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT IS NOT only about developing new tools, it is also about creating a better package for the customer. Since employees at Alligo have a big interest in tools and like to do handywork themselves, they can find smart solutions that no one else has thought of.
“Last autumn we produced a new tool trolley. Then I scanned the previous version and thought through what you use it for on a daily basis and what you really need to avoid running back and forth looking in different boxes,” says Alexander Sanneryd.
“What I found was that you always have to run and get different Allen keys from elsewhere, which takes a lot of time. So, in this cart we have included double Allen keys for the most common sizes. Quite a simple thing really, but a real ‘wow’ factor in daily life.”
The big transformation is here. Our vehicles are being electrified and a century-old industry is fundamentally changing. We see battery factories in Norrland and charging stations in supermarket parking lots. The automotive industry is crying out for engineers with electrical skills. It is having a wide-ranging ripple effect – right down to the assemblers’ toolboxes.
“If you’re working with electricity, you must have insulated tools, but when I was out doing a study visit to an automotive training course last year, it struck me that their insulated tools were not optimal for electric cars,” says Alexander Sanneryd, Commercial Product Manager for Alligo brand Ampro.
ALLIGO HAS BEEN an agent for Ampro in Sweden and Norway for over 20 years, and for the last couple of years, in Finland as well. In total, Alligo has approximately 1,500 Ampro items in stock, with the majority consisting of hand tools, such as screwdrivers, wrenches and sockets.
“Then we have storage solutions, for example tool trolleys and cabinets, so that customers can get their stuff in order. In addition, around 300 of our items are spare parts for our tool trolleys and larger machines. A product from us should not be a disposable throw-away, and it should be possible to repair and maintain them.”
But Alligo does not have to limited itself to only selling what is already available at Ampro. On the contrary.
“We are the ones who make requests about what kinds of tools we want in our assortment. Then Ampro develops and produces them for us. After all, we want an assortment that suits our customers.”
A simple solution can make a big difference
TO KEEP THE range up-to-date, Alexander Sanneryd spends a large portion of his time out in the field. He goes everything from trade fairs to customer sites.
“I try to be responsive and not only listen to what the customers themselves say they need, but also go one step further and think about what could make their everyday lives easier.”
This is why in 2022 he visited that automotive training – to see how their work is affected when a greater portion of cars being produced are powered by electricity.
“What I reacted too was the fact that it looked like the manufacturer of their tools had just taken a standard socket wrench and insulated it. It’s completely correct in terms of electrical safety, but also very clumsy. So, I enquired, and they confirmed that they lack smaller tools to work with.”
Shortly afterwards, Alexander contacted a major vehicle manufacturer and asked: was it possible that their assemblers also had the same thoughts?
“It was the same thing there. So, we decided that we had to do something about it.”
About Ampro
The brand was founded in 1989, originally named Professional Tools, who manufacturer hand tools, compressed air machines and storage solutions. Alligo is the official agent for selling the brand’s products in the Nordics.
THE PROCESS FOR developing new tools for Ampro usually follows the same steps. First, the idea is conceived, as with the isolated small tools. The next step is to decide exactly what tool to produce. How can it be designed to suit many customers’ different needs while at the same time be easy to manufacture?
“Then we put together a blueprint for the supplier. They manufacture a prototype so that we can test it and ensure that it is in line with our ambitions.”
Some tests Alexander Sanneryd and his colleagues do themselves, other tests they ask the customers to be involved in. When the tests are finished, an order is placed, and about six months later the new tools are out in the stores.
“I think it’s really cool that we can develop our own products and don’t just sell a standard range. Then we can be first on the market with good solutions for our customers. In turn, they get the tools they really need, which improves their work environment and saves them time and money.”
I think it’s really cool that we can develop our own products and don’t just sell a standard range. Then we can be first on the market with good solutions for our customers.
