Case Study: Industrial Thermostat
How to Unlock Value in Vague Demand? The Precision Matching Case of Industrial Thermostats
The Challenge:
No Clear Requirements?
The client’s brief was vague:
"Need thermostats for ovens, vents, and industrial heating fans."
❌ No drawings ❌ No specs ❌ No standards provided.
Our Solutions:
1. Reconstructing Demand Profiles
Researched EU/US equivalents to define core specs:
→ Temperature range: -40°C to 250°C
→ Contact lifespan: >100,000 cycles
Compiled an Industrial Thermostat Selection Guide with 200+ product photos
2. Reverse Factory Screening
Audited 10+ factories, discovering:
→ Most Chinese manufacturers had discontinued this legacy product (deemed obsolete)
Leveraged industry networks to identify a Zhejiang-based specialist:
→ Long-term OEM for premium European equipment
→ 30% cost advantage (no US market presence)
→ Zero online presence (required deep supply-chain access)
The Results:
✅ Delivered a tailored solution despite ambiguous initial requirements.
✅ Uncovered an overlooked manufacturer with superior cost/performance.
✅ Provided a scalable selection framework for future orders.