How We Work

• Filtrona Porous Technologies is a developer, manufacturer, and--significantly with respect to delivering custom component solutions--a partner service organization.
• How we work, our method for customers and approach to projects, is a major part of the value-delivered results Filtrona Porous Technologies provides to clients' fluid-handling needs.
• Our method emphasizes flexibility, reflects the custom nature of our business, and is critical to understanding Filtrona Porous Technologies' collaborative development philosophy.
• The method is core to the Filtrona Porous Technologies value proposition--the custom value delivered to customers.

All of what we do is directly linked to our customers' unique needs.

Filtrona Porous Technologies' 6-Step Commercial Development Process *

1. Listen

The process begins with attentive listening to customers' needs for product improvement and innovation.

• Determine what is required to break through into a new process, technology or innovation.
• Understand what the customer needs or wants.
• Understand success criteria (including cost, volume, and overall project scope).
• Collaborate and affirm a confidentiality agreement for detailed discussions, providing mutual intellectual property protection.

2. Customer Development Agreement

The process may require a focused upfront investment in technical staff that will work with customers and then undertake the development of a solution via prototyping, sampling, and other technical exchanges.

• Affirm, when applicable, a more extensive development contract.
• Depending on project size & scope determined after steps #3 and #4, this development effort may be undertaken on the basis of an assurance that, when successful, Filtrona Porous Technologies will be the preferred manufacturer of the component product for an agreed upon period of time.

3. Needs Analysis

The process proceeds with the evaluation of performance parameters and production feasibility.

• Use knowledge of capillary science and experiences to develop alternative and innovative technology to quickly assess whether or not parameters can be met to develop what is needed for a next-generation product or new contribution.
• Commercial needs and goals understood.

4. Feasibility

The process continues with the testing and development of a prototype.

• Conduct a collaborative evaluation with the customer. Once there is agreement that the prototype works, it meets the customer's needs, and that it can be manufactured, move to the next step.
• Set and confirm success parameters.
• Set the product specifications.

5. Manufacture

Filtrona Porous Technologies standardizes and agrees to manufacturing specifications, understanding capabilities, efficiencies, and quality.

• Manufacture to meet these high standards.
• Document requirements.
• High metrics of quality are used, rapid response service and traceability techniques are employed.

6. Commercial Success

The process concludes with the customer and Filtrona Porous Technologies achieving commercial success.

• Assemble custom components in final products.
• Successful fluid- or vapor-handling system enables end product's superior performance.
  
  
  * This process reflects the company's general approach, is not binding per se, and is flexible to the development needs of current and potential customers.