Mentis XL - Child Development Programme
Company Description
Producer of educational toys for children.
The Problem
Dr Madeleine Portwood is a leading Educational Child Psychologist. It came to her attention that with children spending only 13% of their time in schools that parents needed to take more responsibility for their child's education at home. This is so as to address the increase of hyperactivity and a lack of concentration in children, as well as their failure to meet educational targets.
Dr Portwood found that there was nothing available on the market that she believed adequately helped parents to make a real difference with their children and so the idea for a Child Development Programme was born and Dr Portwood began working with MotionTouch in March 2006.
The Challenge
HThe product had to be developed from scratch in a very short time frame of only four months. It also had to meet the standards set by the EU for children’s products and the higher Boots standard, as they were to be the main distributor of the product.
The Process
All of the materials had to comply with the Boots standards on Phthalates. These are organic chemicals produced from oil and are the most commonly used plasticisers in the world, and are used to make plastic products flexible. Because phthalates are so widely used, they have undergone extensive testing for possible health and environmental effects and are among the most widely researched of all chemical substances. Research findings and current assessments of the health and environmental effects of phthalates clearly show that they do not pose a risk to human health or the environment, yet to meet Boots rigorous standards MotionTouch were still required to carry out material research and testing.
The Solution
Samples had to be produced and tested very quickly. Then MotionTouch rapidly moved the project on through tooling, final testing and certification and then to full production. It meant that the company had to ensure that all of its departments were in constant communication and that any of the normal issues which you come across on such a project, were identified and dealt with expediently.
The Product
The Child Development Programme is aimed at children between the ages of three and five. Instead of targeting a single aspect of development (reading, writing etc), the whole spectrum of skills are targeted - physical development, communication, social and perceptual, with the emphasis on providing the child with the tools to further their development.
The pack contains:
- An in-depth manual providing information on brain development and the acquiring skills
- A Wrist Strap
- 108 Coloured Shapes
- A Ladder
- A Soft Ball
- Four Feet templates
- Two coloured discs
- A turtle beanie
- A DVD illustrating the use of the above
The vital part of the programme are the instructions on how to use the apparatus to develop a child. In the appendices there are templates to record the child's development and produce targeted programmes of development. Copies of the templates are available from the Mentis XL website and are free to parents who have bought the pack.
The Outcome
MotionTouch successfully met the four month deadline as instructed and delivered an initial batch of 10,000 units in a very quick timescale, shortly followed by a further 10,000 units soon afterwards. By September 2006 the product was stocked on the shelves of Boots stores and parents all over the country were able to purchase this ground-breaking product.
Henry Powell, Managing Director of MotionTouch says "We enjoy a challenge and we certainly don't like to disappoint our customers, their needs are our needs and if there is a short deadline we will do everything in our power to ensure we meet it. This project was great to work on, not only because the product is going to help children all over the country, but because it was a fantastic example of team work and dedication for our company. I am extremely proud of my team and look forward to working with Mentis XL on their future products.".
