During the infancy of the company's existence, it was determined that a niche product line should be focused upon in order for the company to flourish. In analyzing the company's early sales history, a trend indicating successful sales in surgical supplies became evident. To further specialize the product lines, a major emphasis was placed upon the marketing of suture products. However, selecting appropriate products to be stocked in inventory was not an easy task. Catalogs offered by the major U.S. manufacturers are unbelievably cumbersome and confusing.
Countless variations appear for every basic suture configuration.
It became evident that a great deal of research, including numerous interviews with surgeons, would be necessary in order to present a more rational product catalog. The catalog needed to be simplified but needed to include product configurations covering the greatest number of surgical procedures. The research did indeed produce a simplified catalog, but simplicity was not the final answer. In order for the customer to assess alternative product options, he needed to have more information, and he needed details presented in a concise and convenient manner. More detailed information, with an educational emphasis, on a lesser number of products appeared to be the format for an ideal catalog.