Press Releases

February 23, 2010

Anatomy of the Innovation Process
This is a very brief outline of a presentation by Mike Colburn and Mary Esther Treat at the MultiUnit Foodservice Equipment Symposium hosted by FER magazine in Austin, TX February 13-15, 2010.

Ideas Well Done’s definition of Innovation:
Innovation Is Creating New Possibilities that Create Value

Step 1: Have a problem and define it carefully and in detail
Step 2: Get to know your problem; do a lot of research, become a specialist on your problem
Step 3: Organize your research, study each piece carefully, make notes and cross references
Step 4: Generate a lot of ideas – use the techniques below
Step 5: The Magic – forget about it; set the problem aside. Let it incubate. The solution comes when least expected. Write it down!
Step 6: Do something with it. Don’t stop with the first solution. Build upon it. Often more valuable ideas come several steps after the original one.

Techniques to generate lots of ideas

1. Combining: it’s the combination of ideas or things that creates something new
2. Observation & Deduction: look at everything with fresh eyes
3. Study what others have done; borrow: incorporate good ideas you learn from research, from your colleagues, from anyone
4. Think differently: force yourself to take a different perspective, don’t rely on assumptions or how things have usually been done
5. Wonder, ask expanding questions: ask yourself and others – how does this work, what if, why?
6. Make connections: story-boarding – use index cards and move them around to see if new connections pop out.
7. Rephrase your problem: change the way it’s worded, turn it inside out
8. Just change things: change assumptions, change rules (or throw them out)
9. Prototype: building a model answers some questions and creates others; experiment to find out what works and what doesn’t.
10. Create analogies, make associations: this helps find combinations and connections that may contain part of your solution
11. Use your hands - Write or Draw: the physical process spurs different thoughts
12. Talk out loud: formulating ideas verbally can clarify them
13. Be persistent: return to earlier notes and ideas – you may see them differently over time
14. Use improvisation rules: when presented with an idea, force yourself to accept it and expand upon it; say “and” instead of “but”
15. Expect the unexpected: accidents often hold solutions

July 15, 2009 - For Immediate Release

Green Sink
Winooski, VT - An environmentally friendly alternative to sink garbage grinding was developed by Ideas Well Done, LLC and a group of six senior engineering students at the University of Vermont as their senior project. At a public demonstration in May the “Green Sink” received accolades from attendees including VT Governor James Douglas, who gave the project two thumbs up.

The compact waste system fits under a sink accepts both food and paper waste. It replaces typical high speed pulverizing with flow-through grinding and sizing of waste; water is extracted in a second process and sent down the drain and the waste goes to a removable drying bin. The resulting product is suitable for soil amendment or adding to compost.

The students all received the highest grade and Ideas Well Done will continue to develop the project for eventual license to an industry manufacturer.

April 2009 - For Immediate Release

Promotion Announcement
Stephen Bogner was promoted to Executive Vice President of Ideas Well Done, LLC, foodservice product designers and developers. Mr. Bogner has been involved in foodservice industry product development activities since 1999 when he joined Colburn Treat to help develop the Stellar line of steamers now owned by Market Forge Industries. He is currently responsible for product development management. According to IWD President Mike Colburn, Bogner’s new responsibilities include business and new services development.

Ideas Well Done Contributes $9,000 to Engineering School
Ideas Well Done, LLC of Winooski, VT made a gift of $9,000 to the University of Vermont’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Science to help support the Senior Experience in Engineering Design (SEED) program. The program matches teams of seniors with business and industry to provide real world engineering experience.

Ideas Well Done LLC and University of Vermont Seniors Develop Sink Disposer Alternative
Ideas Well Done, foodservice appliance developers, sponsored a team of University of Vermont engineering students to work on a real-world foodservice problem. Five mechanical engineering students and one electrical engineering student spent the past year to designing and building an alternative to current sink disposer technology. Called Green Sink, the appliance uses new and different grinding to reduce the waste, which is then dewatered and dried in a continuous process allowing water to drain; the dried waste can be collected for use as a soil amendment. The appliance will be presented in late April 2009 for evaluation to a panel of outside judges. Plans to commercialize the product will progress towards a 2011 release date.

About Ideas Well Done, LLC
Ideas Well Done, LLC is a Winooski, VT based product development company that specializes in food and foodservice-related technologies and appliances. Founded by industry veterans, Michael Colburn and Mary Esther Treat in 1997 as ColburnTreat Innovations, the firm serves the leading brand names in foodservice and develops products for licensing.

Articles

Multiunit Foodservice Equipment Symposium, FER, May 2010
- by Brian Ward

Getting an Idea to Market, NAFEM in print, Winter 2008
- by Mike Pehanich

How to Compete in a Global Market, NAFEM in print, Winter 2008
- by Mike Pehanich

What's Hot in Europe? The Consultant, Second Quarter 2009
- by Mary Esther Treat, Ideas Well done LLC

What's New at NAFEM? The Consultant, Second Quarter 2009
- by Mary Esther Treat, Ideas Well done LLC

NRA 2008 Observations, The Consultant, Bonus Issue 2008
- by Mike Colburn, President, Ideas Well done LLC

What's New at Hoteres? The Consultant, Third Quarter 2008
- by Mary Esther Treat, Ideas Well done LLC



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