Oval Brand Fire Products®

Oval Brand Fire Products (acquired) was a manufacturer of low profile fire extinguishers, valves, and pressure vessels. The company pioneered the world's first non-round, stylish, high performance fire extinguisher for business, institutional, and home use. Technically proven and desired for use in both rugged and beautiful environments.

Oval set out to solve both a compliance issue and a recurring challenge that developers faced when building and renovating commercial buildings. Fire Extinguishers are often surface mounted high off the floor to prevent accidental injury from bumping or dislodging when passing by. This is especially true in retail stores (shopping carts), healthcare facilities (gurneys) and other high traffic areas.

Unfortunately, when an object projects off of the surface more than 4″ and is mounted above a certain height, it is often not detectable by people who are visually impaired and can lead to injuries. With Oval's patented, non-round extinguisher design, fire extinguishers could fully recess inside a standard 4" wall, improving the aesthetics and bringing it into compliance.

Technology Platform Selection and Implementation

Oval was founded by an innovative and entrepreneurial-minded engineer. Each product was designed to be simple and elegant (the Ferrari of fire extinguishers), and they needed an ERP system to match. Just like with their extinguishers, they needed a solution that was simple and easy to use, with the complexity behind the product hidden from the end user.

In addition to their internal systems, Oval knew the risk of counterfeit products entering the market, as it was widespread with traditional round extinguishers. They were looking for a way to early detect counterfeit Oval extinguishers, as well as make it easy for service technicians to obtain the product specifications and servicing guides.

Sixty Four was brought in to serve as the Fractional CTO, helping with vendor selection, technology strategy and technology innovation.

ERP Selection and Implementation

Oval needed to find an ERP system that worked for their small back office team as seamlessly as it did for the folks in their manufacturing plant. Many solutions on the market catered well to one or the other, but often not both. With a small team on each side, the solution needed to be simple to use and effectively maintain their various BOMs, pick and packing lists, etc.

After evaluating and recommending a solution that met both their technical requirements and business goals, we worked with the vendor to implement a solution that met their needs and exceeded expectations.

Counterfeit Detection and Content Management

As Oval Fire Products continued to work their way through getting their first UL Listing, the search for a viable and cost effective solution for early detection of fakes that may enter the market, combined with a simple content management solution for service providers was becoming an immediate priority.

After an exhaustive search for a solution that met their needs AND wouldn't add much to any cost to the already expensive Oval Fire Extinguisher, Sixty Four identified a technology provider that could build a custom solution that fit their needs. We led the scoping, design, and technical project management of the implementation to bring the solution to market.