Technology Entrepreneurship (ENT 600) : The North Face / Nur Liyana Mat Azlan

This case study was conducted to examine how a company managed to manufacture, design and market their products. The company that I had chosen to investigate is The North Face one of the main distributors of high-grade equipment and apparel used in backpacking. The focus in on backpack that is used for outdoor activities such as hiking. Out of several type of hiking backpacks that were produced by The North Face, Terra 65 had been chosen. There are several problems of the backpack that I have identified which are lacks of organizational parts, lacks of security and accountability, do not have good ventilation, the material used is not waterproof and lacks of technology features. I have come out with several solution in order to overcome the problems. First, added more organizational parts. Second, changed the compartment to be anti-theft backpack. Third, added more features that related to ventilation. Last but not least, changed the material to be waterproof. Lastly, upgraded the design to be wide range in high-tech features. In conclusion, these were the best solutions out of all to solve the problems. The first one was by adding the multiple quick access pocket. Next, changed the closure system from zipper to magnetic system. Furthermore, used suspended mesh back material for great ventilation. Other than that, changed the material to the cordura fabric which is good waterproof feature compared to polyester. Lastly, upgraded the backpack with integrated USB charging port.