Product Management Class Partners with Tuthill to Revolutionize Pump Technology

Trinity’s product management class, taught by Omar Sweiss, assistant professor business, and Dr. Jeff Nyhoff, professor of computer science, was challenged to engage in what seemed like an impossible task given the time constraints of a single semester: Gather market research and interviews, design and engineer, develop a marketing launch plan, and potentially build a prototype of a new kind of pump, “the Smart Pump.” The new product needed to be integrated with technology to provide key data on pump condition and inner workings.

Students in the class came from multiple disciplines, including biology, business, computer science and graphic design. The class self-organized into four business units and worked with mentors from Tuthill Pump Group in Alsip, Ill., to create a final product. In a culminating event, each team pitched its concept to a panel of Tuthill corporate executives on Monday, Dec. 6.

Teams were judged on the clarity of content, organization, and delivery, and all four teams delivered a quality, viable, and innovative solution. In the end, the panel awarded Team Pump It Up, which developed the “Pump Sense Add-on Component,” the winner.

Class participants agreed that the course taught valuable information in innovation, marketing, management, and team dynamics, as well as highlighting the value of multi-discipline input towards the goal. “Working with Tuthill Pump allowed for an innovative approach to student learning,” said Tom Iwema ’18, a student from the winning business unit.

“This is another example of how Trinity Christian College seeks to immerse students in real-world experiences solving business problems to equip them to innovate, compete, and succeed in God’s world,” said Sweiss.