THE PROJECT LAB
THINGS WORTH
FIGURING OUT.
Ideas that show the kind of projects we love.
EXAMPLE BRIEFThe invention in a drawer
Could this actually become a real product?
EXAMPLE BRIEFThe tool that doesn't exist
Could one simple device eliminate hundreds of awkward hours?
EXAMPLE BRIEFProve it before you build it
Why commit to the full installation before proving the principle?
The machine nobody can fix
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A perfectly useful machine is facing replacement because one control module is obsolete. The supplier recommends buying new, but the rest of the machine has years of service left.
How we'd approach it
- Establish the actual failure and operating requirements.
- Assess repair, component replacement and control-system retrofit options.
- Identify qualified controls specialists and develop a safe validation plan.
Potential deliverables
Technical options report, indicative costs, retrofit specification and implementation route.
Who it's for
Small and medium manufacturers
The invention in a drawer
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A practical idea has been sketched out for years, but its inventor has no clear path to evaluate whether it is technically achievable or commercially sensible.
How we'd approach it
- Research alternatives and potential intellectual-property constraints.
- Define requirements and simplify the core mechanism.
- Estimate prototype and production costs before commissioning physical work.
Potential deliverables
Concept brief, feasibility assessment, initial prototype plan and decision points.
Who it's for
Entrepreneurs and inventors
The waste stream that costs a fortune
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A food or process manufacturer is losing money through waste, poor separation, resource consumption or unpredictable discharge quality.
How we'd approach it
- Map the process and identify measurable failure points.
- Evaluate separation, recovery or process-control options.
- Plan a temporary pilot trial before recommending permanent capital investment.
Potential deliverables
Process assessment, trial specification and staged improvement plan.
Who it's for
Food and process businesses
The spreadsheet running the company
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A growing company depends on fragile spreadsheets, manually copied data and repetitive admin, with no clear single source of truth.
How we'd approach it
- Observe the actual workflow and identify its pain points.
- Prioritise small high-value automations and integrations.
- Build and test a practical tool with human review points.
Potential deliverables
Workflow map, prototype automation and adoption roadmap.
Who it's for
Owner-managed SMEs
The impossible installation
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
Equipment must fit into a cramped or operationally difficult site, where standard installation arrangements simply will not work.
How we'd approach it
- Survey access, spatial and operational constraints.
- Compare alternative layouts, modular solutions and installation sequences.
- Coordinate specialists and plan risk-controlled execution.
Potential deliverables
Outline layout, equipment shortlist, installation plan and project coordination scope.
Who it's for
Property and industrial operators
The £50,000 question
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A business is unsure whether to maintain, repair or replace vehicles and equipment. Intuition, sunk cost and unreliable resale assumptions cloud the decision.
How we'd approach it
- Collect condition, cost, use and downtime information.
- Model remaining-life and replacement scenarios.
- Compare financial outcomes and operational risk.
Potential deliverables
Scenario model, assumptions register and replacement recommendation.
Who it's for
Fleet and machinery owners
The site with no one there
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
An unmanned asset repeatedly requires site visits just to confirm that equipment is operating or a tank is within normal levels.
How we'd approach it
- Identify the few measurements that actually matter.
- Assess power, communications and environmental constraints.
- Trial telemetry, alerts and a simple dashboard.
Potential deliverables
Pilot monitoring system and business case for rollout.
Who it's for
Utilities and rural operators
The tool that doesn't exist
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A repetitive, awkward or physically difficult task consumes labour because a suitable tool or fixture is not commercially available.
How we'd approach it
- Observe the task and define safety and performance requirements.
- Sketch and compare possible mechanisms.
- Arrange prototype fabrication and practical testing.
Potential deliverables
Prototype specification, test findings and fabrication route.
Who it's for
Maintenance and production teams
Where's all the money going?
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
Energy, water or equipment running costs have increased, but nobody has enough reliable measurements to identify the cause.
How we'd approach it
- Establish baseline consumption and operating patterns.
- Specify temporary instrumentation and data capture.
- Evaluate targeted operational changes against measured results.
Potential deliverables
Measured findings, costed improvement list and monitoring recommendations.
Who it's for
Commercial site operators
The digital apprentice
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
Technical staff spend too much time converting field notes, pictures and documents into repetitive customer reports.
How we'd approach it
- Separate information capture from technical judgment.
- Prototype AI-supported drafting with validation controls.
- Integrate with the existing reporting and approval process.
Potential deliverables
Working workflow prototype, human-review controls and deployment plan.
Who it's for
Engineering and field-service businesses
Prove it before you build it
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A proposed permanent installation is expensive, while the underlying performance assumptions have never been tested on the actual site.
How we'd approach it
- Define measurable success criteria and safe boundaries.
- Design a portable or temporary test arrangement.
- Collect data and compare performance against the original business case.
Potential deliverables
Pilot rig specification, trial report and investment recommendation.
Who it's for
Industrial process owners
The project that got stuck
PROJECT — This is an example of the kind of brief Wiggins Projects could investigate, not a completed client assignment.
The challenge
A multidisciplinary project has stalled because suppliers disagree, the scope has changed or no one has ownership of the difficult interfaces.
How we'd approach it
- Audit the current scope, decisions and unresolved dependencies.
- Build a realistic recovery plan and responsibility matrix.
- Coordinate the required technical and commercial decisions.
Potential deliverables
Recovery roadmap, updated risk register and managed next-stage plan.
Who it's for
Property owners and small businesses