Correct Craft, manufacturer of the premium Nautique brand, is one of the largest and most prominent international builders of inboard boats used for water skiing and wakeboarding. Correct Craft is focused upon providing the watersports market with innovative product that is of superior quality.
The company is based in Orlando, FL, and produces nine different models of Nautique-branded inboard boats. Nautiques by Correct Craft has ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Ski and Wakeboard Boats” six times in a row by J.D. Power and Associates.
Technological Opportunities
- Nautique wanted a display that could be customized for their packages, including custom display screens and bezel options in order to take them to the next level of design.
- Nautique wanted to provide customers with greater integration by having the ability to control other options with the display, such as cruise control and audio.
- Nautique needed to roll out these new options packages at the beginning of the model year.
“Incorporating a digital display was always the company’s vision for the future. Conventional dials require a lot of dedicated dash space, and we were looking for a product that would streamline the dash as well as improve consumer interaction on the boats.”
“Our company was looking for a product that could not only display engine information, but one that complemented analog gauges and had the ability to expand the integration capabilities to include user-friendly features like cruise control and stereo controls.”
“We wanted a digital display that was extremely reliable, as well as one that provided the flexibility to be customized to our exact needs. Murphy had the right product at the right time for us – with the product already in development they were able to customize the display to our specifications while maintaining a tight timeline.”
Implementation
- Murphy developed the HelmView HV1000i, a modular version of its original full-featured engine monitor and display for the marine market, the HelmView HV1000i.
- Since the HV1000i was developed as a modular product, Murphy was able to meet Nautiques’ timelines for development of custom screens, custom backlight, and a customized chrome bezel to seamlessly integrate the display into Nautique boats.
- Murphy worked closely with program managers at Nautique to provide engineering, technical and sales support through on-site meetings.
- Murphy also integrated additional features into the display, such as stereo options and cruise controls capabilities.
“Creating the display has certainly been a team effort. Murphy worked with us every step of the way to ensure that the display matched our customers’ high expectations. They went above and beyond by providing us with technical, engineering, and sales support on location at our office. This alignment allowed us to make great progress, and we were able to maintain the product development schedule by working very closely with Murphy’s engineering and design team.”
Results
- Reduced the number of mechanical gauges on the dash from nine to two.
- The HelmView HV1000i display comes standard on all Nautique boats with the coastal packages.
- The HV1000i display features integrated cruise control and gives users the ability to control the stereo system from the display screen.
- Nautique boats equipped with the HV1000i display will be the first to the watersports market with an integrated platform that features integrated engine information as well as cruise control, GPS mapping, video playback as well as integrated stereo remote.
“With the new integrated display, we are able to provide customers the high quality they have come to expect from the Nautique brand. We are giving the consumer all new features that weren’t available before in the tow boat and watersports industry. Other companies don’t have the level of integration that we have with this product.”
“We really took advantage of the capabilities of the display by integrating the Zero Off system, as well as stereo remote options. Nautique owners have come to expect superior quality, and with the new streamlined dash we are able to provide them with a more intuitive consumer interface.”
“Murphy really helped us reduce the consumer interface through the integration of seven mechanical gauges. The implementation of this dash allowed us to reduce the number of mechanical dash components by 78 percent.”