A 14 minute workout on the
Bowflex MAX Trainer is all you need

Bowflex MAX Trainer, introduced in January, 2014 has been a huge success.

Nautilus direct sales in 2014 increased 28.5% to $38.9MM primarily due to Bowflex MAX.

The Bowflex MAX Trainer is an all-in-one cardio machine that combines the power of an elliptical and stair stepper to create a one-of-a-kind full body workout: The Bowflex MAX Trainer burns up to 2.5 times the calories of other exercise equipment.

Using design criteria that included: the product’s innovation, functionality, ergonomics and durability, the Red Dot Design Award Jury selected  the Bowflex Max Trainer  as #1 out of 4,928 submissions.  Since its establishment in 1955, the Red Dot Design Award ranks among the most renowned design competitions in the world.

What role has Value Innovation played at Nautilus?:

Nautilus’s first exposure to the Value Innovation Process® occurred in March, 2012 when their directors of new product development and product management attended a 2-Day Mastering Value Innovation Workshop in Denver, CO.

Development of the Bowflex MAX Trainer was already in progress:

• Marketing had identified the need for a limited workout time, 14 minutes was the magic number, and
• Some prototypes had been assembled and were being tested.

As the MAX project continued, the team did develop “As Is” and “To Be” Value Curves and they helped bring focus to:

1. Exercise machine footprint (the smaller the better)
2. Impact on the body (must be lower than existing treadmills) and
3. Ability to monitor the consumer and direct them through a regimen customized to maximize the value delivered from every 14 minute workout

Upright stationary bikes and Ellipticals:

Nautilus used the Value Innovation Process(R) to kick start sales of their upright stationary bikes and ellipticals.  The redesigned bikes featuring a completely new cardio control unit (see below) were introduced in September 14, 2013 and consumer reaction has been, and continues to be, very favorable.

2014 net sales of these bikes were up 31% over 2013.  Read More

Nautilus financial performance 2010-2014:

2014 Net sales increased 25% over 2013 and net income increased 2X

By delivering exceptional value to serious users who work out at home, shareholders have been rewarded.  Since 2012, Nautilus stock price is up 7X over the NYSE Composite and S&P’s Small Cap 500.  The following graph has been copied from the Nautilus 2014 Annual Report

Today, Nautilus uses many of the processes they learned from that 2012 Mastering Value Innovation workshop and all new product development projects are required to have “As Is” and “To Be” Value Curves.

Do you have questions about Value Innovation or want to learn more?

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Want to up your innovation game? Want to up your organization’s innovation game? Attending one of our Mastering Value Innovation Workshops is a great place to start. In 2016 we are going to change our approach. We will work with you to develop your own custom workshop that addresses your problems and you define the length and location. More information can be found in the Workshop Brochure.