This week's story focuses on the subject matter experts that work with SOG gear, and what they do to make sure our knives and tools are fit for use
Not to brag or anything, but our new Vision XR over-delivers on sharpness and strength. To clarify, we are keenly aware the Vision XR is strong enough and sharp enough to cut through the bones of a hanging pig carcass because one of our “Subject Matter Experts” (SME) told us.
Here’s the backstory behind that: In recent years, SOG has developed a cadre of “Subject Matter Experts,” a group of about three dozen end-users the company leans on for insights during various stages of product development and design. One of those SMEs is a trainer in defensive tactics, emphasizing on knife defense, with more than 15 years of experience. Initially hesitant about giving up his tried and true self defense knife, he did take a prototype of the Vision XR to a training session. A training that just happened to have a pig carcass hanging from the ceiling so class participants could understand the effects of slashing and stabbing under stressful conditions.
“As part of the training, our SME cut the pig so quickly and deeply that he actually cut his hand on rib bones from within the pig carcass that he’d just sliced through,” said Chris Cashbaugh, SOG’s Senior Director of Product Strategy who also rides herd over the SMEs. “The knife actually performed above his expectations. He was really impressed and became a convert right away.” Converting the SMEs to become SOG fans, however, isn’t the primary goal of the SME program.
“Having a group of end-users who represent the needs of consumers has been invaluable as we innovate and update our knives,” said Cashbaugh. “Throughout the design and product development process we’re getting their feedback and using them as sounding boards to make sure we’re making a product that best serves their needs.” Designing any product is about balancing a variety of factors, there’s no such thing as a product that can ‘do-it-all’, so it is critical to hear from real-world users about where SOG should place the emphasis so the products meet their needs.
An organizational change
It wasn’t always this way at SOG, said Cashbaugh.
“We always had a few friends of the company that were knowledgeable in various parts of the knife world and we’d chat with them and get some feedback,” said Cashbaugh. “But as we’ve positioned the brand to manufacture knives that provide specific solutions, we’ve really formalized the SME program and the expectations we have for it.” Cashbaugh said the SMEs are brought into the process at various times in the development of a product. Sometimes even before a product is identified to look at where problems and gaps exist in their use needs, more regularly early in the concept and design process, and other times after almost-perfect prototypes and samples are constructed. It depends on what problems SOG is trying to solve on any particular model. SOG is also using the SMEs for long-term testing, seeing what happens to a knife after it’s been used for a number of years or under extreme circumstances.
SOG’s SMEs are divided into the three distinct categories that define SOG’s consumers: Professional (military, EMTs and law enforcement); Outdoors (hikers, hunters and campers) and everyday carry users who carry a knife on them for varied reasons. “Right now, we probably have a few more SMEs in the professional category, mostly because that’s SOG’s heritage,” said Cashbaugh. He also noted that most users cross the ‘lines’ – a police officer, for instance, might also be a hiker, and also daily carries a multitool in their truck.
Mutual benefits
In addition to getting to use knives, multitools, flashlights and other potential SOG products before they are on the market, some of SOG’s SMEs are paid for their expertise and insights. Before COVID-19, others were brought to SOG’s Seattle headquarters for round-table discussions about a category’s or product’s strengths and weaknesses. “Fundamental to SOG’s core beliefs is that our products must meet and exceed the needs of actual end users,” said Cashbaugh. “We want to make products that enhance people’s capabilities. The best way to do that is to make something people know has been proven to provide a real-world solution.” Does SOG need more SMEs?
“We’re not actively recruiting more,” said Cashbaugh, “but we’re always looking for people who possess a certain set of skills and are willing to provide lots and lots of feedback.”
