The Client

 

TIGER Drylac is a leader in the global powder coatings market. Founded in 1930 in Austria, TIGER Drylac has grown to an international organization producing high-quality powder coatings and digital inks for industrial printing systems. In North America, TIGER Drylac has worked with the Variable, Inc. team since 2018. During this time, TIGER has digitized their color database and distributed devices for their customers to specify TIGER Drylac products from any location.

 

Nikki Pettis is an Inside Sales Specialist at TIGER. One of her main responsibilities is to assist in finding the right color match for repaints, retouches, or new designs.

 

TIGER has thousands of powder coating products with endless color and finish possibilities. They use their own TIGER Drylac brand, RAL, and even offer custom colors. With customers ranging from industrial to automotive and architectural to appliances, Nikki has her hands full in assisting her fellow sales representatives and customers in finding the best TIGER colors for their projects.

 

Digitizing the Color Space

 

Why Physical Standards are Not Enough

 

Back when she was using traditional physical standards, Nikki had to search thousands of colors by eye. When a customer called looking for a specific design or color match, Nikki spent hours looking for the color and comparing it to TIGER products under a light booth. Once she found a few matches, Nikki mailed up to 20 samples to the customer. The customer would then analyze each panel by eye against their product to see which color worked best. Unfortunately, changes in lighting or limited eyesight could quickly change the customer’s perception of the match causing misreads and rework. These physical samples took time to find and analyze. Nikki and other TIGER sales representatives needed a simpler way to match their products.

 

The Need for Color Management Software

 

While seeking an alternative solution, Nikki was introduced to the Color Muse by a fellow colleague. She immediately recognized the importance of the color sensor within her first few scans. “All I had to do was scan a color. Then I could find the closest color match to our TIGER Drylac and RAL fan deck.”

 

That’s when TIGER reached out to Variable, Inc.. Variable assisted in uploading TIGER Drylac products in early 2017. In 2019, Nikki, along with her colleague Debbie Yeung, was introduced to Variable Cloud. This web-based software allowed TIGER Drylac to digitally build and manage their color libraries.

 

 

“Working with Variable, I was able to easily upload our panels and manage our color database. Debbie and I are able to make quick changes and add new products within minutes.” Says Nikki. After setting up their products, Nikki and Debbie can distribute access for all customers to match to TIGER Drylac colors from any location.

 

Introducing TIGER Drylac Match Stick

 

TIGER Drylac wanted to take their color management a step further. They worked with Variable to customize their own app and develop a platform for customers to digitally view TIGER Drylac products. The custom app allows for quick access to the libraries Nikki and Debbie set up. Using the TIGER Drylac Match Stick, their own branded Color Muse, customers can connect to the TIGER App and find the ideal color for their project.

 

The Digital Color Matching Experience

 

TIGER Drylac Customer Experience

 

Now the TIGER Drylac Match Stick is sitting on Nikki’s desk first thing each morning. Customers call into TIGER’s office and ask for color matches to RAL or other paint brands. Nikki will take her TIGER Drylac Match Stick, scan, and immediately find the best TIGER match for her customer. Hours of searching through physical panels is cut down to minutes with TIGER Drylac Match Stick. The match rating provided in the app allows Nikki to quickly determine the most accurate matches. These days, she only ships a few panels for customer review.

 

The TIGER App Experience

 

Many TIGER customers and sales representatives use this tool. She shares her experience with these individuals any chance she can get. “I’ve said to them, ‘did you know we have this convenient, digital tool for color matching? It matches everything, except metallics and textures.’”

 

Under the Color Match tab, customers can find the closest TIGER product, but that isn’t the only feature offered. There are many times our human eyes cannot see variances in color. Factors like color memory, lighting conditions, viewing angle, and even eye fatigue will cause misreads. This is why the TIGER app has a comparison feature. This feature allows Nikki and her customers to quickly view differences in two products. Once a customer receives a panel, they can use the TIGER Drylac Match Stick and compare sections to quickly analyze the differences in their product from the TIGER panel. This type of comparison is only capable through a color measurement instrument, like the TIGER Drylac Match Stick, that has controlled optics and stable lighting conditions.

 

The Tiger Drylac Distributor Experience

 

One TIGER Drylac customer in Florida uses the technology to match All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). “Their customers come in with the craziest color requests. The stores won’t have all of TIGER’s products to show their customers. I suggested they purchase a TIGER Drylac Match Stick. Now their team can scan the ATV, and find the closest TIGER Drylac color.” Nikki can then send the team in Florida a sample or ship the product directly to their store.

 

A New Path Towards Universal Color Communication

 

TIGER has been able to reduce the time and cost of color matching with TIGER Drylac Match Stick. Nikki, like many others, can control color analysis and color matching in the palm of her hand. By using digital hand-held color sensors, companies can now find the best results in moments. Supporting your customer has never been easier. Check out the TIGER app and device. (Link for app and device).

 

Learn more about TIGER Drylac here.