A commercialization network for useful physical products
Useful things deserve to exist.
Not every product needs a company of its own. DISPERSAL connects Designers who supply designs, Manufacturers who supply production capacity and Customers who express demand. Manufacturing starts in response to demand and is fulfilled by compatible partners. The initial focus is functional, low-risk products made by 3D printing.
How it is designed to work
From a Design to a delivered item
Seven steps, one required gate. Select a step to see what happens, who is responsible and why it matters. This is the intended workflow: none of these steps can be carried out on this site yet.
- Step 1: Design Designer
- Step 2: Review and quotes Operator, Manufacturers
- Step 3: Product DISPERSAL
- Step 4: Order and ticket Customer
- Step 5: Release (required gate) Product steward
- Step 6: Manufacturing Manufacturer
- Step 7: Feedback Customer
Step 5 is a gate. No Product-steward Release, no manufacturing.
Step 1 of 7
Design submission
design
- What happens
- The Designer submits a Design with its Variants and manufacturing requirements, and sets the Designer fee.
- Who is responsible
- The Designer.
- Why it matters
- Everything that follows is made from this definition. A released Design version never changes; a change creates a new version.
Step 2 of 7
Review and Manufacturing quotes
- What happens
- The Operator checks that the Design is eligible. Manufacturers qualify it for their Facility and submit Manufacturing quotes.
- Who is responsible
- The Operator for eligibility; each Manufacturer for its own quote.
- Why it matters
- A Manufacturing quote states price, conditions, capacity and validity. The accepted quote, not the Designer's estimate, sets the production share of the price.
Step 3 of 7
Product availability
- What happens
- A configuration of a Design version becomes a Product only with a qualified manufacturing route, a valid Manufacturing quote and an accurate customer-visible price.
- Who is responsible
- DISPERSAL publishes the Product, based on the Design and the valid quote.
- Why it matters
- Only a Product can be ordered. Without a route, a quote and a price there is nothing a Customer could commit to.
Step 4 of 7
Customer Order and Production ticket
demand
- What happens
- A Customer orders at a committed price. DISPERSAL creates a Production ticket: a snapshot of the Design version, configuration, Manufacturer, process, material, parameters and price allocation.
- Who is responsible
- The Customer orders; DISPERSAL creates the Production ticket.
- Why it matters
- The price and its split are fixed at the Order and never change silently. The ticket records exactly what is to be made.
Step 5 of 7
Product-steward Release
Required gate
- What happens
- The Product steward explicitly approves that one Production ticket. The Release records who approved it, when, and which version and profile.
- Who is responsible
- The Product steward, who is the Designer by default.
- Why it matters
- No Release, no manufacturing. There is no automatic release, and a significant change to the version, Manufacturer, process, material or important parameters needs another Release.
Step 6 of 7
Manufacturing and fulfillment
production
- What happens
- The Manufacturer accepts the released job, produces it to the released profile, inspects it and ships it.
- Who is responsible
- The Manufacturer.
- Why it matters
- Every step has an accountable owner. A problem becomes an explicit exception, never a silent change.
Step 7 of 7
Feedback and improvement (3RS)
- What happens
- Feedback is collected in three stages: on delivery, after about a month and after about a year. It keeps design, manufacturing and fulfillment quality apart.
- Who is responsible
- The Customer gives feedback; DISPERSAL collects it.
- Why it matters
- Each delivered item stays traceable to its Design version, Production ticket and Manufacturer, so improvements reach the right party. Quality data is shown only once collected, with sample counts.
Discovery
Idea, Candidate, Product
One fictitious item followed through the three stages. These are conceptual examples, not real products and not evidence of demand. Interest is never a purchase or proof of demand.
Conceptual example
Idea
A clip that keeps charging cables at the desk edge
Someone proposes a small solution to a common nuisance. An Idea may be shown before anyone knows how to make it.
What a Product needs
- Qualified manufacturing route: Not needed yet
- Valid Manufacturing quote: Not needed yet
- Customer-visible price: Not needed yet
A Customer can: Signal interest. Interest is never a sale, a prepayment or proof of demand.
Promotion criteria: open decision
Conceptual example
Candidate
The cable clip, under evaluation
The Idea has enough interest or readiness for its design and production to be evaluated, for example Variants for different desk thicknesses.
What a Product needs
- Qualified manufacturing route: Under evaluation
- Valid Manufacturing quote: Under evaluation
- Customer-visible price: Under evaluation
A Customer can: Signal interest. A Candidate cannot be ordered.
Needs route, quote and price
Conceptual example
Product
One Variant with a qualified route
A configuration of a Design version with a qualified Manufacturer, a valid Manufacturing quote and a customer-visible price.
What a Product needs
- Qualified manufacturing route: In place
- Valid Manufacturing quote: In place
- Customer-visible price: In place
A Customer can: Order at a committed price, once ordering exists. Nothing can be ordered on this site.
Transparent price
Every part of the price has an owner
The Customer price is the sum of named parts. The Manufacturer's parts come from the accepted Manufacturing quote, not from the Designer's estimate. The Designer fee is a fixed amount per unit by default.
Once an Order is placed, its price is committed and never changes silently.
No amounts are shown. Fee levels, taxes and transaction-fee treatment are open decisions.
Accepted Manufacturing quote
- Material cost Manufacturer From the accepted Manufacturing quote
- Production fee Manufacturer From the accepted Manufacturing quote
- Designer fee Designer A fixed amount per unit by default
- DISPERSAL fee DISPERSAL Its level is an open decision
- Delivery, taxes and transaction charges Where applicable Their treatment is an open decision
- Customer price Paid by the Customer Committed when ordering
Designer's estimate A Designer's estimate of material and production cost is preliminary. It helps evaluate a Design but never sets a price.
Before the Order
The price rests on a valid Manufacturing quote and respects its validity.
When ordering
The Customer price and its allocation are committed and recorded in the Production ticket.
After the Order
No silent increase. If a quote can no longer be met: an explicit exception, a cancellation, or a reauthorization the Customer agrees to.
Product-steward Release
No release, no manufacturing.
Each Order gets a Production ticket: a fixed record of the Design version, configuration, Manufacturer, process, material, parameters and price allocation.
The Product steward, by default the Designer, approves that exact ticket. The Release records who approved, when, and which version and profile. Only then may the Manufacturer accept the job and produce it.
Any change to the Design version, Manufacturer, process, material or important parameters needs a new Release. There is no automatic release.
- Production ticket fixed record of one Order
- Release Product steward
- Manufacturing only after the Release
A significant change to the released profile goes back through a new Release.
Roles
Who does what, and what each gains
DISPERSAL coordinates three participants. Select one to see its responsibilities and benefits. One person may hold several roles, with explicit permissions for each.
DISPERSAL DISPERSAL
Coordinates the network.
Responsibilities
- Publishes a Product only with a qualified manufacturing route, a valid Manufacturing quote and a price.
- Creates the Production ticket for every Order.
- Its Operator staff review Designs and partners, supervise matching and handle exceptions and disputes. This is internal oversight, not a public role.
Benefits
- Receives the DISPERSAL fee, one named part of the Customer price.
Designer
Supplies the Design. Brings design
Responsibilities
- Defines a Design, its Variants and its manufacturing requirements.
- Sets the Designer fee, a fixed amount per unit by default.
- Is the Product steward by default and releases each Production ticket.
Benefits
- A useful product can exist without a company founded around it.
- Receives the Designer fee as a named part of the Customer price.
- Keeps control: nothing is made without the Product-steward Release.
Manufacturer
Supplies production capacity. Brings production
Responsibilities
- Declares a Facility: process, machine limits, materials, capacity and region.
- Qualifies Designs and submits Manufacturing quotes.
- Accepts released jobs, produces, inspects and ships.
Benefits
- Produces in response to Orders, not for stock.
- Its accepted quote sets the material cost and production fee in the price.
- Is judged on manufacturing quality, kept apart from design and fulfillment feedback.
Customer
Expresses demand. Brings demand
Responsibilities
- Discovers Ideas and Products and signals interest.
- Orders a Product at a committed price.
- Gives feedback on delivery, after about a month and after about a year.
Benefits
- Useful, niche products that would otherwise not exist.
- Every part of the price is named, and it never changes silently after the Order.
- Each item is traceable to its Design version, Manufacturer, process and material.
Retailer
Future sales channel. Not an existing integration
Intended role
- May later distribute Products as an external sales channel.
The Product steward is a responsibility, not a separate participant: it releases Production tickets and is held by the Designer by default. Retailers may later distribute Products as an external sales channel; they are a future role.