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What Customers Value

Posted by Pete Hanik on Mon, Dec 28, 2009 @ 10:38 AM
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How do we know what features customers want in our products?  If it was a simple as asking them directly, then everyone would be developing innovative new products.  One key in identifying what customers will value in future product designs is recognition of functionality.  Customers don't value the "thing"; they value the functionality that the "thing" delivers.  When I was young I played music on a phonograph.  The primary function of the "thing" in this case is "Play Music".  Notice that the function is defined by the combination of a verb and a noun.  The phonograph delivers its functionality through a series of related functions as below.

When each of these functions is performed, there are harmful effects that also occur.  For example, when you "Rotate Vinyl Disk" you "Produce Vibrtion", when you "Vibrate Stylus" you "Wear Vinyl Disk", etc.  Some of these harmful functions are shown below.


 When people played music on phonographs, these harmful functions were accepted because "that's the way a phonograph is".  Some phonographs were better than others at minimizing the harmful effects, but they were there.  Now consider the evolution of devices that "Play Music".  From phonographs, we went to tape players, CD players and then iPods.  Each of these devices has the same primary function, "Play Music". These devices replaced their predecessors because they eliminated the harmful functions and resolved the contradictions that limited delivery of functionality in the previous generation.  The key to development of successful new generations of products is to identify amd resolve the underlying contradictions which inhibit delivery of functionality.

Do you have examples of where new generations of products have resolved limiting contradictions in the previous generation?

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Comments

The evolution of "information sharing" in meetings could be thought of the same way.  
 
In the old days, overhead projectors were used to share info in meetings, using transparent media and opaque images. It was a great step forward from the flip chart, chalk board or white board media used before it, in that large amounts of data could be prepared prior to the meeting, could be easily transported and re-used over and over, without fear of the chalk board being erased by the cleaning staff. 
 
The limitation, of course, was that the information had to be on a transparent media. This eliminated quite a bit of potential material from being shared.  
 
The advent of the opaque projector resolved that issue, but at a time when we were entering the "paperless" era. 
 
Enter the pc projector. It still performs the primary function of projecting and sharing information, but it is not limited to hard copy material, or even still images.  
 
Another example is that of automotive engines. Back in the 1970's, reduced exhaust emissions came at the expense of increased fuel consumption and reduced power. Over the years, engine controls (electronic ignition, fuel injection, electronic spark advance, etc.) improved to such an extent that today's engines have reduced emissions by 95%, while improving performance (power output and fuel efficiency).
Posted @ Monday, March 08, 2010 2:08 PM by John Borza
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