Identifying Customer Needs

Teaching materials to accompany:

Product Design and Development
Chapter 5
Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger
5th Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2012.
 Product Design and Development
Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger
5th edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2012.

Chapter Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Development Processes and Organizations
3. Opportunity Identification
4. Product Planning
5. Identifying Customer Needs
6. Product Specifications
7. Concept Generation
8. Concept Selection
9. Concept Testing
10. Product Architecture
11. Industrial Design
12. Design for Environment
13. Design for Manufacturing
14. Prototyping
15. Robust Design
16. Patents and Intellectual Property
17. Product Development Economics
18. Managing Projects
 Product Development Process

Concept System-Level Detail Testing and Production

Planning Development Design Design Refinement Ramp-Up
 Concept Development Process
Mission Development
Statement Identify Establish Generate Select Test Set Plan Plan
Customer Target Product Product Product Final Downstream
Needs Specifications Concepts Concept(s) Concept(s) Specifications Development

Perform Economic Analysis

Benchmark Competitive Products

Build and Test Models and Prototypes

 Outline
Nature of needs
Need identification process
An exercise

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 Nature of needs
Needs in the use environment
Products have to serve a real need and
affordable to the customer
Focus on users needs, instead of
wants

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Customer Needs Process
Define the Scope
Mission Statement
Gather Raw Data
Interviews
Focus Groups
Observation
Interpret Raw Data
Need Statements
Organize the Needs
Hierarchy
Establish Importance
Surveys
Quantified Needs
Reflect on the Process
Continuous Improvement
 1: Define the scope of the
effort
Use the projects mission statement
Brief (one sentence) description of the product
Key business goals
Target market(s) for the product
Secondary market
Assumptions that constrain the development effort
(boundary, scope, limit)
Stakeholders (end users, retailers, sales, service
centers, production, legal, etc.)

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 Mission Statement
Example: Screwdriver Project
Product Description
A hand-held, power-assisted device for installing threaded fasteners
Key Business Goals
Product introduced in 4th Q of 2000
50% gross margin
10% share of cordless screwdriver market by 2004
Primary Market
Do-it-yourself consumer
Secondary Markets
Casual consumer
Light-duty professional
Assumptions
Hand-held
Power assisted
Nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable battery technology
Stakeholders
User
Retailer
Sales force
Service center
Production
Legal department
 2-1: Gather raw data from
customers (methods)
Methods
One-on-one interviews
Focus groups (selected customers in a discussion
with a moderator
Better than one-on-one as shown in Fig 4.4 on page 57
Observing the product in use
Survey
Customer selection matrix
Applications (industrial, household, personal) vs.
customer types (user, lead user, retailer, service
center, etc.)
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 How Many Customers?
Percent of Needs Identified 100

80

60
One-on-One Interviews (1 hour)

Focus Groups (2 hours)

40

20

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Number of Respondents or Groups

From: Griffin, Abbie and John R. Hauser. The Voice of the Customer,
Marketing Science. vol. 12, no. 1, Winter 1993.
 2-2: Art of eliciting need data
from customer
Go with the flow
Use existing and competitors products, or other
stimuli
Suppress pre-conceived hypotheses about the
product technology
Have the customer demonstrate the product and/or
typical tasks related to the product
Be alert for surprises and the expression of latent
(non-articulated) needs
Watch for nonverbal information (comfort, image, or
style)
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Customer Needs Example:
Cordless Screwdrivers
Visual Information Example: Book Bag Design
2-3: Documenting interactions
with customer
Customer statements, accompanied
with the documentation methods
Audio recording
Notes
Video recording
Still photography

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 3: Interpret raw data in terms
of customer needs
Guidelines
Express the need in terms of what the product has
to do, not in terms of how it might do it.
Express the need as specifically as the raw data
Use positive, not negative, phrasing.
Express the need as an attribute of the product
Avoid the words must and should.

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 Five Guidelines for Writing Needs Statements
Guideline Customer Statement Need Statement-Wrong Need Statement-Right
Why dont you put The screwdriver battery The screwdriver battery
What Not
protective shields around contacts are covered by is protected from
How the battery contacts? a plastic sliding door. accidental shorting.

I drop my screwdriver all The screwdriver is The screwdriver

Specificity
the time. rugged. operates normally after
repeated dropping.

Positive It doesnt matter if its The screwdriver is not The screwdriver

Not raining, I still need to disabled by the rain. operates normally in
Negative work outside on the rain.
Saturdays.

Attribute Id like to charge my An automobile cigarette The screwdriver battery

of the battery from my cigarette lighter adapter can can be charged from an
Product lighter. charge the screwdriver automobile cigarette
battery. lighter.

Avoid I hate it when I dont The screwdriver should The screwdriver

Must know how much juice is provide an indication of provides an indication
and left in the batteries of my the energy level of the of the energy level of
cordless tools. battery. the battery.
Should
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 4: Organize the needs into a
hierarchy
Print each need statement on a separate card
or a self stick note
Eliminate redundant statement
Group the cards according to the similarity of
the needs they express
Choose a label for each group
Consider creating super-groups consisting of
two to five groups.
Review and edit the organized need
statements
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 Organized List of Customer Needs
The SD provides plenty of power to drive screws.
* The SD maintains power for several hours of heavy use.
** The SD can driv e screws into hardwood.
The SD driv es sheet metal screws into metal ductwork.
*** The SD driv es screws faster than by hand.
The SD makes it easy to start a screw.
* The SD retains the screw before it is driv en.
!* The SD can be used to create a pilot hole.
The SD works with a variety of screws.
** The SD can turn philips, torx, socket, and hex head screws.
** The SD can turn many sizes of screws.
The SD can access most screws.
The SD can be maneuvered in tight areas.
** The SD can access screws at the end of deep, narrow holes.
The SD turns screws that are in poor condition.
The SD can be used to remove grease and dirt from screws.
The SD allows the user to work with painted screws.
The SD feels good in the user's hand.
*** The SD is comfortable when the user pushes on it.
*** The SD is comfortable when the user resists twisting.
* The SD is balanced in the user's hand.
! The SD is equally easy to use in right or left hands.
The SD weight is just right.
The SD is warm to touch in cold weather.
The SD remains comfortable when left in the sun.
The SD is easy to control while turning screws.
*** The user can easil y push on the SD.
*** The user can easil y resist the SD twisting.
The SD can be locked "on."
!** The SD speed can be controlled by the user whil e turning a screw.
* The SD remains aligned with the screw head without slipping.
** The user can easil y see where the screw is.
* The SD does not strip screw heads.
* The SD is easily re ve rsible.
The SD is easy to set-up and use.
* The S D is easy to turn on.
* The S D prevents inadvertent switching o ff.
* The u ser can set the maximum torque of the SD.
!* The S D provides ready access to bits or accessories.
* The S D can be attached to the user for temporary storage.
The SD power is convenient.
* The S D is easy to recharge.
The S D can be used while recharging.
*** The S D recharges quickly.
The S D batteries are rea dy to use when new.
!** The u ser can apply torque manually to the SD to drive a screw .
The SD lasts a long time.
** The S D tip survives hea vy use.
The S D can be hammered.
* The S D can be dropped from a ladder without damage.
The SD is easy to store.
* The S D fits in a toolbox easily.
** The S D can be charged while in storage.
The S D resists corrosion when left outside or in damp places.
!* The S D maintains its charge after long periods of storage.
The S D maintains its charge w hen wet.
The SD prevents damage to the work.
* The S D prevents damage t o the screw hea d.
The S D prevents scrat ching of finished surfaces.
The SD has a pleasant sound when in use.
The SD looks like a professional quality tool.
The SD is safe.
The S D can be used on electrical dev ices.
*** The S D does not cut the u ser's hands.
 A Survey Design for Ranking
Customer Needs

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 5: Establish the relative
importance of the needs
Use the customers (to rank importance
as well as criticality)
See a survey in Fig 4.9 on page 67

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 6: Review the Result and
Reflect on the Process
Whether the product is focused on needs of
customers
Whether all critical needs are addressed
Whether we sent out thank you notes to
customers.
Whether there are rooms to improve the
process for future efforts.
Whether the entire team understands the
needs

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 Caveats
Capture What, Not How.
Meet customers in the use environment.
Collect visual, verbal, and textual data.
Props will stimulate customer responses.
Interviews are more efficient than focus groups.
Interview all stakeholders and lead users.
Develop an organized list of need statements.
Look for latent needs.
Survey to quantify tradeoffs.
Make a video to communicate results.
Class Example: Identify customer needs
through discussion of a selected group
Method: discussion of a group of lead customers
Product: powered screwdriver (& book bag)
Rules:
No one criticizes anyone.
Willing to compromise and reach a consensus.
Identify customer needs or wants. It does not matter
whether they are a "must" or "should.
It is not yet a product specification. Therefore
qualitative statement is fine.
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 Class exercise: Identify customer needs
through discussion with a selected group
Four-step procedure:
1. Individual writes down five need statements
(expectations) for the product (powered hand-held
screwdriver and then book bag)
2. Consolidate the need statements.
3. Classify need statements into groups and super-
groups in a hierarchical fashion.
4. Rank each need in terms of its relative importance
and criticality (e.g., Each one picks 5 needs and add
them up
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 Customer Needs
Example:Cordless Screwdrivers

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 1: Write down need
statements
Group the lead users into groups of 4
Each group come up with 5 need
statements

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 2: Consolidate the needs
Detachable tips
Sufficient accessory tips
Adjustable speed
Adjustable torque
Minimum vibration
Light weight
Easy to use
Easy to carry
Cordless
Long-lasting rechargeable battery
Weather proof
Reversible
Heavy duty casing
Reasonable price
Quick to re-charge
Re-chargeable from car cigarette lighters
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 3: Classify/group the needs

Price
Weight
Function
Operations
Power source
Maintenance

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 4: Rank Customer Needs

Each user picks five needs

by their importance
Each user picks five needs
by their criticality.

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 Class Exercise: Book Bag Design

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 Chapter 4 HW
Exercise 1, on page 90
Due next week

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 Needs Translation Exercise:
Book Bag Design Example
See how the leather on the bottom of the bag is all
scratched; its ugly.
When Im standing in line at the cashier trying to
find my checkbook while balancing my bag on
my knee, I feel like a stork.
This bag is my life; if I lose it Im in big trouble.
Theres nothing worse than a banana thats been
squished by the edge of a textbook.
I never use both straps on my knapsack; I just
sling it over one shoulder.