Identifying (Uncovering) Customer Needs

Identifying (Uncovering) Customer Needs

Integrated Product and Process DesignME 4752010-2011Forth Day of Class

(The Heart and soul of a Structured Design Process…)

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Dr. Paul Fields801-400-3641

Today’s Objectives:• Tues, Wed, or Thursday 8-9:50 Workshop. Come

with Project Objective Statement so others can learn about your project…

• How can we Identify or uncover customer needs for any project?

• Summary

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Oblo 3D didactic puzzle for children

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What Have You Learned So Far?• Mind set in design is really

important…• There are stages to a

Structured design Process…• Project management is an

important tool…• Design involves an eagerness

to learn…• Good documentation is a key…• …

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Four Stages of Team Development• Forming• Storming• Norming• Performing

Some Realities of Teams

Great Teams…1. Have a clear goal and

serious deadlines2. Recognize the four stages

of team performance (f,s,n,p) & respect diversity

3. Connect with outside world4. Trust each other5. Work in useful, playful,

spaces, and enjoy it!

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Great Products…

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Frigidaire Freezer…

Intravenous Site Protector

Integrated Product and Process Design

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Water-Gate Dam


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What Makes a Great product?

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AKRO Janitor Cart

Characteristics of Great Products!Great Products include not only consumer products, but industrial equipment, test fixtures, etc.—real hardware, and processes, like you as a Capstone Team are preparing to create ….

• Great products are well designed • Work properly, reliably, consistently• Provide good performance and value• Are efficient

• Great products “look the part”• Great products make business sense• Great products provide pride of ownership• Great products most often come from great teams• Great products meet and/or exceed customer needs and expectations,

they delight their customers• …..


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Voice Stick

A Five Step Process

Identifying (Uncovering) Customer Needs


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Michelangelo’s David

Uncovering Customer Needs…• Define project Scope

• Project Objective Statement

• Gather Raw Data• Input from sponsor• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation• …

• Interpret Raw Data• Need Statements

• Organize Needs• Hierarchy

• Establish Importance• Ranking

• Reflect on the Process• Have we done a

good job? What could we do to make what we have done even better? Integrated Product and Process

Design

New Holland Combine

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Customer Needs Process• 0: Define the

Scope• Project Objective

Statement• 1: Gather Raw

Data• Sponsor needs…• Interviews…• Focus Groups…• Observation…• …

• 2: Interpret Raw Data• Need Statements

• 3: Organize Needs• Hierarchy

• 4: Establish Importance• Ranking

• 5: Reflect on the Process• Have we done a

good job?

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Gather Raw Data From Customers• Methods: Interviews, Focus Groups…• Observe the product (or alternate

products), being used in a natural setting • Using a screwdriver to open a paint can• Ask what the user likes/dislikes about the

product• Choose a variety of customers (users)

• Lead users, Users, Service centers• Novice, Skilled, Expert users

• Record the customer’s interactions with the product and the observer• Audiotape, videotape, photos• Survey forms• Capstone Record book

Smart Touch Salad Spinner

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The Art of Learning Customer Needs• “Go with the flow”—let the

user express themselves—ask questions…be receptive

• Use props, pictures, etc…• “Suppress” customer’s

preconceived ideas about product…

• Have customer demonstrate the product…

• Be alert for latent needs…• Watch for nonverbal

information• See page 59-61 of U & E…..

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Tips: Learning From “Customers”• No substitute for being with

customers and users. See them in action…

• Be respectful and genuinely interested in them as people…

• Be eager to be taught, watch & listen carefully…

• Listen and look for impressions and ideas…

• Carefully document what you see, hear and feel…

……..

Comments from Kousuke Shiramizu (chief of Toyota’s luxury car production)

“Engineers who have never set foot in Beverly Hills have no business designing a Lexus. Nor anybody who has never experienced driving on the Autobahn first-hand.” (Business Week, Sep 3, 2001)

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Customer Needs Process

• 0: Define the Scope• Mission Statement

• 1: Gather Raw Data• Sponsor needs• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation• …

• 2: Interpret Raw Data• Needs Statements

• 3: Organize the Needs• Hierarchy

• 4: Establish Importance• Ranking

• 5: Reflect on the Process• Have we done a good

job?

Price: $15.00

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Customer Needs Statements: Cordless Screwdrivers…

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Interpreted Needs: PracticeCustomer Statement Interpreted Need

I need to drive screws fast—faster

than by hand. The SD drives screws faster than by hand.

I sometimes do duct work and use

sheet metal screws

I like the pistol grip; it feels the best.

The SD prevents stripping of screw

heads. I would like an attachment to allow me to reach down skinny holes.

The SD drives sheet metal screws into

metal duct work.

The SD is comfortable to grip.

Sometimes I strip tough screws.

The SD can access screws at the end of deep, narrow holes.

It would be nice if I could punch a pilot

hole. The SD can be used to create a pilot hole.

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Tips for Interpreting Needs • Noun-verb, combination• The device is, does, or can be

used,… to get some desired outcome (whats vs. hows)

• Try and convert the experience you sense the customer expresses they want into a positive attribute or capability of the device….

• Remember What, not How…• …

2010 Prius

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Guidelines for Writing Interpreted Needs Statements…

Guideline Customer Statement Need Statement-Wrong Need Statement-Right

What, Not How

Specific as User

Positive Not

Negative

Attribute of the

Product

Avoid “Must”

and “Should”

“Why don’t you put protective shields around the battery contacts?”

“I drop my screwdriver all the time.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, I still need to work outside on Saturdays.”

“I’d like to charge my battery from my cigarette lighter.”

“I hate it when I don’t know how much juice is left in the batteries of my cordless tools.”

The screwdriver battery contacts are covered by a plastic sliding door.

The screwdriver battery is protected from accidental shorting.

The screwdriver is rugged. The screwdriver operates normally after repeated dropping.

The screwdriver is not disabled by the rain.

The screwdriver operates normally in the rain.

An automobile cigarette lighter adapter can charge the screwdriver battery.

The screwdriver battery can be charged from an automobile cigarette lighter.

The screwdriver should provide an indication of the energy level of the battery.

The screwdriver provides an indication of the energy level of the battery.

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Customer Needs Process0: Define the Scope

• Mission Statement

1: Gather Raw Data• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation• …

2: Interpret Raw Data• Need Statements

3: Organize Needs into Hierarchy (p. 63-66)• Primary (most general)• Secondary…Tertiary

(detailed)4: Establish Importance

• Ranking5: Reflect on the Process

• Have we done a good job?

BMW Streetcarver

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Hierarchy of Needs• Use “post-it’s” (or other) method

to note needs statements • Stack/staple redundant needs (be

careful here!)• Group related needs• Make label for each group• If necessary, make groups of

groups• Primary needs are top level of

group headings, secondary next , etc.

Original Apple i-Phone

What Are Needs?

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Segway Human Transporter

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1: Gather Raw Data• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation


3: Organize Needs• Hierarchy

4: Establish Importance• Subjective rating in

broad classes (p. 66-67)

5: Reflect on the Process• Have we done a good

job?OXO Measuring Cup

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1: Gather Raw Data• Interviews• Focus Groups• Observation• …


3: Organize Needs• Hierarchy

4: Establish Importance• Ranking

5: Reflect on the Process• Have we done a good

job?• Ask hard questions of

yourself (p. 67-68)

Xootr X3 Scooter

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IDEO“Seeing and hearing things with your own eyes and ears is a critical first step in improving, or creating, a breakthrough product.”“If you’re not in the jungle, you’re not going to know the tiger.”

The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelly

Nike + i pod Sport Kit

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IDEO: Latent Needs“Maybe the meat loaf needs more salt or less onion. The problem is that your guests may like to eat, but they’re probably not food critics. In business, too, your customers may lack the vocabulary or the palate to explain what’s wrong, and especially what’s missing.”

The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelly

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What Are Latent Needs?

“Important dimensions of customers’ needs that are neither fulfilled nor commonly articulated and understood”

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Latent Needs

Finding Ways to Meet Latent Needs are The Engineer’s Delight

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What latent needs does this product meet?

What vs. How

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The best design engineers thoroughly learn the What…, and then, go after the How…

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Reflect on the Results and The Process• Have we interacted with all types of users?• Are we able to see beyond obvious needs?• Are there areas we should pursue w/ follow-up

interviews, etc?• Of those we spoke with, who might

be able to help us further?• What did we learn? Any surprises?• Does everyone in our organization deeply

understand what we have learned?• How might we improve the process in the future?• Did we learn of any latent or unspoken needs? • …

RockStar

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Identifying Customer Needs

NEEDS APPROACH• Uncovers latent needs• Focuses on individuals• Happens in natural

contexts• Promotes dynamic

conversations• Generates interpretations

TRADITIONAL APPROACH• Improves existing things• Focuses on explicit needs• Uses market segmentation• Takes place in controlled

settings• Structures interviews• Analyzes objective data

What happens when customer needs are not carefully considered?


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What Do They Really Want?

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The Next Step… Functional Specifications

Perform Economic Analysis

Benchmark Competitive Products

Build and Test Models and Prototypes

IdentifyCustomer

Needs

EstablishTarget

Specifications

GenerateProduct

Concepts

SelectProduct

Concept(s)

Set Final

Specifications

PlanDownstreamDevelopment

TestProduct

Concept(s)

DevelopmentPlan

Target SpecsBased on customer needs and benchmarking

Final SpecsBased on selected concept, feasibility, models, testing, and trade-offs

Documentation

POS

An Example:

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Past Capstone ProjectProject Objective Statement

• Develop a working prototype of an automated machine that removes nozzle tape from HP inkjet cartridges by April 15, 2003, for less than $10,000

Key Customer Needs• Capable of de-taping 100 cartridges/minute• Does not damage cartridge• Reduce Mfg costs by 60%

Primary Users• Ink jet cartridge manufacturing personnel

Stakeholders• Hewlett-Packard• Plant workers• Ink jet cartridge consumers• BYU Capstone Team

Key Constraints• Must run on 110 volt power


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De-taper POC-1

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De-taper Final Design

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Summary• Five steps in establishing

customer needs…• Gather raw data…• Interpret data…• Organize needs…• Establish importance and prioritize! • Reflect on the process…

• Customer needs should guide the entire development process …

• Process establishes important communication links and relationships for future development needs…

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Summary (Cont’d)• Lead users are an important

source for learning needs• Latent needs may be more

important than explicit needs• Customer needs should be

expressed in terms of what the product will do, not how it will do it…

• Key benefits of using this process is to help insure that the design you create will meet customer needs…

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Ok, So What is Engineering Design?

Design in a major sense, is the essence of engineering; it begins with the identification of a need and ends with a product or system in the hands of a user. It is primarily concerned with synthesis rather than analysis (which is central to engineering science). Design, above all else, distinguishes engineering from science.

(Hancock, 1986)

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Two Books…

Thank You!

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Great Products?

What Needs Does This Meet?

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Documents

Identifying (Uncovering) Customer Needs