Leading Change through Integrated Product Development - Assignment Example

Leading Change through Integrated Product Development Introduction A product is developed based on the needs of the customer. Before developing a product, the user group is decided and depending on the user group the product is developed. Product development is a tedious process which involves various methods and components. The product must be developed in such a way that it satisfies the requirements of the customer. A product must be suitable for the specific user group and this must be the aim of any product manufacturing company. This will enable them to manufacture products that satisfy the customer as well as follows the company’s norms. The success or failure of a product purely depends on the customers. A product would retain its market if only if it meets the expectations of the customer. This clearly reveals that a product’s lifetime is in the hands of the users. Some products fail, even if they are manufactured by considering the requirements of the customer. The reason is that it might not be usable for the specific user group to which it was intended to be. The target group must be decided well in advance to ensure that the product is developed particularly for that user group. The goal of a product manufacturing company must be to prepare products that are suitable for the intended user group. This goal can be achieved by implementing certain unique techniques which makes the process easier. These techniques in turn specify the ways in which a product can be developed to suit the target group. This will ensure that the product serves the intended purpose. Instead of changing the way in which a product is developed, the companies can implement these techniques after which they can be sure of achieving their mission. An organization generally creates and develops a product based on the customer’s requirements. Once the client’s requirements are received the product is developed. A product cannot be developed without a well-defined set of principles. (Rainey, 2005) This is accomplished using product management and its techniques. Product management is a complete set of techniques and principles that define the way in which a product should be developed. Implementing these principles eases the process of product development and marketing. These principles are implemented to manage initial requirements, costs of the product, allocation of resources and managing risks that may arise in the product development process. Management defines the way in which a product must be developed and proposes certain strategies and planning procedures. The management procedure is common for any type of product since it is a general guideline to develop products. It improves the overall performance of the product by implementing the best procedures and aims at minimizing risks. The plans and policies differ from one organization to another, and hence it depends on the organization to select the strategy based on their policies. (Sakksvuori, 2002) Since the goals and objectives are defined well in advance, the management tools and techniques are used in order to satisfy the user’s requirements. Only when the product development techniques are implemented in a proper manner, the product will be a success. Else the product may fail resulting in a heavy loss for the company. It lies in the hands of the manufacturers to select a proper product development and management tool that yields more profits to the organization. Techniques Product manufacturing process involves several steps which in turn depend on various sources that assist in manufacturing a product. Each step entirely depends on its previous step since even a minor fault might lead to severe consequences. The company can avoid such situations if any of these techniques are followed. Hence it depends on the type of company and the product it manufactures. (Langdon & Clarkson, 2010) Based on this information, the technique is chosen and it is implemented. The various techniques aim at resolving the problems that result due to the use of improper techniques. The technique decides the way in which a product is perceived by the customers. The various techniques are Including users in the development process. Analyzing the user’s requirements. Conducting a research or survey to ascertain the user’s needs. Including consultants. Relying on the user’s requirements. Other techniques include incorporating testing techniques, conducting product tests, research, primary screening and optimization. These techniques are known as product testing techniques since they provide assure that the product is developed with all the requirements specified by the user. Including Users in Development Process This is considered to be the best technique when compared to all the other product management techniques. Incorporating users in the product development process ensures that the product is developed according to the needs of the user. In this technique, the user has an option to involve him in the production development process. This enables the developer to have a close contact with the customer. This acts as an advantage since the user can give his opinion in the process so that the product includes all the features requested by the user. The developers can easily include the specifications proposed by the customer. Another advantage of this technique is that, the user can express his thoughts in the enhancement of the product. The user can also specify the features which he expects in the product. (Keates, 2007). The developers can also be sure that the product will serve its intended purpose. The risk of the product becoming a failure is considerably lessened as the user himself can have an idea as to how a product is developed. This technique can be implemented only after selecting the specific user group. The specific user group is selected based on the product and its usage. For example, developing a software product or an application would require an analysis of the user’s requirements. This would enable the developers to design the software according to the needs of the user. (Nielson, 1993) Even a minor mistake will lead to a situation where the user might not be able to use the software. These situations can be avoided if the developer is in constant touch with the user. When designing and developing software that is intended for a common user group, the software’s operation must be identical to the common function that is required for that specific group. The main aim of developing software is to ease the process of working on an application. Thus the user must find it easy to install and work on the software. This can be accomplished only when user interaction is relatively pronounced. Once the specific user group is decided, the company must conduct a research to find out whether the product includes the specifications proposed by the user. This step will help the developers to have an idea about the expectations of the user, so that they can make necessary arrangements before the development begins. Each step must be completed with utmost care and at the end of a step the user must be intimated to check for consistency. This user must be selected from the specific user group and if he is comfortable with the product, the next step can be implemented. (Inwood, 1993).If the user finds any difficulty; he must report it to the developers so that they can modify the product according to the user’s specification. A product is developed or manufactured only to serve the customer. If the customer is not satisfied with the product, the company has to take the responsibility of creating it as specified by the user. Instead of modifying the product after its release, it is better to implement the changes at the time of development. This helps in avoiding the cost that would incur while reconstructing the product. In most of the companies, the user is not present at the time of designing or creating the product. This is one of the main reasons for a product’s failure. Thus it becomes mandatory for an organization to include users in the process of development. Including Consultants Consultants play a major role in an industry that deals with customers. While developing a product, the company requires certain external factors that have a great influence on the product. Consultants are the ones who help the company to design and deliver products to the customers. In certain companies, consultants are considered as a middle man who helps them in their interaction with the customers. Most of the companies do not have direct contact with its customers. Instead they rely on these consultants who make the process of interacting with the customers an easier task. Consultants conduct surveys and researches to get the user’s opinion about a particular product. They are also responsible for conducting user test which determines the quality of the product. (Clarkson, 2003). These consultants need not be human beings; it can also be a system or software that helps in customer orientation. In certain companies, a system is allotted to test the new products. These systems must be updated each time a new technology is introduced; else these systems will not yield the required result. In this fast paced world, satisfying a customer is the toughest task. The companies must employ people who are capable of acquiring proper information from the customers. The company has an additional responsibility of employing a consultant who will assist them at the time of developing a product. Since the consultant is responsible in ascertaining the needs of the customer, he must be capable enough to handle the requests of the customers. The consultant’s task is to submit a report on the expectations and requirements of a customer. User Group A product must be designed and developed keeping in mind the user group. The user group generally varies from one product to another. This user group is decided depending on the product and its usability. If the product is designed and developed for children, it must not have any complications. (Vainio, 2008). The product should be simple and easy for the children to use it. It might become a failure if it does not include basic features to attract the children. The product that is manufactured for the use of children must undergo a safety test which reveals whether the product is safe for children’s use. In case the product is aimed at adults, the company must make sure that an analysis is done prior to development. The user group is selected based on the product and its usability. The user group varies according to the product and so its utility value. If the developed product is software that is used to develop applications, the user group will be adults who work in companies that deal with software development. Once the user group is selected, the company must make sure the product is developed according to their needs. Usability and accessibility are the major components of a product. (Ulrish, 2001). A product that is developed for children must be manufactured keeping in mind the safety of the children. The product must not possess any harmful or hazardous chemicals. The safety of the children is the major concern. Generally parents insist on the safety aspects of a product and they select a product depending on its level of safety and accessibility. The company must include a separate department which deals with product testing and ensures that the product is safe enough to be used by a child. The expectations of the customers differ according to the product and they rely on companies that produce quality products. Quality becomes the major concern and they think twice even if a single product of a company becomes a failure. Thus the companies must make sure that they incorporate any of these techniques while developing a product. Usability and Accessibility Usability and accessibility are considered to be the important pillars of product development. The usability and accessibility also depends on the targeted user group. Once the user group is finalized, the task of analyzing the usability of the product is carried out. This will reveal the various factors, negative and positive aspects of the product. This in turn will enable the developers to remodel or modify the development process according to the outcome of analysis. Any product must satisfy the user requirements as well as the company’s quality standards. (Griffin, 2002). This can be achieved only if each and every step is carried out in a proper predefined manner. Usability techniques are used to test the skill and define the range of users. These techniques aim at analyzing the capability of the user and it is implemented before developing a product. The usability factors ascertain the positive aspects of the product there by enhancing the features of the product. The manufacturers aim at incorporating the required utility factors and this in turn improves the overall functionality of the product. The usability factors include the basic working of the product, unique features and characteristics which are important for a product to become successful. Even if all these factors are included and developed, the acceptability decides the life time of a product. The usability factors are generally included in the objectives defined for a particular product. The developed product must be accessible for the user group. The users must not feel any difficulty in getting access to the product. The companies must make sure that the product is made available whenever the customer requires it. If this is carried out in a proper way, the customer will certainly rely on the company. This in turn will increase customer satisfaction there by providing a good customer base and support. This will improve the standard and increase the reputation of the organization. Customers expect the product to be effective and efficient enough to help them in their day to day affairs. A product that meets all the specified criteria becomes a success, where as the one that fails to meet their expectation becomes a failure. Interactive development has become the order of the day. Customers expect the manufacturers to include them in the development process. The traditional practice of developing a product according to the availability of resources has been eradicated due to the increased customer expectation. The companies struggle hard to satisfy their customers and this can be achieved only if they keep track of the customers’ expectations and market improvements. (Clarkson, 2003). Usability of a product can be determined by implementing usability testing techniques. These techniques help the developers to analyze the problems and flaws in the product. This would allow them to modify the product based on the results of the usability tests. The usability problem will affect all types of users irrespective of their age group. The probability of the product getting in to a problem is more when a specific user group is defined. (Nielson, 1993). A usability test is conducted once the development process comes to an end. This is an internal test which decides whether the product is suitable for the user group. The results of usability test are used to improve and enhance the features of the product and this will help in modifying the product to suit all types of user groups. The usability test report can also help in deciding the accessibility of a product. The next step is to assess the accessibility of a particular product. Accessibility evaluation is carried out to determine the standards of the product. (Keates, 2007). The product must confirm to the accessibility standards to ensure that it has been developed according to the company’s policies. The accessibility options might relate to technical aspects of the product. The defined user group must not find any difficulty in accessing the product. The accessibility evaluation is carried out before conducting the user test. This accessibility evaluation finds out the flaws in the product and allows the developer to make the necessary changes so that the end product meets the requirements. Conclusion Product development is a process that is carried out after analyzing the need and utility value of a product. This paper describes product development techniques which ensure easy development of a product. These techniques ensure that the developed product is suitable for the specific user group. The usability and accessibility of a product defines the unique features and distinguishes a particular product from other products. A product will definitely rule the market if proper techniques and strategies are incorporated in the development process. References Rainey, D., 2005. Product Innovation: Leading Change through Integrated Product Development. U.K: Cambridge University Press. Sakksvuori, S., 2002. Product Lifecycle Management. 3rd ed. Germany: Springer-Verlag. Langdon, P. Clarkson, J., 2010. Designing Inclusive Interactions: Inclusive Interaction between People and Product. London: Springer-Verlag. Keates, S., 2007. Designing for Accessibility. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Nielson, J., 1993. Usability Engineering. U.S.A: Elseiver Inc. Inwood, D., 1993. Product Development: An Integrated Approach. U.S.A: Kogan Publishers. Clarkson, J., 2003. Combining Utility, Usability and Accessibility Methods for Universal Access. [Online]. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10 [Accessed 16 November 2010]. Vainio, K., 2008. Towards Practical User Experience Evaluation Methods. [Online]. Available at: http://research.nokia.com/files/VaananenVainioMattila-VUUM.pdf [Accessed 16 November 2010]. Ulrish, K., 2001. Product Development Decisions: A Review of the Literature. [e-journal] 47(1). Abstract only. Available at: Jstor Management Science database. http://www.jstor.org/pss/2661556 [Accessed 16 November 2010]. Griffin, A., 2002. An Interim Report on Measuring Product Development Success and Failure. Journal of Product Innovation Management. [Online]. 10(4), Available at: Science Direct http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VD5-45W6P9R- [Accessed 16 November 2010]. Read More