Customer needs Flashcards
Concept & theories
Where in the product development process does identifying customer needs lie?
In the concept development, after planning process.
Might not be 100% accurate
What are essential parts of the customer needs list?
Product focused on customer needs
Capture of articulated as well as latend needs
Ensure that all critical needs are identified
Basis for stating technical requirements
Common understanding in the team
Documentation
What key individuals/concepts are included when identifying customer needs?
Customer
User (primary, secondary, tetriary, Lead user, Extreme user)
Stakeholder
Explain the “customer”
The individual or organization that purchases the product (goods or service). Can be a client, buyer, purchaser. Can be internal or external.
Explain the “User”
The human being involved in a use activity.
The primary user = Usually the end user
Secondary user = The person who is to repair or maintain the product
Tertiary user = Can be a beneficiary of the product etc
Lead user
Experience a new product ahead of others
Stand to benefit greatly from the new product
Often have useful ideas to share
Can articulate their needs better than the average user
Extreme users
Use the in special environments or
Have individual circumstances that require them to have and adapted product
Extreme users special needs may reflect latent needs of mainstream users
Lead and extreme user may experience need more strongly than others. Like rollator
Explain the “Stakeholder”
- A person, group or organization that has interest or concern in a situation/organization.
- Someone who is involved in and/or affected by the course of action
- Primary stakeholders may be investors, employees, suppliers, customers
- Stakeholders may also be society, community etc
Explain the key concept “need”
The concept of need has been defined in many different ways
A lack of something necessary for survival or well being
Statements, phrases stated in the customers own words that enable design teams to focus on delivering the benefits that the customer wants
The gap between the existing situation and the desired situation
Needs show themselves in a readiness to search for activities or situations which are expected to satisfy needs
Explain the concept “Customer/user requirements”
The customers/users own formulation of something in the customers own words such as: easy, fast, natural. User requirements are those requirements which the user has for the artifact in use, which are manifested by the problems arising in context and/or articulated problems, wishes, desires by the user.
What to think about when transformulating customer needs statements into list
“what not how”
I want my Iphone to adjust my thermostat. = Thermostat can be controlled remotly without special device
Specify
I have different heating and cooling systems = The thermostat can control different systems
Positive not negative
I get tired of standing in front of my thermostat = The thermostat can be controlled from a comfortable position
An attribute of the product
If Im home when I shouldnt be I have to manually override it = The thermostat is automatically put on to a human presence
Avoid “must” and “should”
Im worried about the security of my thermostat = The thermostat controls are secure
What are som challenges with understanding customer needs
- Poor customer needs understanding
- Customers dont know what they want
- The iceberg phenomenon
Only a very small amount of the total list of requirements are immediately available
(unrealized needs) - Customers might not tell you
Needs that they are not aware of due to compensating behavior and habits
Emotional and semantic requirements
Requirements associated with culture and socio historical aspects.
Therefore observations are essential
What are the three classifications of customer needs?
Explicit
Easy for customers to express
Widely known and understood
Likely to be already fulfilled
Unfulfilled
Easy for customers to express
Known to be difficult to address
Generally not fulfilled
Latend
Hard for customers to express
Not yet widely understood
Currently unaddressed
Explain the “Kano-model”
The kano model proposes three types of need and requirements tht need to be addressed to be competitive
- Basic needs/req
Must haves, if they are present the customer is indifferent, if they are absent the customer is dissatisfacted - Performance needs/req
Higher performance leads to higher satisfaction, linear progression - Excitement needs/ req
If present it gives high satisfaction and if absent leads to indifferent. Since these are delighters.
