Turn Customer Input into Innovation

Turn Customer Input into Innovation

"Lots of companies ask customers what they'd like to see in products and services-but they go about it all wrong. A new methodology for capturing customer input promises to galvanize the innovation process." In this article Anthony W. Ulwick talks about communicating with customers so that innovation becomes consistently successful. They are basically coming up with a core plan on how to stop asking customers what they want your products to do for them. Many companies try fulfilling their customer's wants and needs by providing the exact products and services they ask for. Customers only know from experienced so when you ask what they want they suggest what firms already have established. Instead, companies should listen to the requests and determine what their customers want their products and services to do for them.

 Customer input does not always lead to product. There are several problems when it comes to listening to customers. Asking customers for solutions tends to undermine innovation process. That's because customers have limited frame of reference and or always think of already existing products and features. Listening to the customer will lead a company to disappointment. When they get what they ask for the customer either find the product difficult to use or will not be willing to pay for the new and improved features. Also the company will be left creating "me too" products.They use Kawasaki Jet-ski for example, the company asked how they could improve Jet ski. The customers wanted extra padding to stand comfortably. Competition manufactured Jet ski with seats and Kawasaki resulted in getting bumped from it's leading market position.

The solution to capturing the customer input was to focus on the outcomes, not solution and discover customer values. The five step methodology first step was plan outcome-based customer interviews. Basically they developed different style of customer interview carefully selecting the participating customers and ensured the interview was outcome based. The second step was capturing desired outcomes. Mainly just being able to distinguish between outcomes and solutions and then clarify validity of statements. Third step was organizing the outcomes where they make sure responses are categorized and recorded accurately. Fourth they rated the outcomes which weeded out which feedback was most important. Lastly the information was used to jump-start innovation. This transform your findings into new ideas that meets the needs and values of the customer. Using a five step plan based on outcome-based interviews allows a company to take the guess work out of innovation and give the customer, not what they ask for, but what they really need.