DEFINE PROBLEMDetermining Customer NeedsSetting Product RequirementsRef: Chap. 4, Ulrich & Eppinger textRef: Chap. 5, Ulrich & Eppinger textIDENTOPPDEFINE PROBLEMGEN CONCEPTSGATHER INFOIMPLEMENTSCREEN CONCEPTSHANDOFFPlease sit with your teamAccess your Google siteUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTADETERMINING CUSTOMER NEEDSAs practiced in ME 4054(Ref: Chap. 4, Ulrich & Eppinger text)IDENTOPPDEFINE PROBLEMGEN CONCEPTSGATHER INFOIMPLEMENTSCREEN CONCEPTSHANDOFFUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTASome ways to determine needs…• My advisor said, “Do it this way”• Marketing said, “Here are the specs”• Team member Sam said, “Gosh, I would buy one!”UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAAnother way to determine needs…• Determine who the customers are• Determine what information should be gathered from customers• Determine how that information should be gatheredAnd then, translate that information into product requirements and engineering specificationsWithin teams, list main customersUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAStep 1:Gathering customer information• Depth interviews• Surveys• “On the job” observations• Focus groupsGather and report raw data, no interpretations….yet!UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTADepth interviews• Great for getting lots of info quickly• Can go into the “why”• Have an interview script…clear with team and with advisor• Take notes…of everything, not just what you want to hear…record direct quotes• Can be hard to schedule• Be mindful of people’s time; ask for a specific amount of time and stick to it• Do over telephone or in personUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTASurveys• Hard to create a good questionnaire• Keep it short• Minimize essay questions (interview instead)• Need large N for quantitative data• Screen respondents…you want the right sample• Mail surveys…time scale wrong for ME4054• Web surveys…only if you direct people to itUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAObservations• GREAT method!• Be a “fly on the wall”• Observe environment where design will be used• Take notes• Best way to understand the user• Important for engineers to observe…and not simply rely on what others sayUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAFocus groups• Generates group discussion• Can resolve conflicting views• More than just getting people together• Needs a skilled moderator • Sometimes done in special facility with 1-way mirror and design team watching• Requires planning, scheduling• Logistics challenging for 4054 projectUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAWhat to do with the information…• Collect information as raw data, do not interpret as you take notes• See text for some great methods to organize and translate raw data into info you can use to design your product• Always check info against your common senseUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAExample: Design of a Cordless Screwdriver Steps:1. Gather data from customers2. Translate into“needs”3. Organize into a hierarchy4. Establish relative importanceUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAGathering Raw Data from Customers• Interviews• Surveys• Focus groups• Observing the product in useUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAStep 2: Translating Information into Customer NeedsUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAStep 3: Organize the needs into a hierarchy1. Print each statement on a card or Post-It note2. Eliminate redundant statements3. Group the statements according to the similarity of needs they express4. Choose a label for each group5. Consider “supergroups” of 2-5 groups6. Review and edit the organized needs statementsUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAStep 4: Establish the relative importance of needs• Two basic approaches– Consensus of team– Further customer survey• A numerical ranking process is a common tool. For example:1. The feature is undesirable2. The feature is not important3. The feature would be nice to have, but is not necessary4. The feature is highly desirable5. The feature is criticalUNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAStep 5: Reflect on the results and the process• Have we included all of the important types of customers?• Did we miss anything in our information gathering process? Any follow up interviews needed?• What do we know now that we didn’t know when we started? Any surprises?• How can we improve the process?It makes no sense to create a design that nobody other than the design team wants!The bottom line…UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTAGathering “voice of the customer” is a continuous
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