02 Customer Needs and Product Specifications

Customer Needs and Product
Specifications
Carlos Andrés Miranda 1

The product development process
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The product development process
Concept System-Level Detail Testing and Production

Planning Development Design Design Refinement Ramp-Up
Mission Concept System Spec Critical Design Production

Approval Review Review Review Approval
Mission Development
Statement Identify Establish Generate Select Test Set Plan Plan
Customer Target Product Product Product Final Downstream
Needs Specifications Concepts Concept(s) Concept(s) Specifications Development
Analysis of customer needs begins the development process.
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Identifying Customer Needs
The philosophy behind the method is to create a high-quality information channel that runs directly
between customers in the target market and the developers of the product.
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The philosophy behind the method is to create a high-quality information channel that runs directly
between customers in the target market and the developers of the product.
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The goals of the method are to:
• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Identify latent or hidden needs as well as explicit needs.
• Provide a fact base for justifying the product specifications.
• Create an archival record of the needs activity of the development process.
• Ensure that no critical customer need is missed or forgotten.
• Develop a common understanding of customer needs among members of the development team.
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• Develop a common understanding of customer needs among members of the
development team.
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A classification of customer needs
• Easy for customers to express

• Widely known and understood
• Likely to be already fulfilled
Explicit
• Easy for customers to express

Unfulfilled • Known to be difficult to address
• Generally not fulfilled
• Hard for customers to express

Latent • Not yet widely understood
• Currently unaddressed
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A classification of customer needs
stable seat
Explicit
compact folding
Unfulfilled
style
Latent
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Latent needs
• Needs that customers may not be aware of and are not able to express
• When latent needs are addressed, products may delight and exceed customers’ expectations
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Latent needs
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Latent needs
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This philosophy is built on the premise that those who directly control the details of the product,
including the engineers and industrial designers, must interact with customers and experience the
use environment of the product.
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Observing tacit knowledge
• Customers have knowledge they cannot readily explain.
• Be aware of user solutions and unintended uses.
• You may not know what to ask… so observe carefully!
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Observing tacit knowledge
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Identifying customer needs is itself a process.
1. Gather raw data from customers.
2. Interpret the raw data in terms of customer needs.
3. Organize the needs into a hierarchy of primary, secondary, and (if necessary) tertiary needs.
4. Establish the relative importance of the needs.
5. Reflect on the results and the process.
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Step 1: Gather raw data from customers.
Gathering data involves contact with customers and experience with the use environment of the
product.
• Interviews
• Focus groups
• Observing the product in use
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Step 1: Gather raw data from customers.
Some helpful questions and prompts for use after the interviewers introduce themselves and
explain the purpose of the interview are:
• When and why do you use this type of product?

• Walk us through a typical session using the product.
• What do you like about the existing products?
• What do you dislike about the existing products?
• What issues do you consider when purchasing the product?
• What improvements would you make to the product?
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Step 2: Interpret Raw Data in Terms of Customer Needs
Customer needs are expressed as written statements and are the result of interpreting the need
underlying the raw data gathered from the customers.
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Step 2: Interpret Raw Data in Terms of Customer Needs
• Express the need in terms of what the product has to do, not in terms of how it might do it.
• Express the need as specifically as the raw data.
• Use positive, not negative, phrasing.
• Express the need as an attribute of the product.
• Avoid the words must and should.
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Needs Statement -
Guideline Customer Statement Needs Statement - Right
Wrong
“What” not “How” I would like my iPhone to The thermostat can be The thermostat is
adjust my thermostat. controlled remotely accompanied by a
without requiring a special downloadable iPhone app.
device.
Specificity I have different heating and The thermostat can control The thermostat is versatile.
cooling systems. separate heating and
cooling systems.
Positive not I get tired of standing in front The thermostat can be The thermostat does not
Negative of my thermostat to program programmed from a require me to stand in front
it. comfortable position. of it for programming.
An Attribute of the I have to manually override The thermostat An occupant’s presence
Product the program if I’m home when automatically responds to triggers the thermostat to
I shouldn’t be. an occupant’s presence. automatically change
modes.
Avoid “Must” and I’m worried about how secure The thermostat controls The thermostat must be
“Should” my thermostat would be if it are secure from secure from unauthorized
were accessible online. unauthorized access. access.
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Step 3: Organize the needs into a hierarchy
The goal of step 3 is to organize these needs into a useful hierarchical list.
The list will typically consist of a set of primary needs, each one of which will be further
characterized by a set of secondary needs.
The primary needs are the most general needs, while the secondary and tertiary needs express
needs in more detail.
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• Print or write each needs statement on a separate card or self-stick note.
• Eliminate redundant statements.
• Group the cards according to the similarity of the needs they express. For each group, choose a
label.
• Consider creating supergroups consisting of two to five groups.
• Review and edit the organized needs statements.
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Step 4: Establish the Relative Importance of the Needs
There are two basic approaches to the task:
(1) relying on the consensus of the team members based on their experience with customers,
(2) basing the importance assessment on further customer surveys
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Step 4: Establish the Relative Importance of the Needs
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Step 5: Reflect on the Results and the Process
A good way to summarize the results of the process is to list the most important needs and the
latent needs.
The important needs are an excellent reminder of the critical few needs that must be addressed for
a great product, and the latent needs provide insights that can drive the creative process of
generating product concepts.
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Product Specifications
Voice of the Customer Product

Customer Needs Specifications
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Customer needs are generally expressed in the “language of the customer.”
We intend the term product specifications to mean the precise description of what the product has
to do.
Product specifications do not tell the team how to address the customer needs, but they do
represent an unambiguous agreement on what the team will attempt to achieve to satisfy the
customer needs.
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Customer needs are generally expressed in the “language of the customer.”
We intend the term product specifications to mean the precise description of what the product has
to do.
Product specifications do not tell the team how to address the customer needs, but they do
represent an unambiguous agreement on what the team will attempt to achieve to satisfy the
customer needs.
Two questions for each one:

1. How will we measure it?
2. What is the right value?
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Customer needs list and their relative importance
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A specification (singular) consists of a metric and a value.
The product specifications (plural) are simply the set of the individual specifications.
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Spec = Metric + Value(s) + Units

Examples:
metric value units
• Total Mass 8.5-10 kg
• Cycles to Failure >500k cycles
• Unit Production Cost <110 $
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“the suspension is easy to install,” is a customer need
“average time to assemble” is a metric
“less than 75 seconds” is the value of this metric
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Establishing Target Specifications
The target specifications are established after the customer needs have been identified but before
product concepts have been generated and the most promising one(s) selected.
They are the goals of the development team, describing a product that the team believes would
succeed.
Later these specifications will be refined based on the limitations of the product concept actually
selected.
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Start with the customer needs
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Prepare the list of metrics.
The most useful metrics are those that reflect as directly as possible the degree to which the
product satisfies the customer needs.
The relationship between needs and metrics is central to the entire concept of specifications.
The working assumption is that a translation from customer needs to a set of precise, measurable
specifications is possible and that meeting specifications will therefore lead to satisfaction of the
associated customer needs.
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Stablish metrics and units
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Metrics Exercise:
Ballpoint Pen
Customer Need:
The pen writes smoothly.
How would you translate this need statement into metrics?

For each metric, state the appropriate units.
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Metrics Exercise:
Ballpoint Pen Customer Need:
The pen writes smoothly.
Metric (units)
1 Variation in line thickness (mm)
2 Variation in ink coverage (cc/mm2)
3 Functional range of writing force (N)
4 Functional range of writing velocity (mm/sec)
5 Functional range of pen angle from vertical (deg)
6 Variation in resistance to translational motion (N)
7 The pen feels comfortable (subj) 44
Bike Locks
• I wrap cushy tape around my lock to keep it from scratching my bike.
• How do you carry something this heavy?
• I hate having to walk around looking for something my lock will fit to.
• I keep my lock attached to my bike because otherwise I would forget it at home.
• How am I supposed to tell my lock apart from my roommate’s?
• With winter gloves it's impossible to open.
• How can I feel 100% sure that my bike is safe?
• I sometimes forget my key at home.
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Bike Locks
Customer Quote
• How do you carry something this heavy?
 Customer Need
• The lock is lightweight.
 Metric?
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The needs – metrics Matrix
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The needs – metrics Matrix
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Once the targets have been set, the team can proceed to generate solution concepts.
The target specifications then can be used to help the team select a concept and will help the team
know when a concept is commercially viable.
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Customer Needs and Product Specifications
Exercise
En el marco del proyecto de diseño, fabricación, instalación y puesta en marcha de un accionamiento
electromecánico para una banda trasportadora de mineral de hierro y a partir de las siguientes
afirmaciones del cliente, especificar la necesidad del cliente en cada afirmación y establecer al menos
una métrica para satisfacer cada necesidad.
(a) Voz del cliente: Cuando hagamos una parada de mantenimiento, la banda transportadora (debido a
que está inclinada) no se debe mover ni para adelante ni para atrás.
(b) Voz del cliente : Si ese aparato se daña, se para toda la producción y nos echan a todos.
(c) Voz del cliente : Por allá es muy complicado subir a alguien a revisar la máquina.
(d) Voz del cliente : En el sitio de instalación llueve todos los días.
(e) Voz del cliente : La banda transportadora no debe arrancar de golpe, sino despacio.
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Customer Needs and Product

Carlos Andrés Miranda 1

Concept System-Level Detail Testing and Production

Mission Concept System Spec Critical Design Production

Analysis of customer needs begins the development process.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Ensure that the product is focused on customer needs.

• Easy for customers to express

• Easy for customers to express

• Hard for customers to express

• Customers have knowledge they cannot readily explain.

• Be aware of user solutions and unintended uses.

• You may not know what to ask… so observe carefully!

1. Gather raw data from customers.

2. Interpret the raw data in terms of customer needs.

4. Establish the relative importance of the needs.

5. Reflect on the results and the process.

• Observing the product in use

• When and why do you use this type of product?

• Print or write each needs statement on a separate card or self-stick note.

• Eliminate redundant statements.

• Consider creating supergroups consisting of two to five groups.

• Review and edit the organized needs statements.

There are two basic approaches to the task:

(2) basing the importance assessment on further customer surveys

Voice of the Customer Product

Two questions for each one:

Spec = Metric + Value(s) + Units

“the suspension is easy to install,” is a customer need

“average time to assemble” is a metric

“less than 75 seconds” is the value of this metric

Prepare the list of metrics.

How would you translate this need statement into metrics?

Prepare the list of metrics.

The needs – metrics Matrix

Prepare the list of metrics.

The needs – metrics Matrix

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