IDENTIFYING CUSTOMER NEEDS
PREPARED BY:
MUHAMAD ZAKI BIN YUSUP
IAR DEPARTMENT
At the end of this session the students should be able to :
Explain the benefits of Structured Methods of Identifying
customers needs
Perform customers needs identification
Discussion of Principles and Caveats.
- product focus on customer needs.
- Identify latent or hidden needs as well as explicit needs.
- Provide a fact base for justifying the product
specifications.
- Create 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.
Define the Scope
› Mission Statement
Gather Raw Data
› Interviews
› Focus Groups
› Observation
Interpret Raw Data
› Need Statements
Organize the Needs
› Hierarchy
Establish Importance
› Surveys
› Quantified Needs
Reflect on the Process
› Continuous Improvement
5 steps 5. Reflect on the results
and the process
4. Establish the relative
importance of the needs.
3. Organize the needs into a
hierarchy of primary,
secondary, and (if necessary)
tertiary needs.
2. Interpret the raw data
in terms of customer needs.
1. Gather raw data
from customers.
Three methods are commonly used:
1. Interviews 2. Focus groups 3. Observing the product in use
conducted in group of 8 to 12 Watching customers use an existing
the customer's customers product
environment
conducted in a
special room
equipped with a
two-way mirror
Choosing Documenting
Customers The Art of Eliciting
Customer Needs Interactions
Data
100
80
Percent of Needs Identified
60
One-on-One Interviews (1 hour)
Focus Groups (2 hours)
40
20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Number of Respondents or Groups
From: Griffin, Abbie and John R. Hauser. “The Voice of the Customer”, Marketing Science. vol. 12, no. 1,
Winter 1993.
Choosing The Art of Eliciting Documenting
Customers Customer Needs Data Interactions
how many Primarily at interviewing end
customers to users Audio recording
interview Notes
Go with the flow
more efficiently Use visual stimuli and props Video recording
with lead users
Suppress preconceived Still photography
(experience).
hypotheses about the
product technology
Have the customer
demonstrate the product
and/or typical tasks related to
the product
Be alert for surprises and the
expression of latent needs
Watch for nonverbal
information
Step 2: Interpret Raw Data in Terms of Customer Needs
Guide line
1. Express the need in terms of what
the product has to do, not in terms
of how it might do it
2. Express the need as specifically
as the raw data.
3. Use positive, not negative,
phrasing.
4. Express the need as an attribute of
the product
Step 3: Organize the Needs into a Hierarchy
Guide line
Print or write each need 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 super groups
consisting of two to five groups.
Review and edit the organized needs
statements.
Step 4: Establish the Relative Importance of the Needs
numerical importance weighting for a subset
Step 5: Reflect on the Results and the Process
QUESTIONS…..
Guideline Customer Statement Need Statement-
Statement- Need Statement-
Statement-Right
Wrong
What Not “Why don’t you put The screwdriver battery The screwdriver battery
protective shields around contacts are covered by is protected from
How
the battery contacts?” a plastic sliding door. accidental shorting.
“I drop my screwdriver The screwdriver is The screwdriver
Specificity
all the time.” rugged. operates normally after
repeated dropping.
Positive “It doesn’t matter if it’s The screwdriver is not
raining, I still need to The screwdriver
Not disabled by the rain.
work outside on operates normally in
Negative the rain.
Saturdays.”
Attribute “I’d like to charge my An automobile The screwdriver battery
of the battery from my cigarette lighter can be charged from
Product cigarette lighter.” adapter can charge the an automobile
screwdriver battery. cigarette lighter.
Avoid “I hate it when I don’t The screwdriver should The screwdriver provides
“Must” know how much juice is provide an indication of an indication of the
and left in the batteries of my the energy level of the energy level of the
“Should cordless tools.” battery. battery.
“See how the leather on the bottom of the
bag is all scratched; it’s ugly.”
“When I’m standing in line at the cashier trying
to find my checkbook while balancing my
bag on my knee, I feel like a stork.”
“This bag is my life; if I lose it I’m in big trouble.”
“There’s nothing worse than a banana that’s
been squished by the edge of a textbook.”
“I never use both straps on my knapsack; I just
sling it over one shoulder.”
Capture “What, Not How”.
Meet customers in the use environment.
Collect visual, verbal, and textual data.
Props will stimulate customer responses.
Interviews are more efficient than focus groups.
Interview all stakeholders and lead users.
Develop an organized list of need statements.
Look for latent needs.
Survey to quantify tradeoffs.
Make a video to communicate results.
SUMMARY
- an integral part of the concept development phase
Five steps
steps::
• Gather raw data from customers.
customers.
• Interpret the raw data in terms of customer needs
needs..
• Organize the needs into a hierarchy
hierarchy..
• Establish the relative importance of the needs
needs..
• Reflect on the results and the process
process..
- high-
high-quality information ensures fully understand the needs of the customer.
Lead users are a good source of customer (experience)
- Latent needs (important in final product )important than explicit needs in determining
customer’s satisfaction
expressed in terms of what the product has to do, not terms of how the product might be
implemented
- focused on custom needs and that no critical customer need is forgotten clear
understanding among members
SEKIAN
TERIMA KASIH
