n

1. Identifying Customer Needs
Teaching materials to accompany:
Product Design and Development
Chapter 5
Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger
5th Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2012.

2. Product Design and Development
Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger
5th edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, 2012.
Chapter Table of Contents:
1.Introduction
2.Development Processes and Organizations
3.Opportunity Identification
4.Product Planning
5.Identifying Customer Needs
6.Product Specifications
7.Concept Generation
8.Concept Selection
9.Concept Testing
10.Product Architecture
11.Industrial Design
12.Design for Environment
13.Design for Manufacturing
14.Prototyping
15.Robust Design
16.Patents and Intellectual Property
17.Product Development Economics
18.Managing Projects

3. PlanningPlanning
Product Development Process
Concept
Development
Concept
Development
System-Level
Design
System-Level
Design
Detail
Design
Detail
Design
Testing and
Refinement
Testing and
Refinement
Production
Ramp-Up
Production
Ramp-Up

4. Concept Development Process
Perform Economic Analysis
Benchmark Competitive Products
Build and Test Models and Prototypes
Identify
Customer
Needs
Establish
Target
Specifications
Generate
Product
Concepts
Select
Product
Concept(s)
Set
Final
Specifications
Plan
Downstream
Development
Mission
Statement Test
Product
Concept(s)
Development
Plan

5. 06/18/18 5
Outline
• Nature of needs
• Need identification process
• An exercise

6. 06/18/18 6
Nature of needs
• Needs in the “use” environment
• Products have to serve a real need and
affordable to the customer
• Focus on user’s needs, instead of
“wants”

7. Customer Needs Process
• 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

8. 06/18/18 8
1: Define the scope of the
effort
• Use the project’s mission statement
– Brief (one sentence) description of the product
– Key business goals
– Target market(s) for the product
– Secondary market
– Assumptions that constrain the development effort
(boundary, scope, limit)
– Stakeholders (end users, retailers, sales, service
centers, production, legal, etc.)

9. Mission Statement
Example: Screwdriver Project
Product Description
•A hand-held, power-assisted device for installing threaded fasteners
Key Business Goals
•Product introduced in 4th Q of 2000
•50% gross margin
•10% share of cordless screwdriver market by 2004
Primary Market
•Do-it-yourself consumer
Secondary Markets
•Casual consumer
•Light-duty professional
Assumptions
•Hand-held
•Power assisted
•Nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable battery technology
Stakeholders
•User
•Retailer
•Sales force
•Service center
•Production
•Legal department

10. 06/18/18 10
2-1: Gather raw data from
customers (methods)
• Methods
– One-on-one interviews
– Focus groups (selected customers in a discussion
with a moderator
• Better than one-on-one as shown in Fig 4.4 on page 57
– Observing the product in use
– Survey
• Customer selection matrix
– Applications (industrial, household, personal) vs.
customer types (user, lead user, retailer, service
center, etc.)

11. How Many Customers?
From: Griffin, Abbie and John R. Hauser. “The Voice of the Customer”,
Marketing Science. vol. 12, no. 1, Winter 1993.
One-on-One Interviews (1 hour)
Focus Groups (2 hours)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0
20
40
60
80
100PercentofNeedsIdentified
Number of Respondents or Groups

12. 06/18/18 12
2-2: Art of eliciting need data
from customer
• Go with the flow
• Use existing and competitor’s products, or other
stimuli
• Suppress pre-conceived 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
(non-articulated) needs
• Watch for nonverbal information (comfort, image, or
style)

13. Customer Needs Example:
Cordless Screwdrivers

14. Visual Information Example: Book Bag Design

15. 06/18/18 15
2-3: Documenting interactions
with customer
• Customer statements, accompanied
with the documentation methods
– Audio recording
– Notes
– Video recording
– Still photography

16. 06/18/18 16
3: Interpret raw data in terms
of customer needs
• Guidelines
– 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.

17. Five Guidelines for Writing Needs Statements
Guideline Customer Statement Need Statement-Wrong Need Statement-Right
What Not
How
Specificity
Positive
Not
Negative
Attribute
of the
Product
Avoid
“Must”
and
“Should
“Why don’t you put
protective shields around
the battery contacts?”
“I drop my screwdriver all
the time.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s
raining, I still need to
work outside on
Saturdays.”
“I’d like to charge my
battery from my cigarette
lighter.”
“I hate it when I don’t
know how much juice is
left in the batteries of my
cordless tools.”
The screwdriver battery
contacts are covered by
a plastic sliding door.
The screwdriver battery
is protected from
accidental shorting.
The screwdriver is
rugged.
The screwdriver
operates normally after
repeated dropping.
The screwdriver is not
disabled by the rain.
The screwdriver
operates normally in
the rain.
An automobile cigarette
lighter adapter can
charge the screwdriver
battery.
The screwdriver battery
can be charged from
an automobile cigarette
lighter.
The screwdriver should
provide an indication of
the energy level of the
battery.
The screwdriver
provides an indication
of the energy level of
the battery.

18. 06/18/18 18

19. 06/18/18 19
4: Organize the needs into a
hierarchy
• Print each need statement on a separate card
or a self stick note
• Eliminate redundant statement
• Group the cards according to the similarity of
the needs they express
• Choose a label for each group
• Consider creating super-groups consisting of
two to five groups.
• Review and edit the organized need
statements

20. Organized List of Customer Needs
The SD provides plenty of power to drive screws. The SD is easy to set-up and use.
* The SD maintains power for several hours of heavy use. * The SD is easy to turn on.
** The SD can drive screws into hardwood. * The SD prevents inadvertent switching off.
The SD drives sheet metal screws into metal ductwork. * The user can set the maximum torque of the SD.
*** The SD drives screws faster than by hand. !* The SD provides ready access to bits or accessories.
* The SD can be attached to the user for temporary storage.
The SD makes it easy to start a screw.
* The SD retains the screw before it is driven. The SD power is convenient.
!* The SD can be used to create a pilot hole. * The SD is easy to recharge.
The SD can be used while recharging.
The SD works with a variety of screws. *** The SD recharges quickly.
** The SD can turn philips, torx, socket, and hex head screws. The SD batteries are ready to use when new.
** The SD can turn many sizes of screws. !** The user can apply torque manually to the SD to drive a screw.
The SD can access most screws. The SD lasts a long time.
The SD can be maneuvered in tight areas. ** The SD tip survives heavy use.
** The SD can access screws at the end of deep, narrow holes. The SD can be hammered.
* The SD can be dropped from a ladder without damage.
The SD turns screws that are in poor condition.
The SD can be used to remove grease and dirt from screws. The SD is easy to store.
The SD allows the user to work with painted screws. * The SD fits in a toolbox easily.
** The SD can be charged while in storage.
The SD feels good in the user's hand. The SD resists corrosion when left outside or in damp places.
*** The SD is comfortable when the user pushes on it. !* The SD maintains its charge after long periods of storage.
*** The SD is comfortable when the user resists twisting. The SD maintains its charge when wet.
* The SD is balanced in the user's hand.
! The SD is equally easy to use in right or left hands. The SD prevents damage to the work.
The SD weight is just right. * The SD prevents damage to the screw head.
The SD is warm to touch in cold weather. The SD prevents scratching of finished surfaces.
The SD remains comfortable when left in the sun.
The SD has a pleasant sound when in use.
The SD is easy to control while turning screws.
*** The user can easily push on the SD. The SD looks like a professional quality tool.
*** The user can easily resist the SD twisting.
The SD can be locked "on." The SD is safe.
!** The SD speed can be controlled by the user while turning a screw. The SD can be used on electrical devices.
* The SD remains aligned with the screw head without slipping. *** The SD does not cut the user's hands.
** The user can easily see where the screw is.
* The SD does not strip screw heads.
* The SD is easily re versible.

21. A Survey Design for Ranking
Customer Needs
06/18/18 21

22. 06/18/18 22
5: Establish the relative
importance of the needs
• Use the customers (to rank importance
as well as criticality)
• See a survey in Fig 4.9 on page 67

23. 06/18/18 23
6: Review the Result and
Reflect on the Process
• Whether the product is focused on needs of
customers
• Whether all critical needs are addressed
• Whether we sent out “thank you” notes to
customers.
• Whether there are rooms to improve the
process for future efforts.
• Whether the entire team understands the
needs

24. Caveats
• 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.

25. 06/18/18 25
Class Example: Identify customer needs
through discussion of a selected group
• Method: discussion of a group of lead customers
• Product: powered screwdriver (& book bag)
• Rules:
– No one criticizes anyone.
– Willing to compromise and reach a consensus.
– Identify customer needs or wants. It does not matter
whether they are a "must" or "should.
– It is not yet a product specification. Therefore
qualitative statement is fine.

26. 06/18/18 26
Class exercise: Identify customer needs
through discussion with a selected group
• Four-step procedure:
1. Individual writes down five need statements
(expectations) for the product (powered hand-held
screwdriver and then book bag)
2. Consolidate the need statements.
3. Classify need statements into groups and super-
groups in a hierarchical fashion.
4. Rank each need in terms of its relative importance
and criticality (e.g., Each one picks 5 needs and add
them up

27. 06/18/18 27
Customer Needs
Example:Cordless Screwdrivers

28. 1: Write down need
statements
• Group the lead users into groups of 4
• Each group come up with 5 need
statements
06/18/18 28

29. 06/18/18 29
2: Consolidate the needs
• Detachable tips
• Sufficient accessory tips
• Adjustable speed
• Adjustable torque
• Minimum vibration
• Light weight
• Easy to use
• Easy to carry
• Cordless
• Long-lasting rechargeable battery
• Weather proof
• Reversible
• Heavy duty casing
• Reasonable price
• Quick to re-charge
• Re-chargeable from car cigarette lighters

30. 06/18/18 30
3: Classify/group the needs
• Price
• Weight
• Function
• Operations
• Power source
• Maintenance

31. 06/18/18 31
4: Rank Customer Needs
• Each user picks five needs
– by their importance
• Each user picks five needs
– by their criticality.

32. 06/18/18 32
Class Exercise: Book Bag Design

33. 06/18/18 33
Chapter 4 HW
• Exercise 1, on page 90
• Due next week

34. Needs Translation Exercise:
Book Bag Design Example
“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.”