When companies are less responsive, this is more likely to be due to a lack of understanding of the route to market than to a lack of enthusiasm or will.
The four issues that can inhibit development are described below.
- An idea from the ivory tower – someone influential who lives in a market sector that is different from the core customer’s, and has sufficient influence to sway decisions.
- Too early a challenge to the idea – it’s quite good fun to pick holes and find fault with something that isn’t yet thought through. In the early stages the call is for support; only in the later stages is it for criticism.
- Lack of involvement of other departments (especially the financial people) – too often an idea, project or concept is presented for funding to be met by cost-cutting and cheapening; to involve the financial people earlier means they are up to speed and actually supportive.
- Ego and fear – that to revisit past assumptions in the light of market evidence will show weakness, or demand additional resources (and upset the financial people again) so the project ploughs ahead with a sub-standard offering.
An approach that overcomes these potential hurdles is discussed below with the help of a map that describes the process in a way that is as appropriate to the SME as it is to the multinational. It may be easier to print the map first and use it as a guide though the comments that follow.
The ten stages of product development
These ten stages are as appropriate to product development as they are to business development or market development, and take a logical journey through the various processes involved. The four hurdles are discussed at the points they occur on the journey.
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