CHAPTER 1: The Case for Market-Driven Product Definition - The Universal Problem
This chapter presents the case for using a customer-centric product definition. Insights from historical examples of product successes and failures expose the need for an analytical process at the so-called fuzzy front end of the product development process.
CHAPTER 2: Applying the timeless Seven P's - Beginning at the Beginning
his chapter discusses the factors essential for successful implementation of the MDPD process. The MDPD overview presents a sixteen-step process, which delivers tangible results documented by actual case histories in various industries.
CHAPTER 3: The Customer Visit - Who is the Customer?
Chapter 3 outlines the development of a visit matrix and the factors that go into deciding which customers to interview as part of the process. This is a central step in the product definition process.
CHAPTER 4: Understanding the Voice of the Customer - Hearing What Customers Are Really Saying
Chapter 4 presents the tangible value, supported by case studies, of interviewing customers in their work environments. It also introduces the customer image concept as a valuable means of understanding the true voice of the customer.
CHAPTER 5: Seeing Life Through the Customer's Eyes - Creating an Image Diagram
This chapter builds on the idea of the customer image as a tool for creating a customer-centric product definition. It documents the necessity of seeing the product from the customer's perspective.
CHAPTER 6: Translating the Voice of the Customer - Identifying Product Requirements
Chapter 6 is structured around the theme of identifying customer requirements. This chapter describes the process of separating the "must have" features from the "me too" features, and helps to define the elements that will delight customers.
CHAPTER 7: Establishing Metrics - If You Can't Measure It, You Don't Understand It
This chapter establishes the criticality of developing metrics to insure that customer requirements have been identified and are being properly evaluated.
CHAPTER 8: Putting Requirements to the Test - Surveying to Validate and Prioritize Customer Needs
Chapter 8 details the difficult task of validating, prioritizing and selecting which customer requirements to address. The concepts presented in Chapter 8 allow a company to evaluate customer requirements objectively.
CHAPTER 9: Beginning Product Commercialization - Using Survey Results to Evaluate Existing Solutions
This chapter presents the approaches necessary to evaluate thoroughly competitive offerings in the market using a weighted concept selection matrix for product positioning.
CHAPTER 10: From Opportunity to Solution - Generating Creative Ideas
This chapter explores methodologies for generating, screening and selecting product concepts and presents several techniques that help the reader develop product specifications.
CHAPTER 11: Hitting the Market's Sweet Spot - Selecting Solutions that Customers Value
Chapter 11 looks at methods for evaluating the product concepts generated in the previous chapter, with an eye toward choosing those that provide the most value to customers and a tolerable level of risk to the company.
CHAPTER 12: Co-Wired MDPD - Global Product Definition Using the Web
Chapter 12 looks to the future and the impact of the Internet on product definition techniques. This final chapter examines how companies can let their customers lead the way to optimizing the product definition using the Web.