Problem solving process

PISCO

ProblemInformationSolutionsChoiceOperation

Edward de Bono

So – what are you going to do?

• How to decide??• What methods might you use?

– Would Innowiz give you some ideas?– Affinity diagrams?– Some sort of collation of ideas?– How to assess them?– Which criteria do you want?

MARKETING

ANSOFF MATRIX

Product or serviceDevelopment: implementation of new technology

Market PenetrationMarket developmentDisruptive innovation

Diversification

Market

Pro

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or

serv

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Present New

Pre

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BOSTON MATRIX

Problem Children

Dogs Cash cows

Stars

Relative market share

Mark

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low high

low

hig

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MARKETING MIX

Four Cs• Customer’s requirements• Cost• Convenience• Communications

Cash

USP

Unique Selling Proposition

“Brands are made up of USPs: stuff that’s either been invented, patented, protected or done so well for so long that any usurpers

or imitators don’t stand a chance”Mary Portas,

Telegraph magazine, 2 June 2012

PRODUCT or SERVICE SUCCESS?*

Factors in the success of new products or services:

1 Strong market orientation 5 x • Better than competing products and

services • Better in ways which are highly valued

* Baxter, M; Product Design

Factors in the success of new products or

services:*2Early planning and specification 3 x

Product or service must be• Sharply defined• Precisely specified early in

development• Assessed in a thorough and stringent

manner

* Baxter, M; Product Design

Factors in the success of new products or

services:*

3 Company factors 2.5 x

Technical excellenceMarketing excellenceTechnical & marketing synergy

* Baxter, M; Product Design

MARKET RESEARCH

Direct:

a) Qualitative - use of small samples, unfocused questions, leading questions. Leads to ideas and formulation of larger-scale, quantitative work.

b) Quantitative - use of large samples, focused questions, closed questions. Leads to more concrete and numerical statistical research data.

MARKET RESEARCH

Indirect (sometimes known as desk):

a) Market trends obtained (eg from Mintel)

b) Data on products and services already on the market

c) Consumer magazine data

d) Identification of market leader(s)

e) Identification of state-of-the-art and the current product paradigm

Product analysis methods:

Feature analysis

Parametric analysis -

particularly price / performance

Stripdown analysis

Feature analysis

• A matrix process• List of competition across the top• List of attributes down the left• Add ticks or information as

appropriate…

example

• Floor boxes for electrical systems• What did the company ask for?• How did we set out to investigate

the market?

The direct route

• Interview stakeholders– Electrical consultants– Electrical contractors– End users

• Establish their priorities

1 Investigate the major players in the market – who were they?

2 Obtain examples of their products3 Test them against our criteria

from the direct investigation

The indirect route

Floor

boxes…

Features analysis example

This chart was produced by Cableduct for the floor box

Data to be found in file that is on Blackboard

This was deliberate on our part!!

Parametric analysis

• The concept is to compare products or services in different categories and draw graphs

• The most important graph is that for performance (vertical) against price

Price – performance analysis – vacuum cleaners

Which? Scores

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0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

Price

Sco

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