ENT 2/15     UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER NEEDS
 
 Read:      "Product Development: A Customer Driven Approach," Harvard Business School Note Number 9-695-016
 

•  Why is it difficult to introduce information about user needs into product development?
•  What are the different ways to introduce user needs into new product development?
•  What are tools and mechanisms for understanding user needs?

 
 Case:      "Sweet Water," Harvard Business School Case, (#N9-695-026)
 

•  What were users' needs in water purification?
•  Did Sweet Water's product development people understand these needs?  If so,  why?  If not, why not?
•  Assess their selection of a market segment.  Do you agree or disagree with this selection?  Why?
•  What choices did the company make in product development?  Are these choices consistent with meeting user needs? Why or why not?
•  Would any of their decisions have been different if Sweet Water were a large, diversified firm?

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