Operations

Commercialization

Commercialization Jonathan Poland

Commercialization is the process of introducing a new product or service into the market and making it available for purchase by consumers. It involves a range of activities, including market research, product development, marketing, and sales.

Effective commercialization requires a thorough understanding of customer needs and preferences, as well as a clear plan for bringing the product or service to market. This includes identifying the target market, developing a marketing strategy, and designing a pricing and distribution plan.

One key aspect of commercialization is the development of a go-to-market strategy, which outlines the steps necessary to bring the product or service to market and reach target customers. This may include creating a marketing plan, identifying distribution channels, and establishing partnerships with other businesses.

In order to be successful, a product or service must meet the needs of its target market and be competitive in the marketplace. This requires a deep understanding of the competitive landscape and the factors that drive consumer purchasing decisions.

Overall, commercialization is a critical step in the innovation process, as it enables companies to bring new products and services to market and generate revenue. By carefully planning and executing a commercialization strategy, businesses can increase their chances of success and drive growth.

Art

Art is often pursued for art’s sake. That is to say, that art such as painting, sculpture, music and film is often driven by creative instinct as opposed to commercial intent. As such, commercialization has somewhere negative connotations in creative professions.

Government

Governments are typically designed to protect, preserve and improve the quality of life of communities. This is very different from the profit motive that drives the private sector. Nevertheless, it is common to commercialize certain government operations with techniques such as outsourcing.

Business Capabilities

The term commercialization is often applied to the process of identifying internal business capabilities such as technologies, processes and knowledge that have potential to be a product.

Innovation

Innovation differs from traditional product development in that it involves testing out a large number of ideas. In the context of innovation, commercialization is the process of selecting a prototype or business experiment for product development.

Innovation Metrics

Innovation Metrics Jonathan Poland

Innovation metrics are tools used to assess the innovation efforts of a company. It can be challenging to accurately measure innovation, as it is often intertwined with more routine activities such as continuous improvement. The objective of innovation is to create significantly superior techniques and products compared to competitors. Therefore, metrics for early stage innovation may aim to verify that ideas and experiments are bold enough. This requires specialized metrics, as traditional business metrics are typically geared towards evaluating end results like revenue and risk reduction, rather than risk-taking.

Cost Improvement Rate

In many industries, innovation is focused on reducing a particular cost. For example, in the solar energy industry a low cost per watt is a valuable competitive advantage. A new cost rate represents the annualized reduction in a critical cost.

Development Pipeline

The number of innovations at each stage in an innovation pipeline.

Experiment Cycle Time

The average time from initial acceptance of an idea to its ultimate rejection. A short experiment cycle time indicates that ideas are quickly being validated and tested. Successful ideas are measured with the length of full innovation cycles such as time to market.

Experiments

The number of experiments conducted per month or quarter and their success rate.

Growth Gap

The gap between your target and actual growth rate. Revenue growth is often the primary goal of innovation.

Idea Breadth

The number of unique categories of innovation ideas. May highlight problems such as an innovation program that is over focused on releasing a particular category of product.

Idea Depth

The number of unique sources for ideas. Measures how well your innovation program capture ideas from your employees, partners and customers as opposed to resulting from two people brainstorming in a room.

Idea Generation

The total number of ideas that you’re considering per month or quarter.

Idea Selection

The percentage of ideas that are being accepted for experimentation.

Innovation Compensation

The percentage of your performance based compensation that can is directly tied to successful innovation.

Innovation Overhead

Your total innovation spend as a percentage of revenue. Can be used to benchmark against an industry or competitor.

New Patents

The number of new patents is amongst the oldest ways to measure innovation. Patents can be dangerous as a primary goal because they aren’t necessarily valuable to your business. It is common for leading companies by number of patents to be large, well established firms that have moderate revenue growth. In some cases, such firms are perceived as lacking in innovation despite impressive patent numbers.

New Products

The number of new products launched in a quarter. The definition of new product is important here as a slight upgrade to a product is often considered new. The goal of product innovation is to create products that improve on the old by an order of magnitude. As such, only truly new products are typically counted for the purposes of innovation metrics.

New Revenue Rate

The percentage of your revenue that comes from products that didn’t exist 3 years ago.

Project Risk

The project risk related to late stage innovation initiatives. Innovation processes typically seek to shift risks to early stage lightweight experimentation. Late stage risks are often commercially relevant and are managed with standard risk management practices.

Return On Investment

Standard financial metrics such as return on investment are used to measure the returns of an innovation program as a whole with the understanding that innovation is a long term investment that is better measured over long periods such as 3 years as opposed to quarter over quarter.

Sustainability Metrics

Innovation may be geared towards an organization’s sustainability goals that are measured with metrics such as unit energy consumption or waste output.

Time To Market

The average cycle time from idea to launch.

Time To Volume

The average cycle time from idea to launch and achievement of commercial relevance as measured by business volumes such as service subscribers.

Experiment Cycle Time

Experiment Cycle Time Jonathan Poland

Experiment Cycle Time is a measure of how long it takes for an idea to go through the innovation process, from acceptance to rejection after testing. This metric is used to assess the efficiency of the process for quickly, cheaply, and safely determining which ideas are not viable. It is not typically used as a primary goal, but rather as a secondary metric to complement other measures such as time to market or time to volume, which are used to evaluate successful ideas.

Here are some examples of Experiment Cycle Time in action:

  1. A company that develops new products has a process for evaluating and testing new ideas. They receive a suggestion for a new type of kitchen gadget and begin the innovation process. After conducting market research, prototyping, and testing the product, they determine that it is not viable due to low demand. The Experiment Cycle Time in this case would be the length of time it took to go through the entire process and make the decision to reject the idea.
  2. A tech start-up has a process for rapidly prototyping and testing new software features. They receive a suggestion for a new feature and begin the innovation process. After conducting user testing and analyzing the results, they determine that the feature is not viable due to low adoption rates. The Experiment Cycle Time in this case would be the length of time it took to go through the entire process and make the decision to reject the idea.
  3. A pharmaceutical company has a process for evaluating and testing new drug candidates. They receive a suggestion for a new medication and begin the innovation process. After conducting extensive clinical trials, they determine that the drug is not effective and decide to reject it. The Experiment Cycle Time in this case would be the length of time it took to go through the entire process and make the decision to reject the idea.

In all of these examples, Experiment Cycle Time measures the speed at which the innovation process can identify and reject ideas that are not viable, allowing the company to focus resources on more promising opportunities.

Quality Requirements

Quality Requirements Jonathan Poland

Quality requirements refer to the specific standards that a product, service, process, or environment must meet in order to be considered of high quality. Quality can refer to both tangible and intangible elements that add value beyond the functional features of a product or service. Quality requirements help to ensure that products, services, processes, and environments meet the needs and expectations of customers and stakeholders. By defining quality requirements, businesses can ensure that they are consistently delivering high-quality offerings that meet the needs of their customers. The following are illustrative examples of quality requirements.

Reliability

Enduring and consistent performance in real world conditions. For example, a drum designed to maintain its sound for at least 150,000 strikes.

Consistency

The requirement that units be the same or that units be internally consistent. For example, apples that are mostly the same size with similar appearance and taste.

Availability

The availability of a service. For example, a requirement for a software service to be up 99.99% of the time.

Usability

Requirements related to ease of use such as a can of coffee that is easy for everyone to open and reseal.

Customer Experience

Requirements that make a product or service more pleasing to customers. For example, the requirement that coffee smell good when you first open the can.

Look & Feel

The look and feel of products and services such as the aesthetics of a mobile device.

Environments

The quality of environments such as the interior design of a hotel lobby.

Customer Service

Customer service requirements such as the practice of greeting guests of a hotel by all staff in common areas such as hallways.

Performance

Performance requirements such as the responsiveness and speed of a user interface.

Maintainability

Requirements that things be easy to maintain and fix. For example, a mobile device with elements that can be swapped in and out by users to upgrade or replace things.

Materials & Ingredients

Specifications of material and ingredient quality such as the requirement that coffee be organic coffee of a particular appellation.

Ease of Use

Ease of Use Jonathan Poland

Ease of use refers to the usability of a product, service, tool, process, or environment, and is an important factor in the satisfaction and loyalty of customers. Ease of use involves making a product or service easy to understand, learn, and use, with minimal effort or frustration.

There are several ways in which ease of use can be achieved. One is by designing products and services with user-centered principles, which involves understanding the needs, preferences, and abilities of the target user group. This can be achieved through user research, prototyping, and testing to ensure that the design meets the needs of the user.

Another aspect of ease of use is simplicity, which involves minimizing the number of steps or actions required to use a product or service. By reducing complexity, businesses can make their products and services more accessible and easier to use for a wider range of users.

In addition, the layout and organization of a product or service can also impact ease of use. By presenting information and features in a clear and logical manner, businesses can make their products and services more intuitive and easier to use. Overall, ease of use is a crucial aspect of customer satisfaction and loyalty, and businesses that prioritize it can gain a competitive advantage in their market. By designing products and services with user-centered principles, simplicity, and clear layout, businesses can create offerings that meet the needs and expectations of their customers, resulting in higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty. The following are illustrative examples of ease of use.

Accessibility

Designs that are useful to as many people as possible including people with disabilities. For example, a wide entranceway with a gentle slope as opposed to stairs.

Productivity

How quickly people can accomplish goals. For example, software that can be completely configured from one screen without having to dig through dozens of menus.

Learnability

Things that are easy to learn such as a app that is immediately intuitive to most users.

Information

Information that is easy to find and understand such as a clean label on a food product.

Undo

The ability to undo unintended actions.

Convenience

Convenience such as a mobile device that fits in your pocket.

Maintenance

Easy maintenance procedures such as a mobile device with swappable parts that can be replaced by users when they break.

Extensibility

Easy improvements such as a mobile device that allows users to swap in hardware upgrades.

Compatibility

Things that effortlessly work with other things such as a printer that works from a phone without configuration or need to install an app.

Error Tolerance

Products and services that try reasonably hard to continue to operate when errors occur. For example, a web browser that doesn’t crash the first time it finds some broken code on a web page.

Reliability

Endurance and durability in real world conditions such as a software service that is always up.

Design Quality

Design Quality Jonathan Poland

Design quality refers to the value that a design holds for customers. It is a critical factor in the success of a product, service, or experience, as it directly impacts the satisfaction and loyalty of customers. There are several ways in which design quality can be achieved. One is by focusing on usability, which involves ensuring that a design is intuitive and easy to use. This can be achieved through user-centered design principles, such as conducting user research, prototyping, and testing to understand the needs and preferences of target customers.

Another aspect of design quality is aesthetics, which refers to the visual appeal of a design. Aesthetically pleasing designs can create a positive emotional response in customers, which can increase their satisfaction and loyalty.

In addition, design quality can be enhanced by considering the functionality of a design, which refers to its ability to perform the tasks it was intended to do effectively and efficiently. This can be achieved through careful planning and attention to detail in the design process. Overall, design quality is an essential element of customer satisfaction and loyalty, and businesses that prioritize it can gain a competitive advantage in their market. By focusing on usability, aesthetics, and functionality, businesses can create designs that meet the needs and expectations of their customers, resulting in higher levels of satisfaction and loyalty.

Functionality & Features

Functionality that serves customer needs and meets customer expectations. Another factor in design quality is avoiding features that customers find annoying. In many cases, products with few features can be perceived as higher quality than a product packed with features.

Performance

The operational characteristics of a design such as the conversion efficiency of solar panels.

Usability

A design that is pleasing to use.

Accessibility

A design that is equally useful for everyone.

Aesthetics

A pleasing look and feel.

Reliability

Designs that endure real world conditions over time.

Predictability

Designs that work as people expect. For example, if a user interface requires training to use it may be poorly designed.

Consistency

Consistency such as a user interface with the same controls on every page.

Stability

Designs that are error free.

Fault Tolerance

The ability to continue in a reasonable way when an error occurs. For example, an aircraft that doesn’t suddenly halt and catch fire every time an error occurs.

Safety & Security

Designing things for safety and security. For example, transportation systems designed to reduce human error.

Reusability

A design that is reusable and extensible. For example, a mobile device that allows memory to be upgraded as opposed to requiring a completely new device when you need more capacity.

Communications & Packaging

Packaging and communications such as as instructions. Packaging has a significant impact on quality perceptions. In many cases, packaging such as a reusable shoe bag can be considered a feature.

Experience

Intangible elements of quality such as a business tool that is as engaging as a game.

Emotional Durability

A design that people value at an emotional level such that they don’t easily throw it out. For example, a bicycle that is worth fixing when it breaks.

Refinement

The overall sophistication and elegance of a design. For example, a cosmetic product that is effective with just three natural ingredients might be viewed as more refined than a product with 50 chemicals.

What is Reliability?

What is Reliability? Jonathan Poland

Reliability is a measure of the ability of a product or service to perform consistently and predictably over time. It is an important quality attribute that customers consider when making a purchase decision, as it directly impacts their satisfaction and trust in a brand.

There are several ways in which a product or service can demonstrate reliability. One is through its ability to operate without failure or breakdown for a specified period of time. Another is by providing consistent performance across different operating conditions and environments.

In order to improve reliability, businesses should focus on design and manufacturing processes that minimize defects and errors. This can involve implementing quality control measures, testing products and services under different conditions, and using robust materials and components.

In addition, providing strong customer support and maintenance services can also improve reliability, as it allows customers to quickly resolve any issues that may arise. This can include offering warranties, repair services, and technical support. Overall, reliability is a key factor in customer satisfaction and loyalty, and businesses that prioritize it can build a strong reputation and competitive advantage. The following are illustrative examples.

Durability

A bicycle tire with an usually long lifespan, even when used at high speed on bumpy roads.

Fault Tolerance

A mobile device that can play media files that contain data errors.

Availability

A site that is up 99.99% percent of the time.

Human Error

Work procedures and systems on a high speed train that reduce severe human error to zero.

Performance

A stock trading system with page load times faster than 1 second for 99.99% of requests.

Calculation

A telecom company that makes less than one billing error per million bills.
Accuracy

A credit rating agency that excludes data from questionable sources with programs to audit accuracy across all accounts on a monthly basis.

Data

A data storage device with an error rate of less than 0.0001%.

Backup

A bank that backups up data in real time such that failure of a storage device can be recovered without loss of transactions.

Information

A media outlet that fact-checks stories and doesn’t publish news from questionable sources.

Safety

An aircraft with redundant systems such that it can continue to operate safely when a system or component fails.

Fail Safe

An elevator that requires power to keep brakes off. When power fails, brakes come on.

Diagnostics

An electric car that tells you it requires servicing based on diagnostic tests before it breaks down.

Disaster Resilience

A building is designed to absorb the energy of reasonably large earthquakes without collapsing.

Weather Resilience

Solar panels that are designed to endure extreme weather conditions such as high winds.

Service Levels

A delivery service that is on time for 99.9% of deliveries.

Quality Control

A mobile device manufacturer that completely tests each unit such that less then 0.005% of customers experience an out of the box failure.

Perceived Value

Perceived Value Jonathan Poland

Perceived value is the subjective worth that a customer assigns to a product or service based on their own personal evaluation. It is a key factor in determining whether a customer will make a purchase or not, as it influences their perceived return on investment.

There are several ways in which perceived value can be increased. One is by offering a product or service that meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations in terms of quality, features, and performance. Another is by providing additional value through complementary products or services, such as warranties, maintenance plans, or customer support.

In addition, the way in which a product or service is marketed and positioned can also impact perceived value. For example, highlighting the unique features or benefits of a product or service, or presenting it as a premium offering, can increase its perceived value in the eyes of the customer.

It is important for businesses to consider perceived value in their pricing strategies, as it can impact the demand for their products or services. By understanding the perceived value of their offerings, businesses can better determine the right price point to maximize profitability and customer satisfaction.

Overall, perceived value is a crucial aspect of the customer experience and can significantly influence a customer’s decision to make a purchase. By focusing on increasing perceived value, businesses can increase customer loyalty, repeat business, and overall profitability. The following are illustrative examples of perceived value.

Function

The things that a customer can accomplish with your product or service. For example, an accounting service that removes a customer’s administrative burden related to taxes.

Features

The way that functions are implemented such as an accounting service that gives a small business a monthly report that estimates quarterly and annual taxes.

Visual Appeal

The overall visual impact of a product or service. For example, a mobile device that looks sturdy and stylish.

Usability

The ease with which the product or service is used such as a mobile device that feels intuitive.

Packaging

The experience of unpackaging a product. For example, a cardboard box with no tape that is easy to pop open as opposed to thick plastic that requires heavy duty scissors to open.

Refinement

Attention to detail and good taste in design and operations. For example, a table setting at a restaurant that is perfectly laid out in ornate detail.

Brand Image

The way that a customer feels about a brand such as a fashion brand that is viewed as luxurious and high status.

Craft

In an automated world, things that are produced by hand may be perceived as higher value.

Personal Service

Attention from a person, particular someone who is skilled at customer service. For example, a waiter who remembers details about regulars such as their usual order.

Experience

Experiences such as the impression you get as you walk into a hotel lobby that features interesting architecture, interiors and social elements.

Rarity

The impression that an item is unique and hard to find. For example, a toy company that produces a large number of variations in limited supply.

Service Quality

Service Quality Jonathan Poland

Service Quality is determined by the value it holds for customers. This value can vary from person to person and is influenced by their individual needs, expectations, and perceptions. To gauge the quality of a service, customer surveys are often used to quantify these subjective experiences. The following are common types of service quality.

Reliability

A reliable service such as an airline that’s usually on time.

Responsiveness

A service that is responsive to the individual needs of customers. For example, a firm that isn’t locked into rigid policies when special situations arise.

Empathy & Tailoring

It is well known in the service industry that different customers prefer different styles of service. For example, some customers enjoy a personal conversation where others would prefer to maintain a distance.

Competence & Diligence

Professionals who know what they’re doing and are paying attention.

Consistency

A pleasant level of predictability such as a dish at a restaurant that tastes the same each time.

Safety & Security

A service that feels safe and secure such as a site that doesn’t lose your personal data.

Environments

The quality of environments such as a hotel room or airport lounge.

User Interfaces

User interfaces that are pleasing and productive to use.

Tangibles

Tangible elements of a service such as the quality of ingredients used by a restaurant.

Experiences

The overall intangible experience offered by a service such as a theme park that’s has a happy feel to it.

Data Quality

Data Quality Jonathan Poland

Data quality refers to the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information used for various purposes within an organization. Ensuring high data quality is crucial for making informed decisions, improving efficiency, and maintaining the credibility of an organization.

There are several factors that can affect data quality. One factor is the source of the data. Data that is collected from reliable sources is more likely to be of high quality. It is also important to ensure that data is properly collected, stored, and maintained to prevent errors and inaccuracies.

Another factor that can affect data quality is the consistency of the data. Inconsistent data can lead to confusion and misunderstandings, and can also make it difficult to accurately analyze and interpret the data. Ensuring that data is consistently formatted and labeled is essential for maintaining data quality.

In order to improve data quality, organizations can establish data quality standards and processes. This may include implementing data governance policies, training employees on proper data handling practices, and regularly reviewing and auditing data to identify and address any issues.

Effective data quality management requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders within an organization. This includes establishing clear roles and responsibilities for data management, as well as communication and collaboration among teams to ensure that data is being used effectively and efficiently.

Overall, data quality is a critical aspect of any organization’s operations. By implementing effective data quality management practices, organizations can ensure that they are making informed decisions based on accurate and reliable information. The following are commonly used criteria to define data quality.

Accurate

Data that is correct.

Relevance

Data that is useful to support processes, procedures and decision making.

Timeliness

How quickly data is created, updated and deleted.

Precision

The exactness of data. For example, a company that has annual revenue of $3,451,001,323 as opposed to a 3 billion dollar company.

Correctness

Data that is free of errors, omissions and inaccuracies.

Completeness

Data that is compete relative to your business purpose. For example, an order for an economy car may need configuration details such as color, wheel size and electronics package. An order for a luxury car may require additional details such as engine type, seat and interior package.

Credibility

Data that stems from reputable sources such as verified company press releases as opposed to social media rumors.

Traceability

Data that can be traced to its source. If someone changed your prices, you should be able to figure out who.

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