The product development process is long and painstaking. What’s worse, it can seem unpredictable at times.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Have you ever wondered how some companies always seem to be ahead of the curve, releasing products that perfectly meet customer needs?
Chances are they’re using outcome-driven innovation.
What Is Outcome-Driven Innovation?
Outcome-driven innovation is a process that begins with understanding customer needs and ends with delivering a product that meets those needs. These needs are defined by a set of outcomes that the customer wants to achieve.
The outcome-driven innovation process has four steps:
1. Define the outcomes that matter most to customers
The first step is to understand what your customer is trying to accomplish. This can be done through interviews, surveys, and other research methods. Once you have a good understanding of your customer’s goals, you can begin to define the outcomes that matter most to them.
2. Identify the unmet needs
The next step is to identify any unmet needs that your customer has. This can be done by looking at customer feedback, observing customer behavior, and talking to customer service representatives. Once you have identified the unmet needs, you can begin to brainstorm ways to address them.
3. Generate ideas to meet the unmet needs
The third step is to generate ideas that will meet the unmet needs you have identified. This can be done through brainstorming sessions, research, and talking to experts in your field. Once you have a list of potential solutions, you can begin to narrow it down to the best one.
4. Test and iterate
The fourth and final step is to test your solution and iterate based on feedback. This can be done through beta testing, customer surveys, and focus groups. Once you have a product that meets customer needs, you can begin to scale it up for mass production.
How Businesses Have Used Outcome-Driven Innovation
If you want to explore innovation process results, a good place to look is at how companies have used outcome-driven innovation to develop better products. Here are three examples:
The first example is from the company GoPro, which developed a line of action cameras. The company started by understanding the needs of its customers, who were mostly extreme sports enthusiasts.
They then identified an unmet need for a small, lightweight camera that could be mounted on a helmet or handlebars for POV recording of action sports footage.
Not only did this allow athletes to produce more content that was interesting to their fans, but it also allowed them to generate revenue through sponsorships and product placement.
Another example is the company T-Mobile, which developed a mobile phone service specifically for businesses.
The company identified a need for a business-specific mobile service that would offer features like unlimited data and customer support.
This allowed businesses to be more productive and efficient, and it also allowed them to save money on their mobile phone bills.
Final Thoughts
Outcome-driven innovation is a process that can be used by any company to develop better products.
The key is to start with an understanding of customer needs and then work backwards to deliver a product that meets those needs.
If you want to learn more about how companies have used outcome-driven innovation to develop better products, check out the examples in this post.
