Step 5: Reflect on the Results and the Process
As always, the final step in the method is to reflect on the outcome and the process. Some questions the team may want to consider are:
• ls the product a winner? The product concept should allow the team to actually set the specifications so that the product will meet the customer needs and excel competitively. If not, then the team should return to the concept generation and selection phase or abandon the project.
• How much uncertainty is there in the technical and cost models? Jf competitive success is dictated by metrics around which much uncertainty remains, the team may wish to refine the technical or cost models in order to increase confidence in meeting the specifications.
• ls the concept chosen by the team best suited to the target market, or could it be best applied in another market (say, the low end or high end instead of the middle)? The selected concept may actually be too good. If the team has generated a concept that is dramatically superior to the competitive products, it may wish to consider employing the concept in a more demanding, and potentially more profitable, market segment.
• Should the firm initiate a formal effort to develop better technical models of some aspect of the product 's performance for future use? Sometimes the team will discover that it does not really understand the underlying product technology well enough to create useful performance models. In such circumstances, an engineering effort to develop better understanding and models may be useful in subsequent development
projects.