How do frog’s activities affect its ability to (a) maximize the fit with customer needs, (b) minimize development cycle time, and (c) control development costs?
Frog is cognizant of the fact that a firm’s success is dependent on the effectiveness with which it meets its customers’ needs. The firm is committed to maximizing the level of customer satisfaction. To achieve this, Frog appreciates the importance of creating sufficient fit with its customers’ needs. Consequently, the firm has integrated a policy that requires comprehensive market research to be conducted during the product development process. The research focuses on understanding the target customers’ needs. One of the techniques that the firm has integrated entails conducting a brainstorming session between clients, project team members, and potential consumers. This leads to optimal idea generation.
Moreover, the firm is able to minimize the development cycle time in addition to controlling development costs by ensuring that its product development plan is optimally aligned with that of its suppliers. Aligning its development plan with that of its client enables Frog to minimize complexities and cost changes that might occur during the product lifetime.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of involving customers fairly early in the design process?
Involving customers in the product design phase is advantageous in a number of ways. Firstly, it provides a firm with a unique opportunity to generate ideas from customers. Consequently, the firm’s ability to be innovative is increased. Therefore, customer involvement at an early stage aids in improving the probability of the product succeeds upon being introduced into the market. Additionally, involving customers in the product design stage enables an organization to gain insight on how to formulate effective product strategies such as pricing and the strategy to adopt when launching the product to the market.
However, one of the biggest drawbacks of customer involvement is that it limits the coordination between the project team and the client is minimized. Moreover, collecting customers’ opinions may hinder the implementation of the desired objective.
What are the pros and cons of using computer-aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and photorealistic renderings instead of functional prototypes in the development process?
Using CAD in the product development process is beneficial in a number of ways. Firstly, it provides a firm with an opportunity to undertake fast and inexpensive prototyping. Secondly, it improves the flexibility with which an organization undertakes product development. Consequently, an organization can implement changes in its production set up. Using CAD, CAM, and photorealistic rendering technologies enables an organization to create a more realistic product image.
Despite the effectiveness of these technologies with regard to enabling an organization to be effective in designing its products, they are characterized by a high degree of interoperability challenges. Additionally, most of the data stored in the CAD and CAM remain incompatible. Additionally, huge costs are involved in setting up the CAD, CAM, and photorealistic rendering technologies.
Would frog’s approach be more suitable for some kinds of development projects than others? If so, what kinds would it be appropriate or inappropriate for?
The approach used by the firm in its new product development process is more suitable in complex projects such as developing new hardware and software technologies. This arises from the fact that the approach advocates for intense collaboration between the project team members and client in order to deliver a product that meets the intended need satisfactorily.
Would frog’s approach to product development be effective in a firm that primarily manufactured marketed and distributed its own products?
A firm that manufactures and markets its own products can be successful in its operation by utilizing the Frog’s approach. This is due to the fact that the three steps that the firm has incorporated are sufficient in ensuring the idea generated by a firm succeeds in being developed to a product that meets specific market demand. Consequently, the likelihood of a new product being successfully introduced into the market using the Frog’s approach is high.