Understanding customer need in the new product development context
Äärynen, Teemu (2013)
Äärynen, Teemu
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2013
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201305087277
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201305087277
Tiivistelmä
This thesis project concentrates on how understanding customer need and customer
orientation can be improved in new product development. Understanding customer need
during new product development process is very important for product success.
The case company has decided to undertake new product development using LEAN principles.
This change creates a need to improve the new product development process. This
thesis offers recommendations for the case company’s new product development process
around improved customer participation and understanding customer needs.
The thesis project was undertaken following an action research approach. Best practices
were discovered from the literature and five selected best practices were converted into
interview themes. Data was collected by theme interviews. Fifteen case company managers
were interviewed to collect information on how the selected best practices suit the case
company’s processes and usages.
The data analysis was conducted according to a qualitative research approach and the
output of the analysis is recommendations for a new product development process where
customer participation and need are considered. The first recommendation was validated
by interviewing one Program Manager whose task is to improve the case company’s current
new product development process. Validation was successful and generated one
change to the recommendation.
After the validation, a final recommendation for the new product development process was
created, integrating customer participation and need.
The next step from this thesis project is to send a release letter about this thesis and its
results to the case company’s Directors who have the authority to change the case company’s
new product development process.
orientation can be improved in new product development. Understanding customer need
during new product development process is very important for product success.
The case company has decided to undertake new product development using LEAN principles.
This change creates a need to improve the new product development process. This
thesis offers recommendations for the case company’s new product development process
around improved customer participation and understanding customer needs.
The thesis project was undertaken following an action research approach. Best practices
were discovered from the literature and five selected best practices were converted into
interview themes. Data was collected by theme interviews. Fifteen case company managers
were interviewed to collect information on how the selected best practices suit the case
company’s processes and usages.
The data analysis was conducted according to a qualitative research approach and the
output of the analysis is recommendations for a new product development process where
customer participation and need are considered. The first recommendation was validated
by interviewing one Program Manager whose task is to improve the case company’s current
new product development process. Validation was successful and generated one
change to the recommendation.
After the validation, a final recommendation for the new product development process was
created, integrating customer participation and need.
The next step from this thesis project is to send a release letter about this thesis and its
results to the case company’s Directors who have the authority to change the case company’s
new product development process.