Consumer integration in sustainable product development
Consumer integration in sustainable product development
Hoffmann E. Business Strategy and the Environment, July 2007, Vol. 16 No. 5, Start page: 322, No. of pages: 17
Purpose – To test a method for incorporating customer ideas/opinion in product design. Design/methodology/approach – Believes that customers/users have not had sufficient involvement in developing sustainable consumer products, points out that consumers represent a wide knowledge base,and discusses ways in which customer ideas can be acquired, articulated and integrated in products, identifying four conditions for user involvement that include internal company conditions, user motivation and communication capabilities, product characteristics, and the communications process/techniques. Depicts the INNOCOPE (innovating through consumer-integrated product development) method, describes use of company/user workshops that address different phases of the product development process, and details use of the method in the development of a pedal/electric cycle, covering presentation of the prototype, evaluation of the prototype by consumers, negotiation, and assessment of consumers’ opinions. Uses the case to test six hypotheses regarding organizational learning, boundary-spanning activities, filtering mechanisms, senior management support, creative dialogue, and direct and non-hierarchical communication. Findings – Reports that consumers felt they had been taken seriously and that the company had acquired the views of ordinary bike users, tables the learning results in terms of knowledge increase,and changes in values and behaviour, in relation to user-, product- and climate-related aspects, confirms support for all hypotheses, and concludes that direct interaction with users is superior to usual market research methods. Practical implications – Pinpoints internal filtering mechanisms as barriers to maximizing user contributions. Research limitations/implications– Acknowledges findings from one study may not be generalizable. Originality/value – Of interest to designers/manufacturers of consumer products.ISSN: 0964-4733Reference: 36AU320DOI: 10.1002/bse.577
Keywords: Customer requirements, Innovation, Learning, Product design,Product development, Sustainable development, User involvement, User studies
