Customer Advisory Board.org

1. Customer Advisory Board.org Using a CAB across the NPD Process

2. The need for Customer Driven Innovation History shows us that 80% of innovations fail in the market. They are not the ones to be investing precious resources in, in good times or bad. The basic problem with the 80% who fail is that they didn't meet any unmet customers needs. This is really a failure in the innovation process rather than in the innovations themselves. They were doomed to failure... The key to successful innovation is really understanding your customers needs; typically it is the most visionary people within your customer’s organization that can provide this information... and these executives should be on your Customer Advisory Board!

3. Customer Advisory (CAB) enabled New Product Development (NPD) Process DISCOVERY By asking each CAB member to bring 3 ideas to each CAB meeting on new business problems they’d like solved you will soon fill the idea hopper • LAUNCH • Engage your CAB in Word-of-mouth marketing • Ask each member to suggest 3 companies that could use the product in their industry • Ask the CAB what marketing channels they find most effective in their industry IDEA SCREEN Have the CAB review & rank ideas to gain consensus on which ideas are most valuable and why… SCOPING Look for volunteers among CAB members who see value in the NPD and would like to help shape requirements CO-DEVELOPMENT If the idea has commercial value then CAB members may wish to co-fund its development TESTING Give CAB members access to a new product in return for commitment to provide much needed feedback

4. For Additional research please visit: www.CustomerAdvisoryBoard.org