13. Determining Benefits

A product definition needs to identify the benefits that a product will bestow on the customer as a means of validating the costs and pricing of the product. Understanding the benefits also helps in establishing the frame of reference for judging the criticality of a requirement to a user when requirement compromises have to be made.

Benefit Types

There are two primary beneficiaries to be considered in the product purchase, the purchaser and the user. The benefits that have the most weight in the majority of cases are those that relate to the user and those that differentiate the product from others in the market place.

The user will typically derive the following benefits from one product as compared with another: a better end result, greater convenience, better service, longer life, more features, better design, better in-use characteristics.

The purchaser may derive product usage independent benefit. (e.g.. the husband who buys flowers for his wife receives gratitude in addition to any benefit derived from their appearance). Usage independent benefits are usually readily identifiable for products designed for the gift market but are otherwise difficult to predict.

The Nature Of Benefits

A rigorous set of self applied questions similar to those below will usually establish the nature and characteristics of the benefits to the user.

Potential

What can the customer do (that they couldn't before) as a result of using or owning the product?

Application

In what types of usage situation does the product work well?

Criteria for Success

What must the customer do in order to achieve the benefit?

Measurement

What are the metrics for the benefit and how can they be measured?

Maximisation

How can the benefit be maximised?