Expanding product accessibility with primary market research techniques

Objective. To identify and describe the "Voice of the Customer" methods that academic investigators can use to enhance the accessibility of products and services brought to market by industry partners, while satisfying grant goals and funding agency mandates. Main Content. of Paper This paper recounts two case examples where focus group and survey methodologies were employed to obtain voice of the customer input from people with a range of physical abilities. The resulting data was then used by private sector industry partners to guide research and development activities with a goal of generating marketable products. The first case describes a project initiated by a private sector corporation that leveraged government and university resources to gain capabilities and competencies. Academic investigators conducted focus groups on behalf of this small business entity to contribute to the development of a glucose monitoring system for diabetics who have visual and hearing impairments. The second case reveals how academic investigators used surveys to uncover consumer desired functions and features of a toaster oven being produced by a large major appliance manufacturer. This project provided an opportunity for the researchers to demonstrate the importance of transgenerational design concepts to a Fortune 200 company. Results. Both case examples resulted in new products that proved successful in the marketplace. The small business entity particularly valued the academic investigator's ability to navigate necessary human subjects testing protocols, identify and recruit appropriate focus group participants, and gather and analyze a meaningful data set. The major appliance manufacturer gained a great deal of value from design insights that made their products usable by a wider range of customers. Both industry partners appreciated the unbiased opinion obtained by these methods. Conclusions. Academic investigators can achieve the economic impacts sought by their funding agencies by working closely with industry partners in the private sector. Focus groups and surveys are just a few of the many tools that academics can use to add value to industry's new product development projects. However, careful planning and close collaboration with the industry partner are necessary to ensure the usability of results derived from both methods. These case examples illustrate how the skills of academic investigators can contribute to project logistics, study design, and data analysis, which are often perceived as critical barriers to small and large businesses alike.