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Success Starts With Product Requirements
By Matthew Yubas
You
have a great idea and now you want to turn your creativity into a real
product. The first development step is to translate the idea into guidelines
that a designer and manufacturer can follow to produce your product. To
explain your idea, you need to write what are commonly called "Product
Requirements."
Product Requirements are a detailed description
of how your product should look, feel, and function. Product Requirements
along with drawings and diagrams provide clarity, and increase your chances
that a designer and manufacturer will create the product as you intended,
rather than trying to read your mind. Product Requirements are simple
to write with your wordprocessor, and can be as little as one or two pages
that include: •
Features
•
Functions
•
Appearance
•
Performance
levels
•
Quality
standards
Sources of requirements come from: •
Customer
problems, needs, and wants (research and tailor your product to what customers
will buy)
•
Customer
price sensitivity (determine pricing early to guide the materials, quality,
and cost of product parts)
•
Competitive
advantages (determine what features and functions will overcome the competition)
•
User
scenarios (observe how people setup, assemble, and use a product)
•
Innovation
(use your imagination to create product features that generate excitement)
Create Product Requirements using the following steps: 1.
List each of the customer's problems, needs, and wants.
2. For each problem, need, and want, make a list of features and functions
that provide solutions.
3. Modify and enhance features and functions based on your pricing, quality,
style, and competition.
4. Prioritize the list based on saleable features and functions customers
are willing to buy.
5. Write the list of features and functions into the language of a Product
Requirements document such as "The product will have four wheels;
each three inches in diameter." or "The product must operate
in an environment with temperatures ranging from 32 to 125 degrees F."
6. Select the highest priority requirements that can be produced quickly
and within budget.
7. Include drawings and pictures for clarification.
Product Requirements must be clear and straightforward.
Use bulleted or numbered lists and group similar items. For example, requirements
might include: •
Product
dimensions must be 3" long, 1" wide, and ½" thick.
•
The
outer casing must be made of a clear plastic.
•
There
will be four pushbutton switches located on the base and labeled: Off,
High, Medium, and Low.
•
The
product must not crack or break apart when dropped onto a concrete floor
from a height of three feet.
•
The
unit must pass UL certification. Conclusion
Whether at the prototype stage or getting ready
for production, Product Requirements are needed to describe how your product
will function, how it will look and feel, and how it will operate. Designers
and manufacturers need requirements so that they can accurately make the
product you have in mind. Creating requirements will save time in the
long run and improve quality and market appeal.
See also: Free Guide to the Invention Process | Invention Success Kit
About
the Author
Matthew Yubas is a Certified Professional Marketing Consultant for the
Small Business Development and International Trade Center. He has developed
products for 20 years as an engineer, product manager, and independent
consultant for startups, small business, and Fortune 500 companies. He
has launched new products such as software applications, wireless devices,
and websites. In addition, he has helped clients in a diverse number of
industries that include photography equipment, auto accessories, soy candles,
children's clothing, sporting goods, digital art, and home décor.
He has earned a B.S. in Engineering and an M.B.A. in Management. Information
about his Invention Success Kit is available at www.ProductCoach.com.
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