An idea is simply a stimulus and is not the basis for making an investment of resources. For an idea to be actionable, the organization needs to formulate the idea into a product concept. Catalyst can provide you a template for developing a product concept, which the client can then use as a charter for a product development team.

The ideas can arise from new customers, new demands with existing customers, new markets, new technologies, new regulations, and competitive rivalry in client’s markets. Here is a brief list of common ideation methods.

• Needs assessment – spoken and unspoken
• Scenario analysis
• Group techniques
• Attribute analysis
• Relationship analysis
• Lateral search techniques

A more specific list includes the following:

• Descriptions of markets/customers/users and their desired functions and performance ("Marketing strategies")
• Descriptions of new technologies ("Technology Strategies")
• Description of new product process methods ("Manufacturing Strategies")
• Description of new regulations (other stimuli)
• Description of competitive rivalries (other stimuli)

We provide techniques that encourage creativity and work them into concepts for relatively little effort. If the concepts are feasible, we can push them forward to evaluate for business/technical feasibility. We get a portfolio of ideas, which we can put to a portfolio of concepts.

For more information, see our discussion of the fuzzy front end and for the new product development process.

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Copyright © 2006 Catalyst Management Consulting    Last modified: July 24, 2008