New products are essential to changing the way consumers live. They can enhance and improve the overall quality of life and find solutions to common problems. But the new product development process can be tricky to navigate.
Of the estimated 30,000 products developed each year, 95% of them are destined for failure. While these numbers may seem daunting, there is still hope for new product lines if you know what you’re doing. If you’re a product developer looking for tips to improve your new product development process, this guide can help.
Keep reading below for more information about effective planning and development for your new product lines.
Hold Multiple Brainstorming Sessions
The new product development process involves many facets of planning and designing, but you need to have a solid idea first before you can move forward. Maybe you have an idea in mind for a new product but you’re not sure if it will fly. Or you can’t quite come up with the right product prototype.
That’s why brainstorming sessions are a great asset for the first stage of product development. You can pitch potential products or workarounds for existing products. You receive feedback on the negatives and the positives of your product from consumer groups and industry leaders.
This will help you finetune any design aspects and hone in on the specific features you need. For Chinese product development, this is especially important to ensure nothing is lost in translation.
Decide Which Product to Move Forward With
You could have several great ideas during the new product development process, but they may not be any more than just that. You need to be able to determine which product idea has the best potential to become a real product. This will mean culling down your list to focus on one central product to take to manufacturing.
You’ll also want to look at the current market trends. Is there already a product like this in existence or are you the first one? If there is a similar product already available, what makes yours different or improved over this one?
Identify Common Pain Points and Their Solutions
A good product should address a common problem consumers face in their everyday lives. Your product should have a clearly defined purpose or set of purposes it fulfills. These problems, known as pain points, outline the specific benefits your product will address.
Research these areas thoroughly for your new product development process. Ask yourself why did you create this product? You must have noticed or experienced a situation yourself that allowed you to come up with this idea.
So you should be able to define your product’s purpose for marketing, development, and manufacturing applications.
Know Your Target Audience
The next step in the new product development process is to pinpoint your key demographic. Once you’ve identified your product’s purpose, you must also know who you are creating it for. This is also to ensure that your product is unique enough within the given market to stand out.
Most products are designed with a well-defined target audience in place that includes age, gender, location, and even salary specifications. You can use this to your advantage if your business has already released products in the past. Nearly 60% of consumers will buy new products from established and trusted brands.
You should also view if there are already similar products available within this target demographic. Too much competition in an oversaturated market may lead to your product failing.
Create an Effective Working Product Prototype
Your product prototype is your baby. It can be scary to put it out there for fear of judgment and rejection. But your product prototype is the best representation of your product line.
Without a proper product prototype, the new product development process can’t move forward. You need to make sure that it meets all of the criteria and expectations of your finished product. If there are any flaws in the design, it is crucial that you see these firsthand before you commit to mass manufacturing.
Failure to do so can result in costly manufacturing mistakes. Having a product prototype is also a key selling point for investors. They won’t want to invest in a product they can’t visualize based on word alone.
Engage in Proper Product Testing and Quality Control Standards
One test of your product is not enough to ensure the proper functionality. You need to verify that the product you’re producing is made from high-quality materials. You also need to confirm that the right equipment was used in its production.
Quality control protocols are in place for a reason and play an important role in the new product development process. They serve as a safeguard to keep faulty and defective products from reaching consumers. Quality control monitors all of the major design and development aspects, like an extra set of eyes.
Skipping this step can cost you in faulty products manufactured and shipped to your consumers. Shoddy craftsmanship will result in a less-than-desirable product for your business.
Work With a Reputable Chinese Product Development Company
To avoid the headaches and setbacks that come with the new product development process, you need the right manufacturing and development partner. Product development in China can help you save money on the costs associated with product development by outsourcing them overseas.
But outsourcing your production and development to a Chinese product developer shouldn’t mean that you’re sacrificing quality. No, it’s quite the opposite. The right Chinese product development company can assure high-quality manufacturing, as well as product design and development.
You will have a dedicated team of professionals and the resources necessary to make your product come to fruition. They will work with you every step of the way from product development to product prototype and beyond. They can also help you with sourcing the proper materials.
Trust China2West Services Ltd with Your New Product Development Process
The new product development process can be a challenge if you’re trying to handle everything yourself. But you don’t have to go it alone. That’s why there’s China2West Services Ltd.
China2West is your #1 source for supply chain management, quality control services, and product development in China. We can manage all of the complicated steps required with Chinese product development like creating a product prototype. We’re with you every step of the process to make your new product dream a reality.
Contact us today for more information on the services.
