Dimensional Analysis Has Been Used By Companies for Product Innovation.  But How Successful Has it Really Been?

There are a number of approaches that can be taken to making a product innovation strategy more successful. One of the strategies that has been applied for years by businesses developing new products is dimensional analysis. Dimensional analysis looks at the attributes of existing products and how they can be altered to improve performance.

In theory, this is a good practice and often leads to superior and more profitable products. The problem is that by itself dimensional analysis is not a catalyst for true innovation and is successful only if the alterations to the product are valuable to customers and can create value for the organization.

Tunnel Vision

True product innovation depends on understanding customers’ needs and doing everything possible to successfully meet them. Sometimes an existing product cannot adequately address the demands of its users. Businesses often make the mistake of struggling to be different while still maintaining the status quo. It is often difficult for a company to distinguish itself from competitors and still offer a better version of a similar product.

It requires thinking a little bit outside of the box, but sometimes not far enough. Rather than using a dimensional analysis to improve on an existing product that may never completely satisfy customer demands, companies should consider attempting to find an entirely new approach.

Dimensional analysis also focuses on making improvements that may not result in higher sales and profits, even if the revised product seems to have a better practical value for customers. Without researching customer needs and preferences, companies may be making incorrect assumptions about what they need to do to make sure that their product innovation strategies are successful. Both engineers and marketers can make the mistake of focusing on developing and marketing products without first verifying that those products will actually be preferred over previous models by new or existing customers.

Should You Use Dimensional Analysis in Your Campaign for Product Innovation?

Dimensional analysis is still a useful strategy for companies developing new products. By better understanding how customer needs are being satisfied by existing products, marketers can work with engineers to identify potential features that may be altered in products to ensure that they will be more successful.

Innovation requires both a creative understanding of the technology behind the product and an understanding of the behavior and needs of customers. Unfortunately, this is sometimes forgotten by smaller companies that are led by managers with a purely technical background.

Last Updated (07 August 2010)