Performance assessment of the lead user idea-generation process for new product development

被引:470
作者
Lilien, GL [1 ]
Morrison, PD
Searls, K
Sonnack, M
von Hippel, E
机构
[1] Penn State Univ, Smeal Coll Business Adm, University Pk, PA 16802 USA
[2] Univ New S Wales, Fac Commerce & Econ, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
[3] ASI Associates, Australia Strateg Serv, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
[4] 3M Co, Brooklyn Pk, MN 55444 USA
[5] MIT, Alfred P Sloan Sch Management, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
关键词
new product development; lead users; idea generation;
D O I
10.1287/mnsc.48.8.1042.171
中图分类号
C93 [管理学];
学科分类号
12 ; 1201 ; 1202 ; 120202 ;
摘要
Traditional idea generation techniques based on customer input usually collect information on new product needs from a random or typical set of customers. The "lead user process" takes a different approach. It collects information about both needs and solutions from users at the leading edges of the target market, as well as from users in other markets that face similar problems in a more extreme form. This paper reports on a natural experiment conducted within the 3M Company on the effect of the lead user (LU) idea-gene ration process relative to more traditional methods. 3M is known for its innovation capabilities-and we find that the LU process appears to improve upon those capabilities. Annual sales of LU product ideas generated by the average LU project at 3M are conservatively projected to be $146 million after five years-more than eight times higher than forecast sales for the average contemporaneously conducted "traditional" project. Each funded LU project is projected to create a new major product line for a 3M division. As a direct result, divisions funding LU project ideas are projecting their highest rate of major product line generation in the past 50 years.
引用
收藏
页码:1042 / 1059
页数:18
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