• how do we announce its availability? • how do we know it is successful? Te key in design is to dissect the product
so you can look at each of its components from many different angles. Get input from your team and work to ensure you don’t miss anything. You may uncover something in the design phase that changes your direction and timing or eliminates a product altogether. I’ve seen many products fail not because of the technology or the price, but because the de- velopment didn’t consider the contributing support for the product. Tink about how easily a product can fail if customer service doesn’t understand it or if your accounting soſtware can’t bill for it! Te design phase helps you vet the product organization-wide. It also gives you the opportunity to be certain that you have leſt nothing unexamined as you consider the launch of the product and its long-term success. Build—It is rare that launching any new
product or service is a flick of the switch. Prepare a plan that outlines each element of your product and then begin to execute. Each element should be assigned to an accountable party and have an agreed upon timeframe for completion. Above all, commit to the plan and the process and hold people accountable! Oſten the first provider to the market will own the highest percentage of the market; therefore timing and execution are critical. Market—If you build it, will they come?
Te best products and services in the world bring you nothing if consumers don’t know you have them available. Arm your sales team members with the key information they need to get the message out. If you are working with a laboratory or a manufac- turer, consider opportunities to use their materials and cobrand with your logo and contact information. Focus on what makes your product
important to the client… • Do you have extended hours for post accident and reasonable suspicion test- ing? Tink about targeting local truck- ing companies.
www.datia.org
• Are you adding rapid response testing? Are there large construction compa- nies, local staffing agencies and retail- ers who want same day hiring? Create an email targeted just for them.
• Are you hiring two more collectors? Design a web brochure highlighting your commitment to a great applicant- experience and short wait times. Review—Think iPhone 3, 4, 5, 5c!
Products need continued review and en- hancement. Once a product is launched make sure you include periodic reviews. Go through the product analysis process with your team and your clients to make sure that the pre-launch assumptions you made were indeed accurate. It is likely that you will have to make some adjustments after launch and as the product matures. This progression is not only normal—it can sometimes add value and increase the overall profitabil- ity for your business. Finally, be patient. Adopting a new
habit, be it in your personal life or in your business, takes time. Product strategy does not need to be a streamers and
fanfare beginning. Pick a single issue you want to solve or an area you would like to improve. Start there. You will soon see how product devel-
opment applies to your business and you will start to enjoy the rewards of follow- ing a strategy to success. ❚
Nina French is Partner and Principal Consultant with the Current Consult- ing Group. Nina has over 22 years of experience in employee screening gained
through her tenure as Vice President of Operations at Employee Health Programs, later First Advantage. She specializes in product and business development, oc- cupational health and wellness operations, and drug testing marketing and sales. She is an expert in drug testing and employee screening operations including SAP and compliance monitoring. Her consulting emphasis is on helping employee screen- ing providers streamline operations, launch products, increase revenue, and retain existing clients.
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