Reflection Essay

Developing the Implementation Plan

July 23, 2017

Developing the Implementation Plan

Innovation is one of the major elements for a business to be successful. New ideas are being integrated to improve operations, services, and product updates. Innovation is a process of transforming these ideas into reality. In business, innovation is more than just creating ideas. In fact, innovation consists of implementing these ideas and bringing them to life. In the innovation process, creativity plays a role in generating ideas to creating a new product or service. Due to the global competition, organizations are emphasizing innovation even more to survive and compete in today’s market. Implementation planning is the most challenging factor when it comes to innovation – Bringing to life and reaching goals through strategies and planning. For effective implementation of a plan, the organization needs to begin by working on the plan and continue through the implementation process (Lorette, 2017). Multiple factors subsidize the creation of ideas in the business setting, such as the need for the product in the market, the strategies used by the organization, the research environment, and company resources. Therefore, this paper will describe the Solar-Go charger, the value of the charger, the description of the NPD process, and the eight steps used to implement the Solar-Go charger.

What is the Solar-Go Charger?

The Solar-Go charger is a lightweight device that provides individuals on the go with everything they need to charge their devices. This charger allows a person to charge their phone, tablet, and laptop anywhere they go. People are not always able to find an outlet to charge their device because they are on the go. The Solar-Go charger is portable, small enough to fit anywhere, and is adaptable to many different devices. The most important aspect of this device is that it does not use electricity. The Solar-Go charger uses energy from the sun to power devices.

Value of the Solar-Go Charger

Many people rely on batteries to help keep their devices charged for daily work or tasks while on the go. How many times have individuals’ found their phone’s battery low and they are looking for a phone charger? Solar-Go charger is the solution. This device is valuable because it is affordable, saves energy, eco-friendly, and is convenient for use. Consumers can take the charger wherever they go and not be restricted to a certain area to charge their device. This product offers different models for different needs which allows the product to be relevant to all people within the market. The Solar-Go charger will be offered to consumers in different colors and styles. Pricing plays a vital role in whether the market for a product will be successful. The Solar-Go charger will be offered at a low price of $69.99, which is affordable for the average consumer. The group selected the NPD process to ensure that the product is implemented successfully while keeping consumers satisfied with the product.

Description of NPD process

Organizations should obtain new products by implementing a NPD process which will generate success in the face of developing products. New products are the foundation of any organization which strengthens its ability to survive and grow in the long-term. Innovative organizations are able to flourish by predicting market trends and needs and responding with improved or new products that meet or surpass consumer expectations (Claessens, 2015). There are various NPD models that can be used for the NPD process. The commonly used model consists of eight steps. These steps are idea generation, idea screening, concept development and testing, marketing strategy development, business analysis, product development, test marketing, and commercialization (Classens, 2015). Organizations who utilize innovative thinking and best methods in NPD will have the ability to create or enhance their process and position themselves to gain a competitive advantage.

Implementation Plan

The group selected Priscilla’s NPD process to guide the Solar-Go charger implementation plan. The plan consists of eight steps (See Appendix A). The first step in the development process is idea generation. The group brainstormed and generated individual ideas and thoughts on what would be a great innovation. The group wanted an innovation that is relevant to the needs of society today and is attainable. The Solar-Go charger is unique and can be beneficial and easily accessible in the market. The goal of the charger is to ensure the best possible opportunity for profit and longevity for the company. The group used internal and external idea sources to recognize the need for the Solar-Go charger. The internal ideas were generated from Research and Development (R&D) and also from organizational members. External idea sources were generated from distributors, suppliers, and competitors. The customers are the most important external source because the NPD process is designed to focus on building customer value (Classens, 2015). The group also utilized mind mapping techniques and input from all members to decide on using the Solar-Go charger.

The second step is idea screening. This step is important because the group realized the mission and goals of the product and mapped out how to attain them. The group used the NPD step by step process to document evaluations, ideas, and strategies. The team compared steps and processes to eliminate unnecessary steps to speed up the process and remain efficient. The group reviewed the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to examine the benefits and risks of the product. The SWOT analysis can further be used to establish the financial and operational goals for the coming year and strategies that can be used to achieve them. However, unplanned risk may occur that the group is not necessarily prepared for. The group will create a contingency plan to be able to manage these risks so that if the initial innovation fails there will be a backup plan to move the product forward. By the team taking the time to establish a contingency plan that is implemented quickly will make risks less threatening (Hill, 2017). After reviewing the analysis, the group will determine whether the Solar-Go charger will generate profit and if it is worth the investment.

The third step is concept development and testing. The group will understand the product and overall business goals of the organization. In this step, the team will teach consumers about the product and conduct internal testing. The product will be tested using a small group of target consumers to determine how they view the value of the product. Customers will provide feedback on the product through surveys, questions, or an online website. Customer feedback will be used to make necessary improvements to the Solar-Go charger before releasing the product to the public. The group will ensure that the best possible product is available to consumers at an affordable price. The fourth step is marketing strategy development. The Solar-Go charger will be introduced into the market by creating a comprehensive marketing campaign to gain awareness on the availability of the product. The marketing mix which is product, price, place, and promotion will be used along with the marketing campaign. The product is the Solar-Go charger which will target consumers of all ages and individuals who are always traveling and need a reliable source to charge their mobile devices. This product will be priced at $69.99 and can be found in local convenience stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and other electronic stores along with being available via an online website. The promotion of the Solar-Go charger will be placed in advertisements on television, magazines, billboards, or through word-of-mouth.

The fifth step is business analysis. Testing for business effectiveness is necessary for the feasibility of the business to be determined (Unger & Eppinger, 2011). A field test will be conducted to decide the efficiency and effectiveness of the business choices that have been made for the Solar-Go charger. This will be accomplished through the use of an online survey which will gather information from existing and potential consumers. The information gathered from the survey will help the organization to evaluate the cost, sales, and profit projections to determine whether the organizational goals are being met with the Solar-Go charger. A budget was constructed that outlines the projected budget and timeline for each of the implementation plans (See Appendix B).

The sixth step is product development. After evaluating the product feasibility, the Solar-Go charger will be tested for effectiveness. The product testing will involve a sample of existing and potential consumers who will be given the pre-releases and their feedback will be used to perform the final development of the product. The examination of the Solar-Go charger’s effectiveness is necessary to ensure that a quality product is released into the market (Wheelwright, 2010). In case, the consumer feedback reveals that the Solar-Go charger is of poor quality the release of the product will be postponed for further adjustments of the product.

The seventh step is test marketing. This step will be performed to determine the effectiveness of the overall marketing plan before making a decision to fully invest in the product. To do this, a small segment of the market that resembles the entire target population will be selected. The Solar-Go charger will be marketed to this segment as they would in the overall market and data such as consumer behavior and competition will be recorded. The information collected from the small market segment will be used to alter the overall marketing plan to increase the chances of the Solar-Go charger being a success. The eighth and final step is commercialization. Test marketing has provided the organization with the information necessary to determine whether to launch or do not launch the Solar-Go charger. Commercialization is simply introducing the product officially into the market. Some factors that will be considered before the product is commercialized are when and where to launch the Solar-Go charger. The main focus of the NPD process is building excellent customer value. Once this is accomplished the Solar-Go charger can be successful within the market (Claessens, 2015).

Conclusion

Finally, innovation is one of the key business components to have in order to be successful. The group used different ideas, strategies, and techniques to select the NPD process to implement the Solar-Go charger. Innovation gives organizations the ability to use creative ideas and transform them into real products. Creativity plays an essential part in generating ideas to create products and services that are beneficial and satisfactory to the consumer. Due to increased global competition, organizations are being required to focus more on innovation in order to remain competitive and stay ahead of the competition. Implementation planning is challenging to achieve when being innovative and achieving goals using various strategies and planning. The group selected the NPD process to analyze and examine the Solar-Go charger because it provides the necessary tools and resources to help more effectively implement and market the product. Ultimately, this process will help the group determine if the Solar-Go charger meets and fulfills the needs of all consumers and whether it is a worthwhile investment.

Appendix A

Concept Development and Testing

Idea Screening

Idea Generation

Product Development

Test Marketing

Business Analysis

Marketing Strategy Development

Commercialization

Appendix B

The following table represents the projected budget and timeline for each of the implementation plans that have been mentioned above. It is important to note that the timeline and the budget could change as the plan is being implemented because of some unforeseen activities and costs.

References

Claessens, M. (2015). The new product development process (NPD) – Obtain new products. Principles of Marketing explained: Marketing-Insider, 1-4. Retrieved from https://

marketing-insider.eu/new-product-development-process/

Hill, B. (2017). Why perform a SWOT analysis? Chron, 1. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.

chron.com/perform-swot-analysis-5050.html

Lorette, K. (2017). The implementation process of strategic plans. Chron, 1. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/implementation-process-strategic-plans-4514.html

Unger, D., & Eppinger, S. (2011). Improving product development process design: a method for managing information flows, risks, and iterations. Journal of Engineering Design, 22(10), 689-699. doi:10.1080/09544828.2010.524886

Wheelwright, S. C. (2010). Managing new product and process development: text cases. Simon and Schuster.