Monday, April 28, 2014

Chapter 11- Developing and Managing Products


The world of mobile networks, devices and services is changing at a rapid pace, driven by a combination of technological innovation, strong competitive forces and an apparent limitless demand from consumers.


Digicel is cognizant of that fact and  prides itself on innovative products and being the first to market.  Understanding the need of the customer and being proactive in product offerings suggest that Digicel as a company is in tune with its customers and anticipates their needs even before the customer demands it. 


At Digicel there is a Products department charged with the responsibility of developing new products and services. The new-product development process is based on customer demand and business continuity.  Product ideas will be supported by a  business case to gauge viability and profitability.  The products team will conceptualize, design and test and launch new products.  Though the customer focus is essential, any new product to be launched has to pass an acceptable profitability margin.  There are some auxiliary products which are not expensive to develop and implement, e.g. online bill view and online bill payment; and for which the level of "red tape" is not required.  This product was born out of the increasing demand from customers, for a faster more convenient way to manage and pay their bills.  The products team endeavours to develop flexible product ranges which can be amended and built on as the need of the customer and market trends evolve.

 

Value to Customers

Digicel understands that as it attempts to establish marketplace differentiation, the company must offer products that are tailored to the needs of its customers.  New products must add value for the customer.   

As the company brings to market an increasingly diverse portfolio of products and services, all these are driven by the type of overall customer experience Digicel is built on.

 Analytics play an increasingly important role in creating a more consistently satisfying customer experience that can drive profitability. Analytics capabilities support new customer value product propositions in several ways:

  • Analytics enables Digicel to sift through a wide range of network performance metrics and then define and measure network quality and the associated customer experience.
  • Gives the company a better view of customer activity and manage the customer lifetime value. Allows for the development of products that customers will actually want to buy, and can also identify and manage churn risks much more proactively.
  • Through analytics, Digicel obtains an accurate view of the various contexts applicable to a customer and, on that basis, provide them with better tailored services and offerings.

·         Focus groups are also used to determine how the customer will perceive the new product idea.  It allows Digicel to develop products and services in a user-centered way by putting customers and users in the center of development, to assist with testing, gain buy in, etc.

 

Innovation

Digicel clearly understands that Innovation is another important opportunity for competitive differentiation in the mobile marketplace .  As aforementioned being the first to market with new technologies and products is what Digicel aims to do at all junctures.

Digicel is now focused on developing vertical solutions tailored to the needs of a specific industry or market. Digicel Business was formed as a result of that need.  Cloud computing , for example is a recently offered product, that not only improve traffic volumes but also drives higher average revenue per user (ARPU) by moving up the value chain and selling integrated packages of connectivity, infrastructure and software-as-a-service. These kinds of packages can create longer-term loyalty with customers; and creates considerable lock-in both to the device and platform, and ultimately betters the overall customer experience

 


No comments:

Post a Comment