Task description: Similar to Reflection 1, in this assessment, using the NPD/NSD concepts and frameworks that were discussed in seminars;

(a) You will critically analyse how this stage of the NPD/NSD was undertaken in two video case studies of high-tech firms that have been provided on Blackboard, namely, iOmniscient and Noja Power.

(b) Your focus will be limited to ‘Sales forecasting, product development, marketing and post-marketing issues’ (we have covered the first half of the NPD process in Reflection 1). In addition, to evidence from these two case studies you will use published information from two other technology firms such as Apple, Huawei, Microsoft etc.,

(c) If you have enough information to cover a sub-heading from iOmniscient and Noja, the information from other case studies can be brief.

You must adopt following format in your analysis

(1) The firm

Brief description of two firms, their core product/s, degree of innovation and competitive advantage (you can use the info you provided in Reflection 1). 

(2) Sales forecasting

 How was the sales forecasting undertaken? What methods? To what extent the cases used the methods discussed in seminars or did they follow a different way to determine sales potential of the product/service concept?

(3) Product protocol

 Product protocol – how did the firm allocated and managed tasks needed for the timely completion of the product?

 How were the core protocol elements (eg: target market) were determined

(4) Product design

 To what extent product design was important to the firm?

 Design process – issues encountered and innovative aspects of product/service design?

 See the applicability of frameworks discussed in seminars (eg: functionality vs aesthetics, contributions of design to new product goals, design goals and constraints, product architecture))

(5) Team building issues

 What emphasis the firm placed on building effectives product/service development teams?

 What was preferred team format adopted (functional, matrix and venture)?

(6) Product use testing:

 To what extent they used the methods discussed in seminars? (Alpha, Beta and Gamma testing) or did they had different ways of product use testing?

(7) Product launch and marketing strategy

 How was the product launch done? Was there a formal product launch?

 How was the first sale achieved? How did it help in subsequent sales?

 Subsequent modifications/improvements to the product

High-tech marketing

 Any evidence of entrepreneurial marketing strategies to reach mainstream customers who are generally sceptical about new technology? (examples below)

o Gaining legitimacy in the market

o Use of a reference site

o Developing a compelling unique selling proposition (USP)

o Competitive differentiation

o Compatibility with current technology used in the market

Service strategy

 To what extent they used services in their product marketing strategy?

 If the core ‘product’ was a service, what stages of the service development adopted?

Training staff with the needed skills? How were the employees empowered?

(8) Public liability and environmental/ethical/societal issues

 Was the product’s marketing campaign affected by any product liability or environmental/societal issues?

(9) References (only those used in the report)