The use and perception of methods and product representations in product development:: a survey of Swedish industry

The identification and implementation of customer requirements in the early stages of product development are significant issues for successful product development. Two important factors in this context are: (i) the use of methods to identify customer requirements, and (ii) the use of product representations to support the communication with customers in early product evaluations. The aim of this study has been to investigate the use and perceptions of methods and product representations in Swedish companies, and its possible impact on problems associated with late-discovered customer requirements. The survey shows that most companies have good knowledge of different methods and that several different methods for identifying and analysing customer requirements are used. In addition, traditional product representations, such as construction design drawings and hand-made sketches, are commonly used. The number of companies that use rapid prototyping is surprisingly high. Furthermore, the study reveals that late discovered product requirements are fairly common. There are indications that the use of certain methods and product representations may reduce this problem. However, the study also shows that product development processes tend to be focused on time-related efficiency rather than customer-related activities for improved product quality.