‘New product development – e-commerce or not?’
WHO: A major IT and service provider
The client is a major information technology and service provider focused on leveraging its ‘state of the art’ technology for advanced applications in the digital age. Through the development of its own cutting edge software, the company is able offer a range of proprietary and bespoke solutions for clients wishing to exploit and gain competitive advantage from technology.
WHAT: To determine the potential for e-commerce and m-commerce among the client’s registered users
The client was already providing matched e-mail information to 15,000 registered users of a Government-sponsored project referral system. The client wished to determine the potential for e-commerce and m-commerce that existed among the user base and what form, if any, should the e-commerce service take from a technical and commercial point of view.
WHY IRN: We provided the right combination of in-depth telephone interviews complemented with results from a successful web survey
The product feasibility study utilised a web survey and in-depth telephone interviews as the basis of answering our client’s requirement. More than 8% of the user base responded to the invitation to participate in a web survey and a further 15% of these respondents were telephoned for in-depth interviews.
THE RESULT: The client took up the recommendation to focus on a specific type of e-commerce solution
The study provided the client with a sensitivity model detailing the risk associated with a range of e-commerce and m-commerce solutions. Our recommendation was for the client to focus on the development of a specific type of e-commerce solution, prototyped and reaction tested as part of the study. By adopting a risk study approach to new product development our client saved considerable time and investment. The study also defined the way forward for marketing.