Baseline: 3 years to reach market
Improvements: 6 months to reach market, template for future success
As the company prepared to expand into a new market, focused on unconventional resources in the Oil & Gas sector, there was a clear need for a more flexible mobile product. The initial baseline for bringing this product to market was projected to be an average of three years. The team was challenged to develop and introduce the product in under one year.
To meet this challenge, we identified critical questions to determine key features and employed standardized methods to test our hypotheses. We conducted market input interviews with sales teams in Latin America and the U.S to validate the business opportunity.
On the new product introduction (NPI) side, we developed a prototype design and selected an external manufacturer to avoid disrupting normal operations. Remarkably, the prototype was ready in less than six months, and the first product was sold even before production commenced.
Ultimately, the team exceeded the original market entry goal by 50%, completing the product in just six months instead of the anticipated 12. We achieved enhanced transparency and focus through visual management, establishing a regular cadence of accountability for all stakeholders.
Thanks to our standardized process, the program successfully navigated changes in leadership and addressed quality issues with the prototype while swiftly adapting the product to meet various country and weather requirements. This process has now become a template for future product development initiatives.
