Medical Devices
[Result]
Finding innovation opportunities with needs-based segments
A medical device leader targeted a complex disease area with only one effective treatment, and needed to know where innovation would matter most.
Read the case →
Stage-gates without customers
Problem we solve · Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight
Stage-gates without customers
“Our gates check documents, not evidence.”
Stage-gates often approve projects on documents and assumptions. Adding real customer experiments to each gate, testing desirability, feasibility and profitability, de-risks innovation and speeds good decisions.
Why it happens
Cause 1
No experiment design skills
Cause 2
Gates focus on technical milestones
Cause 3
No customer insight process
What we hear from clients
Paraphrased and anonymized from recent conversations.
“We agree with beefing up stage-gate with real-world experiments on feasibility, desirability and profitability.”
How we solve it
The approaches we use most often for this problem. Most clients start with one.
How we help
Innovation cadence and governance
We set up the review rhythm, decision rights and data discipline that keep an innovation portfolio honest, including real customer experiments at each gate..
How it works →How we help
Opportunity assessment and innovation portfolio
We give R&D and commercial teams a simple, repeatable way to assess ideas before R&D starts: a one-page overview, an NPV model and consistent scoring, shown in one portfolio view..
How it works →Tools that help
Market Edge frameworks used to diagnose and fix this problem.
Customer Journey MapA Customer Journey Map follows the customer's activity cycle, from recognizing a need to using and replacing a product, to find pain points, workarounds and moments where you can add value.Opportunity assessment and NPVOpportunity assessment and NPV evaluate innovation ideas before R&D starts: a short qualitative overview, a financial model, and a score on significance, ability to execute and technical and commercial feasibility.
Clients who solved this
All case studies →Healthcare · Startup
[Result]
Go-to-market strategy for a fall-protection startup
ActiveProtective, inventors of the Tango Belt, needed to understand the value of their device for geriatric and high-risk patients.
Read the case →Further reading
Articles by Market Edge consultants on mkt-edge.com.
Questions about stage-gates without customers
What is a customer experiment?
A small test that produces evidence about whether customers want, can use and will pay for an offer.
Does this slow the gates?
Usually it speeds decisions, because evidence replaces debate.
Other Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight problems we solve
Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight →Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight
R&D starts before the market case
“We fund R&D on technical promise. The market case comes later, if at all.”
Read more →Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight
Ageing portfolio
“Mature products take all our time. Lifecycle decisions keep getting postponed.”
Read more →Innovation, Portfolio & Customer Insight
Reports that don't answer your question
“We bought the market report. It doesn't answer our question.”
Read more →Recognize this problem?
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