Rubbermaid Case: Rubbermaid Inc. At Present, Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid Case: Rubbermaid Inc. At present, Rubbermaid derives its product inspirations from customer analysis and feedback. It is market-driven, not technology-driven in its focus. In its methodology, it primarily makes use of focus groups to determine what the customer wants and needs, such as unbreakable pool cups and other dishware. Other products are generated by listening to anecdotes, such as a doorman's complaint about the shape of a dustpan. Formal, written customer complaints about size and durability of products are also scrupulously analyzed.

While this has translated into a successful company, part of staying ahead of the competition is anticipating as well as reacting to what customers want and need. One way to generate ground-breaking ideas is through attribute listing. With attribute listing, inventors list the attributes of a product (such as a ball) -- including material, size, style, and purpose (Attribute listing, 2011, Mind Tools).

Then, they brainstorm lists within the different categories (such as rubber, plush, and plastic for material; small, large and jumbo for size; football, soccer ball, ping-pong ball for style; toy, decoration, and tool for purpose). Matching up unique attributes between the different lists can generate a new product, such as a water bottle shaped like a soccer ball for small children. Another brainstorming technique is cluster analysis, which attempts to create connections between seemingly unlike series of facts or data, grouping them together.

With the associations generated (such as the desire of teens for fashionable looking-bottles and environmental consciousness about reusable bottles) a new product concept can be generated. Gap analysis is another commonly-used technique. Service quality gap analysis is a formal study of standards vs. The actual delivery of those standards, such as the rate of product defects. A management understanding gap is "the difference between the quality levels expected by customers and the perception of those expectations by management" (Helms 2006).

For example, Rubbermaid customers may believe that products labeled 'durable' should last five years, but the products may only last one or two. "A service design gap [is] the gap between management's perception of customer expectations and the development of this perception into delivery standards," such as the fact that managers might prioritize the inability of a cup to be easily spilled over aesthetics more than a customer (Helms 2006). Multi-dimensional scaling involves asking customers questions about similar products.

This could be incorporated into Rubbermaid's focus group approach: "potential customers are asked to compare pairs of products and make judgments about their similarity" (Multi-dimensional scaling, 2011, Knowledge Rush). This enables a company to understand if it is generating true value with its current line of products, given that if customers do perceive the products to be similar, brand loyalty will be less intense. This can generate ideas for creating products that are truly unique, and help eliminate brands that underperform or are not competitive.

A final, simple method of product generation is that of checklists. The company can list certain attributes it wishes its products to have and measure its current product lines against those checklists. Discrepancies or gaps between the checklist and reality can suggest new products, or new ways of reformulating old products. Instead of merely looking at.