During my years in product development, I’ve discovered many things they don’t teach you in school. One of the most significant revelations is that the part of the process that takes the most time is verifying that your product actually fits all stakeholders’ needs.
This is a tricky part for two reasons. First, it involves human beings. Figuring out the technologies needed for many commercial solutions is relatively straightforward. The laws of physics are well known, and for many technologies, there are standards and specifications. People, however, don’t come with manuals.
The second reason is that you can’t always identify a single user. It might be the person who presses the button or the one answering the call. You need to ensure it is easy for the installer to put in and for the maintenance personnel to replace the batteries with ease. You might also want to consider how your product will survive water splashes when the room it’s in is cleaned.
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