April
2008 "Hot Button" Survey Results
In April we asked Pivot Point
readers, "How do you gather customer requirements?"
By far the top-scoring method is "in-person interviews with customers."
That's great to see, because we know the best way to learn about market
needs is to talk directly with customers.
We also were glad to see that no one said they rely on their own knowledge. Market familiarity is no substitute for living the customer's challenges every day.
One product manager observed: "I find that often customers will try to define the solution instead of explaining the problem they want solved. This can often result in sub-optimal solutions. I prefer to find out the end result they are looking for, and then look internally for options to get there."
Key take-away: Several people commented that they use
multiple methods. A survey respondent said, "Requirements gathering techniques
necessarily vary according to the nature of the customer (individual vs.
corporate, for example); the size of the market (mass market vs. niche
market); the criticality of the product (mission critical or not); and
other issues. There is no single best approach."
Thanks to everyone who responded and commented!
Contact us
to suggest a future Hot Button topic. We'd love to hear your
ideas! |