Feedback is the gold of product development. It guides innovation and ensures that products not only work, but are also loved by users. For product managers in manufacturing companies, this input from end users, the craftsmen and women on the construction site, is also essential.
Thanks to Evolute's feedback software, industrial manufacturers can now collect this input more efficiently and effectively than ever before: For the first time, Evolute allows product managers to conduct scalable user research on their end customers.
But what does user research actually mean and how do I use it profitably for my company?
User research is not market research
User research is often lumped together with market research. But this does not do the job justice, because user research is not the same as market research. While market research examines the entire market, trends and the broader customer base, user research focuses on the experience, behavior and opinions of actual or potential users of a product (Courage & Baxter, 2005). It is about gaining deep insights into the "why" behind user actions and designing products accordingly.
Many product managers are used to working with market researchers. Due to the broad focus of market studies (market, competition, trends, etc.), these are often broader and more elaborate than an Evolute survey. We therefore often observe that our users - out of a learned behavior - initially want to create and conduct larger surveys with 40-50 questions each with Evolute.
The Evolute method is based on user research
Both the creation and evaluation of such extensive surveys require a lot of time and resources on the part of product managers. And even craftspeople, for whom the survey is ultimately designed, find themselves in the predicament that answering the survey cannot be done in two minutes "on the side", but that they have to take extra time for it - which usually has a negative impact on the response rate.
This is where the Evolute method comes into play: thanks to our proven best practices for creating surveys, we train product managers from the first day they work with Evolute on how best to set up surveys so that a consistently high response rate is achieved and their own craftsmen community remains motivated.
Shorter surveys enable continuous exchange with the community
An important component of the Evolute method is that we work together with the product managers to shorten the surveys they send to their craftsmen community and reduce them to the essentials - and to include non-urgent questions in the next survey in a week or two.
As a result, product managers are increasingly moving towards surveys with only 5-10 questions - of which they then send one to their community every week.
The effect? Evolute allows manufacturers to build a motivated and vibrant community of craftspeople. Instead of relying on tedious market research or far too infrequent visits to craftsmen "on site", Evolute promotes a culture of continuous and spontaneous exchange. This community is intrinsically motivated to regularly and proactively share their opinions and experiences with the manufacturer. The bond with the brand is strengthened and the members feel like a valuable part of the development process.
Faster to better results and decisions
This evolution in the feedback process has several advantages:
- Faster feedback: Instead of waiting weeks or months for comprehensive feedback, product managers now receive regular, near real-time feedback.
- High quality feedback: Shorter surveys keep user responses focused and relevant. This makes it easier to interpret and act on the feedback.
- Engaged community: A motivated community means that feedback is more authentic and honest. Members who feel valued are happy to share their opinions and suggestions.
What does this mean for companies that use Evolute? It enables faster decision-making in the development project. With a constant stream of feedback, product managers can respond more quickly to customer requirements and make necessary changes in less time.
Case study: Spontaneous survey on switch position for power tools with 37 tradesman responses after 11 hours
How do manufacturers use Evolute in practice for their user research?
During the specification phase of a new appliance, a manufacturer of power tools wanted to know where the on/off switch should be positioned. The product manager responsible conducted a spontaneous survey of around 100 tradesmen. With just a few targeted questions, the survey yielded the first 37 responses after just 11 hours, which revealed a clear trend so that the product manager responsible was able to continue work on this project the very next working day.
What would previously have taken weeks of manual phone calls to tradesmen or on-site visits was resolved within one working day.
In total, the manufacturer had achieved a response rate of more than 60% in this survey with over 60 responses after a few days - proof of a committed community and a great success for the product manager, who was thus able to quickly back up his feature decision with valid data.
User research with Evolute: efficient and high-quality feedback
Access to timely and high-quality feedback will be crucial for manufacturers to differentiate themselves from the competition in the coming years. Evolute makes it easier than ever for product managers to build an engaged community of craftspeople and generate regular, high-quality customer feedback. It's not just a question of quality, but also of efficiency, and with the right feedback software on their side, manufacturers can ensure that their products always meet their customers' requirements and wishes - easily and quickly.
Sources:
Courage, C., & Baxter, K. (2005). Understanding Your Users: A Practical Guide to User Requirements Methods, Tools, and Techniques. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
Visit us at Evolute.app for more insights and best practices in community management and feedback
