Team Number One
Ryan Hakes
Hannah Hughes
Colby Sorenson
Jeff Lien
Bus 451 Winter ‘13
Professor Jeffery Danes
March 13, 2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE NUMBER
TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………...………………………………………………………….2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..……………………………………………………………………...3
I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………5
Industry Background
Product Innovation Strategy
II. OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION & IDEA GENERATION………………………….6-10
Opportunity Search
Summary of Results
Top Ranked Ideas
III. DESCRIPTION OF KEY TECHNOLOGIES…………………………………………...11-12
IV. TARGET CUSTOMER CHARACTERIZATION & IDEA SEARCH………………….13-15
Target Market
“Before” Scenario
“After” Scenario
Benefits
V. BRIEF CONCEPT STATEMENT………………………………………………………..16-17
Form
Technology
Benefit
VI. EXPANDED PRODUCT ATTRAIBUTES & ATTRIBUTE LEVELS………………...18-23
Product Concept
Utility Analysis
VII. PLANNING FOR LAUNCH……………………………………………………………24-28
Elevator Pitch
Price and Brand Justification
Product Position
Positioning Statement
VIII. NEW PRODUCT CONCEPT………………………………………………………….29-30
New Product Concept
IX. CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………………31
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
When engaged in work-type activities, we all face certain annoyances, problems, and
obstacles that can interfere with our productivity and enjoyment of the activity. The Robert E.
Kennedy library at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo contains some quiet study rooms, collaboration
rooms, a coffee shop, and computer labs, along with other valuable studying resources that are
accessible to the students. One issue though is that many students deal with the annoyance of
searching for available seating in the library, especially during busy midterms and finals weeks.
Students will spend much time walking in circles, otherwise known as taking laps, around the
library floors until they find a spot to sit, whilst wasting precious study time.
After conducting a virtual brainstorming session describing common student problems
through a functional website called Dialogr, we found that a majority of the issues people faced
were problems at school. Consequently, we decided to develop a new product, ChairCheck,
which includes a seat sensor device that would detect available seating in the library, to relieve
students from the annoyance of searching for open seats. ChairCheck consists of a free
Smartphone application, website, and monitor located on the first floor and in the stairwells of
the library for students to check on seat availability. Students also expressed a desire to reserve
seats, so we created a specific section on the fourth and fifth floors of the library where students
can reserve seats up to an hour in advance, without worry of their seats being taken.
We conducted this research through a variety of techniques that all were appropriate for
gaining the necessary information to develop our product. These techniques included a virtual
brainstorming session for ideas, screening of these ideas, and developing the concept after the
screening. We then used the concept to determine our target market, create beneficial attributes
screen these attributes, and then determine the segmentation, position, target, price, and brand
3
name for our product. All of these methods allowed us to develop ChairCheck to best benefit the
target market.
Finally, after asking our target market to give feedback on our product, we concluded
there were a few issues and concerns with our new product concept. We recommend that these
issues be worked out before the full implementation of our product.
4
I. INTRODUCTION
Industry Background
Our product fits into the technical service industry. ChairCheck encompasses a few
technical services, such as the weight sensor purchased by the University as well as a mobile
application, website, and monitors for students to find available seating in the library. There is
also a service within the application and website for students to reserve seating ahead of time.
Currently, a similar technology is employed in parking garages to let drivers know which levels
have available parking. As this trend expands in parking garages, it stands to reason that people
are appreciative when expectations are managed and their time is saved. A “closer-to-home”
concept currently employed by the Cal Poly library is a tracking system for library computers.
This industry is not new, but it is expanding, and our product concept is a unique and promising
utilization of current technology and concepts.
Product Innovation Strategy
Our group decided that a feasible goal is to relieve students of the stress associated with
limited seating availability and to provide a simple, efficient way for them to find a place to
study. Our primary target market consists of college students who live a fast-paced, “on-the-go”
lifestyle. For initial testing of our product, we plan to implement our product at the Robert E.
Kennedy Library at California Polytechnic State University. We hope to pull in 25% of the
student population within the first year through their downloading of our mobile application. To
do this, we will market using print advertisements throughout the library and on campus near the
library, as well as rely on word of mouth by the innovative students who download our
application before the early market.
5
II. OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION & IDEA
GENERATION
Opportunity Search
The entire class participated in the virtual brainstorming session for various new product
ideas. Using Dialogr.com, we were able to efficiently generate ideas without peer pressure or
judgment. This is one of the key aspects of virtual brainstorming that makes it a much more
efficient system to use as compared to traditional brainstorming. We were presented with well over
forty ideas to rate using a one to five star scale based on how important we thought the ideas were.
In addition, we were given the opportunity to provide beneficial comments on any of the ideas. We
then synthesized the data by analyzing the rankings and comments for the top fifteen ideas (see
table below). We observed that many of the ideas were applications or related to technology, so we
took that into consideration when choosing our new product idea.
The Topic: When engaged in work-type activities (office work, university, creative efforts, etc.), what
annoyances, problems, or obstacles tend to get in the way, interfere with your productivity and
enjoyment of the activity?
Rank
Idea
Rating
Mean
Std.Dev
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
Confusing
Directions
1
3.91
0.98
3%(1)
3%(1)
25%(8)
38%
(12)
31%(10)
2
Not having
access to
everything
that I need
12
3.71
1.03
3% (1)
6% (2)
37%
(13)
26%
(9)
29% (10)
3
People who
don’t do their
share of the
6
3.76
1.04
0% (0)
14% (4)
28% (8)
28%
(8)
31% (9)
6
work.
4
When I am in
a group with
people who
refuse to see
any idea
besides their
own
14
3.71
0.85
0% (0)
6% (2)
35%
(11)
39%
(12)
19% (6)
5
The biggest
obstacle
interfering
with my
productivity
involves the
use of my cell
phone.
13
3.71
0.96
0% (0)
10% (3)
35%
(11)
29%
(9)
26% (8)
Summary of the results presented in the table
According to the results from the Dialogr post, we noticed that a majority of the products
designed by students concerned problems at school. Also, there are a large number of products that
are electronically driven, like seat sensors, applications, and internet-related activities. In addition,
there are many ideas that were similar to others. A couple of them are the seat sensor for the
library which was mentioned three times, as well as seat cushions that are built into other products
which was mentioned twice. We derived that students are lacking new technology on campus and
are looking to better their education through these new ideas
Top ranked ideas for the entire class
Rank
Idea
Raters
Mean
Std.
Dev.
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Agree
1
Electronic
25
3.96
1
0% (0)
8% (2)
28% (7)
24%
40% (10)
7
Seat
Sensor
(6)
2
Laptop
case seat
cushion
30
3.73
1.24
10% (3)
3% (1)
23% (7)
30%
(9)
33% (10)
3
Cloud
program
for school
related
necessities
7
3.71
1.16
0% (0)
14% (1)
43% (3)
0% (0) 43% (3)
4
App that
disables
various
communic
ations
14
3.64
.97
0% (0)
14% (2)
29%(4)
36%
(5)
21%(3)
5
Gumption
App
19
3.63
1.18
5%(1)
16%(3)
16%(3)
37%
(7)
26%(5)
6
Seat
Solution
16
3.63
1.11
6% (1)
6% (1)
31% (5)
31%
(5)
25%
(4)
7
Library
Seat
Reservatio
n
27
3.59
1.1
7%(2)
4%(1)
33%(9)
33%
(9)
22%(6)
8
Ear covers
for
headphone
s to
silence
sound
created by
them
20
3.5
1.28
10% (2)
15% (3)
15% (3)
35%
(7)
25% (5)
9
On
campus
food
delivery
app
31
3.45
1.24
6% (2)
19% (6)
23% (7)
26%
(8)
26% (8)
10
Backpack
30
3.43
0.92
0% (0)
17% (5)
37%
33%
13% (4)
8
with
memory
foam for
chairs
(11)
(10)
11
USB
device to
make Mac
into a PC
to run PConly
programs
26
3.38
1.18
8% (2)
12% (3)
38%
(10)
19%
(5)
23% (6)
12
Communi
cation
tool/app
on
PolyLearn
that
includes
project
status
29
3.38
1.13
7% (2)
12% (4)
31% (9)
31%
(9)
17% (5)
13
Instant
27
messaging
Poly Learn
service to
aid with
confusing
directions
3.33
0.98
4% (1)
15% (4)
37%
(10)
33%
(9)
11% (3)
14
A locking
applicatio
n that
turns of
distraction
s on your
phone
13
3.31
0.82
0% (0)
15% (2)
46% (6)
31%
(4)
8% (1)
15
A nontoxic
chemical
agent
laced with
natural
30
3.3
1.24
13% (4)
7% (2)
37%
(11)
23%
(7)
20% (6)
9
herbs,
vitamins
and
minerals
that
defeats
hunger
Using data from our classmates on Dialogr.com, we noticed that an Electronic Seat
Sensor had a mean average of 3.96, the highest out of all the brainstormed ideas. Because of its
popularity we decided to implement a mobile application, website and library monitors that
allow students to view which seats are vacant and occupied. In addition we decided to add a
reservation section in the library. This designated section allows students to reserve certain seats
an hour in advance to ensure they have a specific safe seat. This product will allow students to
spend their time on more important things like studying and working on projects instead of
endlessly searching for an empty seat.
10
III. DESCRIPTION OF KEY TECHNOLOGIES
Technology
Time is the most valuable asset in a college student’s life. With extra curricular,
academics and possibly holding a part time job, looking for a library seat is the least of our
worries. The technology used by ChairCheck will save a drastic amount of time to make the
hectic life of a college student a little bit easier.
The technology utilized in the ChairCheck system can most easily be broken down into
two categories: on-site and off. The on-site technology starts with the physical seats. Each seat
contains an occupancy sensor, which is triggered by the weight of someone sitting down in the
seat. The sensor either registers as occupied or open. This reading is then transferred to the
externally visible, on-seat light which indicates either “this seat is available” or “this seat is
reserved.” The sensor also transmits this information to a Bluetooth-enabled sensor that sends
availability information to a local computer and receives information about reservations. The
local computer connects with the main server. The server, application, and website are the
remote aspects of the ChairCheck system. The server takes in and sends information about
reservations and seat availability and updates the website, application, and on-site monitors.
11
12
IV. TARGET CUSTOMER
CHARACTERIZATION & ATTRIBUTE
SEARCH
Target Market
After an analysis of the market for our product, we determined that the most appropriate
target market will be all college students. Since we will be first implementing this product on Cal
Poly’s campus, it will specifically be marketed towards those students who attend Cal Poly. Our
ideal customer is a male or female student who is rushing to the library at the beginning of finals
week. They are wearing a heavy backpack filled with notebooks and a laptop. The student is
doing laps around each floor, searching for an available seat. The student becomes stressed and
worried that they will be unable to have sufficient time to study. Below we define possible
“before and after” scenarios for an example customer.
“Before”: day-in-the-life
Let’s take a second to imagine a scenario that takes place on an average Sunday in the
library at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A student walks into the library, ready to get working on his
essay that he has due in his Communications class the next day. What he comes to notice after
getting onto the second floor where he normally does his work is that there are a very large
number of students occupying the tables around him. After taking two laps around the floor, he
begins to get frustrated and makes his way to the third floor where he finally finds an open seat
in the back corner with very minimal lighting.
Before the implementation of ChairCheck, life in the library is stressful and time
consuming. Since this is a college campus, Robert E. Kennedy library is often bustling and hectic
on practically any day of the week, especially during midterm and finals weeks. Time is always
the enemy as students frantically search for a seat on any and all five floors of the library. This
13
robs students of critical time that they could otherwise spend studying and detracts from our
perception of a quiet and simple library experience. What students need is a method to find seats
quickly and efficiently to improve the learning experience.
“After”: day-in-the-life
The implementation of ChairCheck will revolutionize the way students study.
ChairCheck provides a guarantee that a student will have a place to study – if you see a space
open (marked green), you’ve got a place to study. Further, with the seat reservation system,
studying becomes a scheduled activity that students with wavering discipline will find easier to
build into their schedules. The necessary technologies are all readily available through a mobile
application, an easy to navigate website, or even just the monitor at the bottom floor of the
library and in the stairwells. Less wandering around looking for the best place to study means
more time to get work done.
Benefits
Our product features many attributes that will benefit the target customer in a number of
ways. First off, to locate the seats available, students will have access to a mobile application
which displays all seats in the library and their current status: vacant (green), taken (red), or
locked for a short period (yellow). This will also be available to see via the website or the
monitors at the bottom floor and in the stairwells in the library. Another attribute for this product
is the reservation system which will give students the benefit of securing a seat in the library
with no worry. Certain sections of the library on the 4th and 5th floors will be specifically set
aside for reservations since these are the quietest areas. By accessing the mobile app or website,
students can easily reserve their seats up to an hour in advance and keep their seats for as little as
14
thirty minutes and up to five hours. Finally, the locked seat attribute will give students the
freedom to get up and do the things they need. After an extended period of time, students will
need to leave their seat to go to the bathroom, get a drink, or get some coffee. By having their
seat locked by displaying a yellow icon, other students will recognize that the seat is saved and
cannot be used at that time. These attributes were all specifically created to benefit the student by
allowing them to have the best stress and worry-free study experience possible at the library
15
V. BRIEF CONCEPT STATEMENT
Our product concept is an electronic seat sensor that detects available seating. Many
students are frustrated with spending too much time trying to find an empty seat in the library.
To prevent this loss of time, we want to create a product that will sense the availability of seats in
the library. Students can check our mobile application, website, or large monitors at the front of
the library and in the stairwells. Students will be more enthusiastic about studying in the library
knowing that they will not be wasting time trying to find a seat.
Form
ChairCheck will be in the form of a mobile phone application, website, and monitor that informs
students where seats are available. The seat sensor product itself will be purchased and installed
by the university.
Technology
The technology consists of sensors in the library chairs that transmit where empty seats are
located and which seats are reserved or occupied. This is a revolutionary technology as no other
libraries have implemented such a device. However there are similar technologies in existence
such as having sophisticated parking structures that show the available spaces in certain parking
garages.
Benefit
16
The main benefits of our product, ChairCheck, is that its very time saving as you don’t have to
waste your time roaming the library for available seating. had the ability to know what seats in
the library are available to you at any given time.
17
VI. EXPANDED PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES &
ATTRIBUTE-LEVELS
Product Concept
Students across the country have shown distress due to time wasted looking for seats in
their university libraries. A group of students at California Polytechnic State University, San
Luis Obispo have come up with a solution to this problem. After extensive market research of
the target market of college students, the group found that students are constantly looking for
ways to save time. This new product, ChairCheck, will relieve students of the worry and stress
faced with finding a place to study. ChairCheck will be in the form of an electronic sensor that
lies underneath each chair in the library and senses the weight of a person. Each chair will also
have its own identification number. When seats are empty, the sensor relays a wireless message
to the ChairCheck application, the ChairCheck website, and also the large monitor at the
entrance of the library. Students can download the mobile application and check it before they
enter the library. For students who don’t have a Smartphone, they can log onto our website or
check the large screen at the front entrance of the library. Available seating will be easily
displayed by floor level and location of where the seat is located with its identification number.
When the seats are taken there will be a red dot, but when seats are available there will be a
flashing green dot.
There will also be an exclusive section where you can reserve seats. The area will be
filled with comfortable seating, such as couches, beanbags, and collaboration tables. Seating will
also be able to detect bodies and allow students to log onto their account to reserve them for a
specified period of time. To prevent students from taking reserved seats, there will be a panel on
the side of the chair that will flash red if the seat is reserved.
18
ChairCheck will be tested and utilized in the Robert E. Kennedy library at Cal Poly first
and then will expand to other California State Universities. Once implemented, ChairCheck
seeks to revolutionize the way students go about their work in a library.
Attribute
Seat Occupancy detection
Phone Application
Seat protection/Reliability
Reservation in advance
Level
Weight sensor
Light sensor
Motion sensor
Benefits
The sensor will be able to
recognize which seats are
available and which seats are
taken, and then display them
on the app or website so other
students know where to go to
find an open seat.
Android
iPhone
Having multiple platforms for
the application allows
students with any phone type
to easily find and use our
app.
Reservations
Stand-by
Locked Seat
Through this, students have the
option to leave their seat to
grab a cup of coffee or use
the restroom without the
issue of another person taking
their seat while they are
away.
1 hour
2 hours
5 hours
10 hours
24 hours
Students can pick the perfect
area to match their study
habits by reserving a specific
seat in the library.
Reservation Duration
30 minutes
1 hour
2 hours
3 hours
4 hours
5 hours
The amount of time for the seat
to be reserved gives students
the ability to work for
however long they need
without having the worry of
someone taking their seat.
Check Availability via App
and Monitor
Red light
Green light
The availability lets students
easily find which seats are
open in advance so they don’t
19
Seat ID number
have to wander around a
crowded library to find a
hidden open seat.
Availability Sensor Location
On top of the seat
Under the seat
On the side of the seat
Students are given visibility to
determine whether the seat
they are about to take is open,
reserved, or locked.
Time Saving
Somewhat time saving
Very time saving
Not time saving
By using this application, it
will give students more time
in their day for other
activities besides finding a
seat in the library.
Website
Phone Application
Students are benefitted by
having multiple access points
to find which seat would best
fit their study needs.
Preference of where to
reserve
Location of monitor
1st Floor
2nd Floor
3rd Floor
4th Floor
5th Floor
Stairwells
Elevators
By having the monitor in
multiple locations, students can
easily check the availability of
seats before entering each floor
of the library.
Utility Analysis
We asked our target market to analyze many possible attributes of our product. After
entering each attribute and its different levels into Dialogr, students were able to rank attributes
and levels based on what they found most desirable.
Attribute
Seat occupancy
detection
Levels
Mean
Rank
Weight Sensor
3.68
10
Light Sensor
3.37
15
Motion Sensor
3.15
19
20
Phone Device
Reliability
Reservation in
advance
Reservation
Duration
Android
2.94
24
iPhone
3.63
11
Reservations
4.05
6
Stand-by
3.25
16
Locked Seat
4.41
1
1 hour
3.95
8
2 hours
3.24
17
5 hours
2.53
33
10 hours
2.14
36
24 hours
2.75
29
3
21
3.22
18
2 hours
3
23
3 hours
3
22
4 hours
2.83
27
5 hours
2.85
26
On top of seat
2.54
32
Under Seat
3.73
9
Side of seat
2.83
28
Somewhat time
saving
3.56
13
Very time
saving
4.15
4
2.5
35
30 minutes
1 hour
Availability
Sensor Location
Time Saving
Not time saving
21
Preference of
where to reserve
Location of
Monitor
Website
3.59
12
Phone
Application
4.32
3
1st floor
4.32
2
2nd floor
3
20
3rd floor
2.94
25
4th floor
2.6
31
5th floor
2.5
34
Stairwells
3.5
14
Elevators
2.73
30
4
37
Every Floor
The attribute that students wanted most and scored a mean of 4.41 was to have a “reliable” and
“locked seat.” Students also were keen to the idea of reserving seats, which had a mean of 4.05.
(Shown below)
Attribute
Levels
Mean (x)
Rank
Reliability
Reservations
4.05
6
Stand-by
3.25
16
Locked Seat
4.41
1
The attribute “reservation in advance” also proved to be an important factor for students. Our
Dialogr results showed that out of the 5 levels, “1 hour” had a mean of 3.95, the highest ranked
time to reserve seats in advance. However, after posting our final concept on Dialogr and asking
students to rate our product concept and give feedback, one students left a comment saying “one
22
hour is too long.” On the other hand, another student left a comment saying “I don’t think one
hour in advance is enough because many people plan library trips a whole day in advance,
especially during finals week.” (Shown below)
Attribute
Reservation in advance
Levels
1 hour
2 hours
5 hours
10 hours
24 hours
Mean (x) Rank
3.95
3.24
2.53
2.14
2.75
8
17
33
36
29
Another attribute our target market found important was the preference of where to reserve. The
two levels were “website” which scored a mean of 3.59 and ranked 12th overall, and “phone
application,” which scored a mean of 4.32 and ranked 3rd overall. This shows us that students
want to be able to reserve seats through their mobile devices when they are on-the-go. Students
want to also have the option of reserving seats through the website. Cal Poly currently offers a
service similar to ours where you can reserve collaboration rooms, however, you can only do this
through the library website and not through a phone application. (Shown below)
Attribute
Levels
Mean (x)
Rank
Preference of where to reserve
Website
3.59
12
Phone Application
4.32
3
23
VII. PLANNING FOR THE LAUNCH
Elevator Pitch
For college students
Who have a need for easier access to seating in the library,
ChairCheck is a seat sensor product that can be accessed by a mobile application, website, and
television monitors in the library,
Which allows students to reserve seats in advance, hold seats for a specific period of time when
not present, and shows available seats in the library.
Unlike reserving a “fishbowl,” or collaboration room,
Our product will help students reserve places to study according to their unique needs.
Price & Brand Justification
Price
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
Idea
Free
$0.99
$1.99
$3.99
$2.99
N
Mean
St. Dev
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongly
Agree
23
4.78
.51
0 (0%)
0 (0%)
1 (4%)
3 (13%)
23
21
21
20
3.57
2.38
1.81
1.8
1.1
1.33
1.37
1.25
2 (9%)
9 (43%)
15(71%)
13
(65%)
0 (0%)
1 (5%)
1(5%)
10 (2%)
9 (39%)
6 (29%)
0 (0%
10(2%)
7 (30%)
4 (19%)
19 (4%)
10 (2%)
19
(83%)
5 (22%)
1 (5%)
1 (5%)
1 (5%)
24
Price
6
4.81
Axis Title
5
3.62
4
2.42
3
1.89
1.84
Mean (x)
2
1
0
The app The app The app The app The app
should be should be should be should be should be
free
$0.99
$1.99
$3.99
$2.99
Brand
Rank
Idea
N
Mean
St.Dev
1
22
4
19
4
Seat
Finder
Chair
Check
Spot
Finder
Bibliocheka
5
Library Buddy
2
3
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
1.2
Strongly
Disagree
1 (5%)
3(14%)
2 (9%)
7 (32%)
Strongly
Agree
9 (41%)
3.85
.91
0(0%)
1 (5%)
6(32%)
6 (32%)
6(32%)
7
3.41
1.5
1 (14%)
1 (14%)
1(14%)
1 (14%)
3 (43%)
19
3.4
1.22
2 (11%)
3 (16%)
4 (21%)
7 (37%)
3 (16%)
20
3.28
1.03
1 (5%)
4 (20%)
7 (35%)
6 (30%)
2 (10%)
Brand Name
5
4
3
4
3.85
3.41
3.4
3.28
2
1
Mean Score
0
25
As a group we had inclinations of what we wanted the price and brand to be but used a
utility analysis to gain knowledge of consumer’s preferences. With a mean rating of 4.81 out of
5, we found that an overwhelming amount of respondents felt the app should be free.
Consequently, we decided it was in our best interest to make the application free for all mobile
device users. In terms of brand name, we collectively liked the name “ ChairCheck” for our
product. We felt the name was catchy and represented our product well. After implementing a
utility analysis, we found that “ChairCheck” ranked very high among respondents (2nd place)
with a mean rating of 3.85. Although it didn’t top the list, we decided to use ChairCheck because
we preferred the name as a group, and scored highly in the analysis.
Product Position
Having a locked seat is very reliable and beneficial to customers. It allows users to save time,
which permits them to have more time to themselves. In addition, users will not have to worry
about their seat being taken. This control gives them reassurance that they have a specific spot to
enjoy the amenities of the library.
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Students showed a distinct preference of where to reserve seats, which was through a phone
application. This method allows users to save time, which gives them the accomplishment of
being more efficient. Phone applications also give users a sense of mobility because they have
the convenience of reserving seats anywhere as long as they have their smart phone. In the end,
customers experience a sense of bliss and peace of mind.
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Positioning Statement
For college students who have a need for easier access to seating in the library, ChairCheck is a
seat sensor product that can be accessed by a mobile application, website, and projected monitors
which allows students to reserve seats in advance, hold seats for a specific period of time when
not present, and shows available seats in the library.
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VIII. NEW PRODUCT CONCEPT
New Product Concept
Our new product is the ChairCheck iPhone application. ChairCheck consists of a seat
sensor that shows available seating in the library through a mobile application, website, and
monitor located on the first floor and in the stairwells, to allow students to reserve seats 1 hour in
advance, and locks seats when students need to get up for a short period of time. This application
will be free for students.
The Topic: Hello, we are doing a test on various new product concepts that may be of interest to you.
Please RATE these concepts and give us feedback using the COMMENTS tab. If you like or dislike a
concept, please tell us why and give suggestions as to how to improve the concept.
Rank
Idea
Mean
Std.
Dev
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree
Neutral
Agree
Strongl
y
Agree
1
The SeatFinder will revolutionize the
student seat finding experience in
university libraries everywhere.
SeatFinder is a free app for students and
accessible from both a mobile
application and a computer through the
library website. The app will update
seat availability every minute, and
students will be able to reserve seats 15
minutes in advance. The application
will also feature hours for the library,
PolyPrint, and Julian’s, and offer voice
technology. The sensor device will be
screwed on and built into the seat
cushion, with rechargeable batteries.
The main benefit is that it helps
students find and reserve seats in the
library.
3.49
1.52
17% (7)
15%(6)
7%(3)
24%
(10)
37%(1
5)
2
Our new product is the ComfyCase.
This is a laptop case that doubles as a
seat cushion. The interior of the case is
made out of memory foam which gives
extra support to the laptop and provides
a comfortable seat cushion. The case
will be available in sizes ranging from
13 to 17 inches and will come in a
variety of colors. The Comfy Case price
will depend on the size, but will range
from 20-30 dollars.
3.25
1.48
20% (8)
10% (4)
25%
(10)
15% (6)
30%
(12)
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3
Our new product is a backpack which
incorporates a memory foam pad called
the Comfort Pack. The foam will be
located inside of the backpack's
shoulder straps along with a back piece.
This back pad will attach to the
backpack using buckles and will be
fully detachable. Once detached the
memory foam pad can be placed on a
chair for back support and comfort. The
Comfort Pack will come in Small,
Medium, and Large sizes from $30 to
$50 depending on size. It will feature 3
large pockets, 1 medium pocket and 4
small pockets and will be available in
several popular colors.
3.23
1.44
20% (8)
8% (3)
30%
(12)
15% (6)
28%
(11)
4
Our new product is the FeedMe App.
This is an application for smartphones
that allows users to order food to be
delivered to the customer's location to
save time. This allows the order to be
tracked via GPS and delivery is
estimated to be received in less than 15
minutes. It is downloadable on all
application stores for free with
advertisements, and $0.99 without
advertisements.
3.13
1.45
20% (8)
18% (7)
15%
(6)
25%
(10)
23%
(9)
5
Our new service concept is for students
who spend hours studying at the Cal
Poly Kennedy Library in need of a
simple way of getting preferred meals
delivered to their library desks. Deals
on Wheelsis a food delivery service that
will provide your meal of choice from
off campus right to your library study
seat. Unlike Cafe Runner, our service is
focused solely on students studying at
the library, and we make every effort to
keep delivery costs low for students.
Students use a simple ordering system
either from their computer or a mobile
phone app. Once they complete their
order, they can pay online with a credit
card or in person with cash, and input
their location in the library. The food is
then delivered right to their seats.
3.11
1.45
21% (8)
13% (5)
24%
(9)
18% (7)
24%
(9)
9
Our new product is the ChairCheck
iPhone application. ChairCheck
consists of a seat sensor that shows
available seating in the library
through a mobile application,
website, and monitor located on the
first floor and in the stairwells, to
allow students to reserve seats 1 hour
in advance, and locks seats when
students need to get up for a short
period of time. This application will
be free for students.
2.88
1.49
28% (11)
15% (6)
20%
(8)
18% (7)
20%
(8)
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IX. CONCLUSION
Our class generated 11 new product concepts that developed a solution to an irritant.
Many groups decided to further their research on the implementation of a similar chair-detecting
product. Overall, our product ranked 9th with a mean rating of 2.88. The majority (28%) of
people who rated our product concept ranked it as “Strongly Disagree.”
We decided to not put our product into launch. We felt that although this product would
be helpful for students, it is not a necessary product in daily life. There are still a few issues with
our product that would need to be sorted out before launching it. For example, we would need to
have a way to prevent students from taking reserved seating. This was a common problem
brought up; one student actually expressed, “If it was me and I saw an open seat, I would just
take it. How will you enforce?” and another said “How do you confront someone who sits in
your seat?” Another issue raised by respondents was about those who do not have a Smartphone.
The application would be irrelevant to them and so they might not be aware of how the product
works. This would play back into the previous issue about enforcing the locked and reserved
seats. We also felt that the university would have difficulty implementing this concept.
Purchasing and installing each specific seat sensor would be very time consuming and costly,
and may not be an expense the university is willing to take on during this time of budget cuts in
the educational system.
If we had the choice to pick another concept to move into product launch, we would pick
the concept ranked third overall, the “Comfort Pack.” We feel that it is a great idea and can be
utilized in a number of different settings, like at the library, in the classroom, at home, or even at
sporting events. By offering different sizes and colors, this product will accompany a wide
market. Compared to other products similar to it, like a normal backpack, the price range of $30
31
to $50 is appropriate and affordable for the average student. We believe that this innovative new
concept could be a hit in the market and create a new age of students sitting comfortable
wherever they go.
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