Case Study: Market Research – Product Testing Prior To Launch – Customer Preference Testing

Situation (Discuss)

The client had a new configuration of an existing surgical product that it needed to quickly test to determine whether it met overall customer satisfaction and other key market launch criteria prior to release into the market. Testing was required in 20-30 sites across the United States in order to meet internal quality requirements.

Business Recommendation (Design)

Magellan recommended a turnkey clinical market research solution to allow the client to quickly perform beta testing of the new product configuration. This solution included the identification and recruitment of multiple, geographically dispersed institutions with high numbers of target clinical users for participation in the study. Users were required to test the product for several days prior to completing an evaluation. The client had already developed an assessment tool which Magellan proposed to review and optimize to collect data on such factors as ease of use, physical product characteristics, intuitiveness of the design, and overall satisfaction with the new technology. Finally, Magellan proposed to manage all aspects of implementing the study, including clinician training for onsite data collection, data analysis, and summarization of results.

Magellan Team (Deploy)

The Project Manager and Project Coordinator identified and recruited surgical departments to participate in the study in various geographies specified by the client. They also assembled a team of eight Clinical Market Researchers located in various metropolitan areas throughout the country who instructed study participants on the details of the study, outlined roles and responsibilities, and provided all necessary training. Upon completion of the evaluations the project team summarized and analyzed all data before delivering results to the client. An Executive Sponsor served as a client advocate throughout the project to ensure a quality outcome for the client.

Results (Deliver)

The project produced the following key outcomes for the client:

• Clinical Market Research Testing results
• An Executive Summary
• Synthesized and analyzed data
• Formatted raw data
• Suggested market entry points
• Proposed product improvements

Business Impact

The client was able to quickly gather the data needed to assess its readiness to launch the newly configured product. They were able to confirm that the new product configuration was viewed as an improvement over existing technology, and launched the product on time.