Jane Boutelle of Digsite presents on how to bring agile insights into product development. She discusses how agile principles like rapid prototyping and tight consumer feedback loops can help build products as companies learn. Boutelle describes how Sub-Zero uses Digsite's platform and Consumer Insight Communities to test products through various stages from initial prototypes to post-launch feedback. This helps identify issues early, allow controlled experiments, and engage participants. Sub-Zero found this approach prevented $2.5 million in warranty claims and expects a 250% return on investment in claims alone.

1. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
How to Bring Agile Insights
into Product Development

2. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
About Digsite
Digsite Sprints SocialFind SmartReporting
Smarter,
Faster
Qualitative
Research

3. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Your Speaker
Jane Boutelle
CCO and Co-founder of Digsite

4. Agile Insights Drive
Better Products

5. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
What Do We Mean by “Agile?”
• Empower small teams
• Break complex problems into sprints
• Rapidly prototype and test solutions
• Have tight consumer-driven feedback loops
• Integrate learning into a coherent whole

6. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Why Agile Matters: Build as You Learn
User Stories Launch
Source: https://medium.com/@awilkinson/skateboard-bike-car-6bec841ed96e

7. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Building Blocks of Agile Insights
Focus on
“why” over
“what”
Doing, not
just saying
Iteration Quality over
quantity
Collaboration

8. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Stage & Duration of Product Testing
Prototype Field/Beta Testing In Market
1 day - 1 week 2 weeks - 3 months 1 day - 2 weeks

9. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Product Testing Examples
Prototype Field/Beta Testing In Market
Testing beauty products
(and initial packaging ideas)
Testing low-fidelity and
high-fidelity prototypes
From unboxing through first
week of using new toys
Field testing appliances
over 60-90 days
Buying, preparing & consuming pizza
Source: https://covdblog.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/visionary-toys-legos/

10. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Mission of the Consumer Use Lab
Sub-Zero Group
“To uphold the consumer's
expectations of quality,
reliability and aesthetics for
the ultimate luxury experience
through our house of brands.”

11. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
The
Primary
Challenge
• Ensuring Consumer Use Lab is integrated
into the DNA of the NPD Process
• Preventing issues from being discovered
too late and delaying launch

12. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
The
Opportunity
• Create a culture obsessed with
understanding customer needs
• Getting team to act on issues when they are
discovered early enough
• Prevent sub-optimal customer experience,
resulting in warranty claim or returned items

13. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Sub-Zero’s Product Testing
- Epicenter of reliability, field and
consumer testing
- First step: test products in lab
environment
- Second step: test product
in a field trial
Consumer Use
Lab Testing (CUL)
- Ongoing engagement
with field trial participants
- Replicate activities conducted
in lab
- Explore all aspects of
user experience
Consumer Insights
Communities (CIC)

14. How
the CIC
Works
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

15. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
What Gets Done Within the CIC
Standardized Custom
Live
Schedule in-home visits
Direct to 800# support
Group Conversations
One-on-one Messaging
Online
Video/photos sharing
Usage Diaries
Image mark-up
Survey rate/rank

16. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Standard
Activities
Custom
Activities
Balance Between Standard and Custom Activities

17. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Benefit #1:
Identifying
Issues in
the Field
Asking the Right Questions
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

18. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Benefit #2:
Controlled
Field
Experiments
Validated Participant Experiences
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

19. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Have Fun Sharing Their Stories
Benefit #3:
Engaged
Participants
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

20. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Where They Are Now
• Digsite is used for 100% of field trials
• CIC usage went from 7% to over 90%
• 7:1 ratio of number of issues found in CUL to CIC
• $2.5 million in warranty claim prevention
Sub-Zero expects to achieve 250% ROI in warranty claims alone.
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

21. Agile Insights &
Product Development:
Where to Start?
©2019 Digsite, Inc.

22. ©2019 Digsite, Inc.
Questions?
Jane Boutelle
jane@digsite.com
+1 844-344-7483 x701