While speed is surely better than slowness in today’s business climate, what is perhaps more beneficial for manufacturers is planning for the most optimal speed of product development rather than the fastest speed possible. Ensuring the development of products occurs at an appropriate rate of progression through the consideration of all complicating factors is known as rightspeeding. Rightspeeding can be applied in at least five different business and product development contexts.
1. Expanding the Comfort Zone Gradually
While continuous growth is integral to the eternal success of a manufacturer, it is important to remember that people adapt to change at different rates. Thus, companies can rightspeed their growth by ensuring employees remain comfortable throughout each stage of comfort zone expansion. The best way to accomplish this is by expanding gradually at an unhurried, yet forward-moving pace.
2. Rightspeeding Interactions with Suppliers
Interactions with suppliers must neither be delayed nor rushed so that each party’s launch cycles sync up at a manageable rate.
3. Device Qualification
The speeds at which certifiers and customers can or wish to push product development along are likely to differ. Hence, rightspeeding device qualification effectively means balancing these often competing visions.
4. Unifying the Cadences of Product Launch and Product Marketing
In the world of music, a cadence is the point at which a section of a piece culminates in a resolution. Cadences communicate a sense of finality and closure to the listener. This idea can be applied to syncing the rates of product launch and product marketing. Product developers and those working for the manufacturer in the marketing function can collectively rightspeed their operations in regards to a new product by ensuring that product promotion “cadences” at the same time as launch and distribution.
5. Communication of Planning
Communication of planning is rightspeeded when it occurs at a pace that allows time for facts to be collected and ideas to be fully formed.
The Bottom Line
Manufacturers must make certain that the speed of their operations is appropriate from all angles. When operations are not unnecessarily rushed or delayed, a sense of harmony occurs throughout all sectors of a company and the launch of new products is more likely to be successful.
