One Foot Rooted (Pivot)

As regular diners and marketing students, we have experienced and observed many complications while dining out. Whether it be an absent waitress, mixed-up orders, cluttered tables and much more, without a positive dining experience, customers are less likely to return. With this in mind, EZ-menu began with the idea of changing the concept of consumers negative dining experiences into a more positive, easy going, controlled atmosphere.

After taking a deeper look into the concept of implementing this product, gears began to shift during the initial design of the product. With EZ Menu originally being created as a tablet for each diner, it slowly progressed into electronic glass tabletop.  Since the idea of this product was to reduce clutter on tables and allow consumers to control their dining experience, it became obvious that tablets will not fully eliminate all current problems. By creating an electronic tabletop, waitresses are able to choose the number of menus presented, where the menus will be placed. Furthermore, consumers will be able to access each menu and application at the click of a button, or turn off the tabletop in order to create fewer distractions.

            As a group, our business model also began to shift when looking at who our greatest consumer segments will be. As mentioned in my last post, we had quite a difficult time understanding our consumers in their everyday lives. As a result, our model began to pivot in the sense that we fully began to clarify who our segments were and allowed us to further understand/recognize the needs of our consumers. This pivot was necessary because we were beginning to have a one-track mind, that this product would be beneficial if put in place, rather than focusing on who it was specifically going to benefit and why. In relation to a quote by Eric Ries, this pivot allowed our group to “…test a new fundamental hypothesis about the product, strategy and engine of growth,” bringing about our new hypothesis that EZ Menu creates a positive influence on individual restaurant owners by creating a new focus on their gains at the same time as reducing consumers pain.  

On the Outside Looking In

For the past couple of weeks we have been working on the final presentation of our new business idea, the EZ menu. Before presenting this idea to the panel at Gryphons Den (our play on Dragons Den) we have been working everyday on different applications in order to further understand who we are targeting, what problems we will be fixing and much more. When our group first scanned the business model environment that we would be working on, we had so many ideas flying through our heads that were all GREAT! The problem with this was attempting to keep these ideas on track and related to each new piece of the project that needed to be completed. As a result, our biggest surprise was during our attempt to complete our empathy map for our main marketing segments (family’s with children and restaurant owners.) When initially looking into these groups for this portion of the project, we took on the mindset of how our product will benefit them. Since this has been the idea of most of our previous assignments, we were able to fly through the empathy map. Right when we were about to finish up the last quadrant, our professor informed us we were looking at this particular assignment in the completely wrong way.

When thinking of restaurants and the business, I’m sure we all have the idea that “the customer is always right” in mind, meaning we focus on the needs and wants of consumers. However, for this particular map, rather than focusing on this idea we were meant to focus on these consumers in their everyday life, rather than at a restaurant or using our product.  Although we have done these types of assignments in past marketing projects, we have never taken it to the extent of “what our customer hears, says, does, and thinks? Etc.” As a result, after considering all the differences between our customers the one aspect of the empathy map that I found to be the most interesting was under “what does your customer say and do?” Although we can easily describe some feelings of our consumers from experience, I found it the most difficult to actually know what our customers say and do. As a university student, the time we spend with families with young children or business owners is very minimal (if any) therefore making it difficult to think of the actions our customers may take.  With this being said, this external factor is one that had the most impact on me and helped me brainstorm more ways in which we can help our consumers through use of our product.

Fever Pitch

A couple weeks ago in my entrepreneurship lecture we had about 20 people pitch potential business ideas to the class. After listening to each individuals pitch I was shocked that I was surrounding by such innovative entrepreneurs! We had everything shouted out all the way from gluten-free drive through restaurants to key locators and phone aps that control power outlets. When it all came down we were only allowed to choose one idea to support. As many of you may know (…. Or maybe you don’t) I’ve been working in the food and beverage industry, basically since I was legally allowed to work. So, of course, as soon as I heard the pitch about ezMenus, I just about jumped out of my seat in order to be able to work with this idea. You don’t have to work in the industry to know how frustrating restaurants can be. There are so many things that can go wrong from the moment you step through the doors.

In order to further understand who could benefit from these menus, what problems they will be able to fix and whether I am the only one who feels this product would be incredibly successful, I went out to a few restaurants and observed those around me. Yes, I did feel like I was being very creepy and obvious about my staring habits, but sometimes you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. As I was observing, it was obvious that a lot of the problems that I seemed be experiencing were happening at many other tables as well.   

In case you can’t remember you’re last visit to a family restaurant here is a list of problems I’m sure you’ve experienced:

• You order an omelette for breakfast with NO ONIONS or MUSHROOM (but you want everything else in it)
• When your food finally comes an omelette is placed infront of you (no problem right…wrong) there seems to be nothing in it BUT ONIONS AND MUSHROOM!

•  You’ve ordered coffee and asked for more, but yet your server is no where in site
• What ends up happening: you hunt down anyone you possibly can, only to be informed “I’ll let your server know.” (yah right!) 
• What happens instead: you deal without coffee until your server magically appears or you hunt down that pot of coffee and pour your own

• Your waitress forgot to take away your menu’s
• What happens: you are left scrambling around trying to clear space for your food, cutlery, glasses, condiments etc.

With all of these frustrations in mind, the idea of the ezMenu was created, where instead of menu’s and horrible servers, you are presented with tablet menus. This gives diners the ability to place their own orders (avoiding mix ups), page their waitress whenever necessary, and creates less clutter on the table since they are built in to the table.

If you have had any horrible experiences while at a family restaurant, please comment below, I’d love to hear from you. Also, if you have any comments about the ezMenu (do you think it’s a good idea or bad idea) leave your feedback as well! So far we’ve heard many great things about this product, but every opinion counts so don’t be shy! 

Kickstarter- Smart Cargo

The website Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dotan/smart-cargo-for-ipadtm) was recently presented to me and I was in awe with what I saw. I never knew that there were so many people with such amazing and interesting inventions that can easily be funded by the public if a particular person loves the idea. After scrolling through, for what seemed like hours, I finally found a product that made me jump up from my desk and show my roommate. In my house all of my roommates have iPad and iPhones and are constantly forgetting something important like our stylists or earphones in our rush to get to the library. Once I came across the product below, the Smart Cargo, I knew instantly that I wanted to fund the project. I have purchased so many different products in a failed attempt to fit all my necessary accessories for the library without over packing my backpack and hauling a 20-pound bag. With all my textbooks and binders, it is important to me that I use up as little space as possible with accessories and electronics. The main reason why I purchased the iPad in the first place, was to minimize the weight and space that my MacBook took up in my backpack. By adding the Smart Cargo to my iPad, rather than a bulky case, it will be perfect for long nights of studying. 

After analyzing the characteristics of this product (desirability, feasibility and viability), I found the easiest to evaluate was the desirability. As you can tell from my rant above, I place great importance on space and weight of my products (being a student and all). With this being said, the reason that desirability came so easily was because I’m sure that out of all the students in the world, many of them must feel the same way. Furthermore, this product is not only able to market to students, but it can also reach out to those who are in the workforce.

The hardest of the three characteristics to analyze was the feasibility. The website does not talk much about the production of the product, however based on the description and visual image presented, it seems like quite an easy product to mass produce. With apple accessories being mass produced around the world I can only assume that it would be easy to produce a product made to work with one that has already been created.  

Innovative Ideas

ABC Nightline presented an idea to IDEO in which they were told to take "something old and familiar like say, the shopping cart, and completely redesign it for us in just 5 days."If you would like the see the outcomes of this idea, the link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M66ZU2PCIcM) will allow you to see the process.

 
What I found particularly interesting about this project is the fact that IDEO has decided to speak with "experts" about the shopping cart. As consumers, one would think that we would be considered “experts” ourselves. With all the shopping we take part in, which requires shopping carts, it is interesting to see all of the things IDEO learned from consulting with the “experts.”
Throughout the design process of their new shopping cart, I liked how all ideas were placed on a board and team always made sure to follow their mantra for innovations. After working in many team projects throughout my university career, I found that when a lot of ideas are not presented. With members believing they will be criticized, or that their ideas are a little far fetched, it is great to have the design process start with all the wild ideas of the group. This video shows that by following their particular mantra, more ideas can be built based on others. With wild ideas being presented, the team is able to encourage uniqueness in their innovation, and reassurance within the team.

With such an open concept, and ideas constantly flowing, I think that IDEO was able to create a great new innovative way of shopping within the grocery store. In my opinion, one of the most interesting and beneficial aspects of this new innovation was that the scanner would be available on the shopping cart itself. There were many great ideas presented, and I believe that the final product was an interesting combination of each individual’s knowledge. As a result, a successful new product was built that many grocers believed would be beneficial for the consumer.