Product Definition – VOB to Business Needs

Translating VOB (voice of the business) to business needs establishes the commercial and other business considerations for the medical device. Often times, organizations assume an understanding of the business needs, which can lead to a product that does not fully meet the real business needs. Using a structured process is essential if the business needs are to be accurate and complete.

Collecting and Evaluating VOB

Translating VOB into business needs proceeds independently from the translation of VOC into User Needs (see https://www.tgfrconsulting.com/blog/?p=859). This keeps the business needs from confounding the true user needs and VOC. 

Just as with customers, key business stakeholders will provide VOB represents a wide range of opinions and solutions statements. The VOB to business needs process translates these statements into clear and measurable business needs. The tools such as the 5-whys and affinity diagrams, again help with the mapping.

Developing True Business Needs Statements from VOB

The completion of this mapping results a clear set of business needs with the following attributes.

• The statement should be quantifiable – this will drive better evaluations in subsequent steps.
• The statement must have universal acceptance – it should be agreed upon throughout the business.
• The statement must prompt a course of action – statements such as “it must be more aesthetically pleasing” will not define a course of action.
• The statement does not confound the way it or other statements are prioritized – be careful that the statements do not overlap.

During the mapping, make every effort to create quantifiable business needs. Quantifiable business needs clarify concept creation and evaluation. As an example, the following is a clear and quantifiable business need.

The system shall enable a gross margin of 65%

This example establishes a clear target for concept creation and evaluation. Quantifiable business needs such as this simplifies the concept creation and selection for the product.

In addition, these business needs eventually flow-down to system requirements. Do not forget that the final system requirements developed during product definition address both business and user needs.