{"id":811624,"date":"2022-01-19T09:36:41","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T17:36:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/?post_type=msr-blog-post&p=811624"},"modified":"2022-01-19T09:44:10","modified_gmt":"2022-01-19T17:44:10","slug":"lots-of-ideas-but-not-sure-how-to-prioritize-the-kano-model-can-help","status":"publish","type":"msr-blog-post","link":"https:\/\/newed.any0.dpdns.org\/en-us\/research\/articles\/lots-of-ideas-but-not-sure-how-to-prioritize-the-kano-model-can-help\/","title":{"rendered":"Lots of ideas, but not sure how to prioritize? The Kano model can help."},"content":{"rendered":"

By Laura Pomeroy (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Image credit: Unsplash<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe value of an idea lies in the using of it.\u201d – Thomas Edison<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Does your team have what seems like a million ideas for improving the product? Does your product backlog feel endless? <\/span>The first step to using an idea is knowing which idea to use<\/span><\/b>. It is important to learn which ideas will bring the most value to your customers before choosing what to focus on. One method that can be used to help is called the Kano model.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Kano model?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kano (pronounced \u201cKah-no\u201d) model is a theory for product development and customer satisfaction. This theory gets its name from Noriaki Kano who developed it in the 1980s. Kano believed in three fundamentals:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Customer satisfaction<\/span><\/i> of a feature depends on the level of <\/span>functionality<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Customer loyalty is dependent on <\/span>five emotional response types:<\/span><\/i> must-be, performance, attractive, indifferent, and reverse.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Customer satisfaction with how someone feels about a feature can be measured in a <\/span>questionnaire<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    To demonstrate the power of this quantitative methodology, we gathered some of the world\u2019s most popular and least popular foods. Surveying 20 people for demonstrative purposes, we learned which\u00a0foods provide people with the most satisfaction and which foods people could live without. If popular foods around the world were features in your backlog, here is what you should focus on first:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"a<\/p>\n

    Customer satisfaction and functionality<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Measurement scales of satisfaction and functionality are used in the model for understanding a customer\u2019s emotional response to a feature. The satisfaction scale goes from frustrated (no satisfaction) to delighted (high satisfaction). The functionality scale represents the level of functionality the customer thinks a feature provides. It goes from none (no functionality) to best (well-implemented).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    An important note on <\/span>satisfaction and functionality<\/span><\/em>:<\/em> <\/span><\/span>Kano model is a good \u2018taste test\u2019 for understanding the value of a new idea but should not be the only method used to make investment decisions. Imagine you have invented a new ice cream flavor that combines chocolate, caramel, and coconut. If it scored high using <\/span>this methodology <\/span>but does not taste good, it will not have as much value to customers once released. If features score high using Kano, further testing and experimentation <\/span>are<\/span>\u00a0recommended.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    The five emotional response types<\/em><\/p>\n

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    1. Must-be (or must have):<\/span><\/b> Those features that are just expected; or basic expectations. If we leave them out, our product will be considered bad or insufficient. These features should be prioritized first. <\/span>In our food survey, tomatoes were rated as a must-be. Tomatoes are a staple ingredient. They do not make people particularly happy but lacking them would make people very upset.
      \n<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Performance, also known as one-dimensional:<\/span><\/b> These tend to have a direct impact on satisfaction <\/span>if<\/span><\/b> the functionality, performance, or in our example, \u2018<\/span>flavor\u2019 <\/span><\/i>meets customer expectations! People like these features and would dislike not having them. These should be prioritized second, right after must-be features.
      \n<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Attractive (sometimes called delighter): <\/span><\/b>Features that are unexpected and cause a positive reaction. Over time, attractive features <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> become performance features as satisfaction settles and the loss if absent becomes greater. For example,<\/span> when first invented, ice cream <\/span>may <\/span><\/i>have been in the attractive category, shifting over time to the performance category as its novelty wore off.<\/span>
      \nAn important note: <\/span><\/i>Unlike our food survey example, Kano model results typically have many features in the attractive category. These features should be prioritized <\/span>after<\/span><\/b> must-be and performance features and <\/span>before<\/span><\/b> indifferent features.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Indifferent: <\/span><\/b>The presence (or absence) of these features<\/span> does not make a real difference to customer satisfaction with the product, no matter how much work we put into them.
      \n<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Reverse (undesired): <\/span><\/b>These features lead to customer satisfaction by NOT being there. Do not build these ideas. If liver was a feature, do not build it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The questionnaire<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Kano uses a two-question pairing with a five-point non-linear scale to reveal our customers\u2019 perceptions of the features. These can be presented using images, video, GIFs, or text descriptions. The two primary questions are:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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      1. If you have (insert feature description here), how do you feel?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. If you do <\/span>not <\/span><\/b>have (insert feature description here), how do you feel? <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Additionally, this two-question pairing helps with a frequent problem in research studies where people say they want everything. Kano helps tackle that problem by measuring the dissatisfaction if the person <\/span>did not<\/span><\/b> have the feature.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        When plotted, the presence of the feature (satisfaction) is on the y-axis and the absence (functionality) is on the x-axis:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"x<\/p>\n

        Question and answer phrasing can vary and should be tested to check that customers understand the intention. To learn more about this topic, we recommend reading <\/span>The Complete Guide to Kano<\/span> (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>. Example responses are as follows:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n