Goldsmith Technology Commercialization Model
Step 16: Production Support
The life cycles of products today grows shorter each year. New designs, materials, and manufacturing technologies result in continuous product improvement, modifications, and displacements. Failure to perceive products and services as dynamic devices and perishable commodities that must maintain the customer’s loyalty and satisfaction will result in a market opportunity for competition.
Focus on continually meeting customer needs and expectations in a continuously changing environment are a must. This means the product can change radically over time to the degree that it hardly resembles the original design and features.
Definition: The product support step is that period during which the product or process realizes a useful life.
Objective: The objective of the production support step is to maintain maximum value of the product or process through continual improvement in the technical aspects of the production process.
Product: The product of this activity is a competitive product.
Technical Activities
During the product support step, the following activities must be practiced:
- Product on-site technical instructions and updates for safe and effective use of the product or process
- Prepare, distribute and encourage use of instruction manuals for the assembly, operation, and maintenance of the product or process
- Design, produce, and distribute "consumables" used in the product or process
- Design and introduce timely but minor improvements in materials, components, systems, and software
- Produce and distribute spare parts
- Set up and provide warranty services
- Introduce new applications developed for the product or process
- Identify new product spin-offs or major product design changes that would require going back into earlier stage to be re-identified as a new product
- Disseminate alerts and undertake remedial action for unplanned product deficiencies or changing safety and environmental requirements
Milestones: Maximum production
Funding Sources: Venture Capital (mid/late stage rounds)
Technical Information: The production support step will usually result in knowledge about the optimal conditions, technologies, processes, and procedures to produce a competitive product.
Key Questions
Do you support commercial production?
Do you have after market support for the product?
Have you improved the production process?
Do you support a warranty?