Virtual Reality Based Conjoint Analysis for Early Customer Integration in Industrial Product Development

Disruptive innovations of products and production systems have the potential to provide a leap in value for existing and new customers. However, companies in industrial markets face two major problems when bringing innovations to markets. First, companies often lack systematic customer integration in the product development process. Second, disruptive innovations break with existing technologies and are therefore regularly beyond the scope of customers’ imagination due to its complexity and level of novelty. Hence, when customers evaluate new product concepts, they often cannot fully capture its benefits. By addressing these two problems, companies can promote the efficiency of the product development process and thereby the success of disruptive innovations.