How is the Customer Represented on the Project Team?

As I wrote in my past two posts, customer input equals a successful product. So why do so many products make it to market without the customers’ point of view in mind (and fail miserably)?

A customer representative in the decision-making process is essential. Whether this is the project manager acting on behalf of the customer, or better, an actual customer, hearing and understanding that perspective adds important insight to your product definition.

This is not to say that the customer representative designs the product, but certainly a customer’s input needs to be inserted into the process as more than just an afterthought.  As Scott Bellware writes in his post on customer service:

“As a product designer, you should already know what it is you’re building. You should have a strong vision for the product and already have a visceral sense of the customer’s expectations, needs, and desired customer experience.”

It’s not something that enters the project after the fact. You should have a “sense”–or, more like a validation–of your customers’ needs and expectations as input in the definition and design phases.

Customer representation validates what you’re doing and lets you know the product would actually appeal to your target customer. It’s more than creating a customer feedback outlet for a product that already exists.

How do you represent your customer in the development process? Does the project manager stand in? Do you solicit actual customers? How does it work for you?

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Originally published in 2009 by Bizmanualz, Inc. under the title How is the Customer Represented on the Project Team?. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted with attribution only. www.bizmanualz.com