Conceptualization

For over 15 years, MicroTools has successfully helped our clients with that important first step: Product Conceptualization. The client comes to us and says: "Here is what we want to do. What can we do with the technology that is available to get there." We have helped our customers:

Identify the customer's needs

Set initial specifications

Identify risks and map out risk reduction plans

Analyze competitive products

Identify key technologies available to solve the problems and reduce the risks

Identify Customer Needs - Because one of our core values involves long term relationships with our customers, we can bring valuable help to this phase of the project development. We have learned over the years, that identifying our client's customer needs is not necessarily the same as:

What we think the customer needs

What the customer thinks they need

What we are able to make

What new technologies us engineers want to use

Set Initial Requirements - At this stage, the client has conceived a product and it is time to get on paper for others to see what this new product is all about. Engineers usually are not gifted at getting down on paper their great ideas. We not only provide good ideas to our customers and help them clarify their requirements, we make sure that this gets written down clearly. We have two individuals in particular who are very gifted at documenting this type of information.

Identify risks and map out risk reduction plans - So, the client has this great idea in response to their customer's needs. We have helped them get it written down. Are there any areas that may not be technically feasible? Time and time again, MicroTools has help our clients implement only those areas that are the highest risk before spending all their valuable time and resources on something that just cannot be done at this time. We do this with careful risk reduction analysis and carefully laid out project planning. Because we do most of our work fixed price, it should be obvious why this is so important to us.

Analyze competitive products - Because of various issues, MicroTools does not always participate in this part of product conceptualization. However, under the right circumstances, we have been called upon to evaluate a competitor's product. The technology expertise and quick learning curve of our engineers can quickly identify the strong and weak points of your competitor's products.

Identify key technologies available to solve the problems and reduce the risk - We are technology people. We live it. We breathe it. We are the kind of people that bore the rest of the world with our interests in all this technology. Do we know everything about the technologies available? Absolutely not! But we have consistently provided our clients with support in this area when needed.