Client approached Inkling complaining of "blind spots" in their forecasting methods and internal over-optimism during the product development life cycle. Wanted to be able to quantify risks while executing product development and production and change course accordingly.
Participants
Internal employees of one business unit
All levels and roles up to Sr. Vice President
Primary Use
Product performance forecasts
Business partner performance metrics that directly impact company performance
Tracking performance of internal cost saving initiatives
Future cost of raw materials used in product development
Impact of marketing programs on sales
Competitive intelligence
Sample Questions
How much of Product X will be sold at Business Partner Y in the first quarter?
Will competitor X launch their competing product before we launch our own?
What volume share will Product X reach in Region Y by end of Month Z?
What chemical process will be needed to achieve quality metric X?
Problems Solved
Brings "reality" to internal initiatives and enables the company to be proactive in addressing issues related to business partners
Apples to apples comparisons of market performance of competing products contributes to marketing and strategic decision making
Adjust product launch schedules or features based on insights from competitive intelligence gathered through Inkling
