ABSTRACT
One of the most common uses of proactive improvement, and the one we will focus on in this chapter, is for product development. Proactive improvement clarifies vague customer requirements or unclear means for satisfying them. Customers often have only images of their needs and requirements. The proactive approach converts vague or invisible needs to physical specification for new products. The customer may also have clear requirements, but the path for converting them into a physical product may be unclear; you may not know how to solve the real problem. For example, a customer may want a low price, but you don't have the technology to deliver it. Thus, as Figure 14-1 shows, proactive improvement clarifies a customer's unclear image or finds a clear path to a desired physical product.
