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Concept to Launch: The innovation system for a startup

Sudhakar Kandanala • Feb 02, 2022

Concept to Launch: 

Develop a product or service that customers want to buy



How to streamline and automate your concept-to-launch process.


Concept-to-Launch process

 

From ideation to building and then to launching your organization's product and/or service is referred to as Concept to Launch. Concept-to-launch is an optimized and integrated product development methodology that reduces cycle time and costly design iterations. This guarantees clear communication from one milestone to the next, a smooth transition, and detailed documentation.

 

I. Ideation or Market Research:

 

The process of developing new ideas that may be turned into innovative solutions is known as ideation. Ideation is the foundation for all that comes before a product development and launch in the context of product innovation.

 

Document the idea for the product or service and all its related parts:

 

A product concept statement, often known as a "concept statement", expresses a business owner's and his design team's vision for a product or service. It gives a description of the product or service, discusses its purpose, presents its appearance and evaluates the target demographics for the product. A concept statement can assist a development team in staying on track during the development and testing process. It's possible for team members to ignore actual defects, as well as certain less-obvious beneficial characteristics of the service or product, during development or testing, if there isn't a clear declaration.

 

In the ideation stage, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis a useful tool. Screening of ideas and research is an objective screening process which must be used to filter the ideas that were generated. To gather the most usable data from this phase, use a combination of internal and external processes. Assess the reaction of the target market and ensure product validation. And Lastly, Concept development also calculates the expenses of designing, manufacturing, packing, and delivering the most popular product idea. Use third-party vendors or develop internal systems based on where you want to develop your core competency.

 

The features of the product or service:

  • Intangibility
  • Variability
  • Inseparability
  • Perishability

 

Benefits of the product or service innovation:

  • Building trust
  • New revenue streams
  • Taking control of the market
  • Employee motivation and retention

 

Market demand, Feasibility or viability of the product or service:


Consider different ecommerce niches and potential product ideas and evaluate the viability, specifically profitability, and customer requirements for each option. In the business world, viability refers to a market's, company's, or your own product's commercial potential. In other words, it's a term that describes the likelihood of a specific idea being commercialized.

 

II. Building or Manufacturing Process Development:

 

Building or Manufacturing Process Development refers to the creation of preliminary manufacturing processes and analytical procedures (e.g., in-process and final quality control and quality assurance protocols and methodologies) that support the production (and release) of Product employing the Manufacturing system.

 

Inputs required to build:

  • Raw material for products
  • Time and effort
  • Quality standards
  • Production tools
  • Software applications and data

 

Building or manufacturing process:

  1. Prototyping and evaluation - It is now time to get down to business with design and production. Create a working prototype or a rough mock-up. At this stage, some businesses perform a small-scale release. It's also possible to put together a small group of target buyers to test the nearly finished product.
  2. Iteration - This is also known as commercialization, and it is when your product is eventually released into the market. Essentially, this is the introduction of a minimal viable product (MVP) into the market.

 

III. Launch:

Launch refers to a company's concerted and planned attempt to introduce a new product or services to the market and make it widely available for purchasing.

 

Launch or communication process for the product/service for its intended market:

  • The objective of the launch
  • Target audiences
  • Statement of positioning and key messages
  • The issues that the product or service solves
  • Product description
  • Key activities and timelines for the launch
  • Ongoing lead generation

 

Software Applications that are relevant for this process:


Office Apps:

  • Zoho Docs - is a document management system that includes built-in web editors for creating and editing documents. 
  • Zoho Sheet - allows you to collaborate quickly and effortlessly by allowing you to create, modify, and share spreadsheets online. 
  • Zoho SHOW - is an online presentation tool that allows you to quickly and easily create, collaborate, publish, and broadcast presentations.
  • Zoho Workdrive - is a collaboration tool which allows teams to save, share, manage, and collaborate on files of any size.

Project Management tools:

  • Zoho Projects - is a cloud-based project management solution designed for small and midsize companies.
  • Zoho Sprint - is used for agile project planning and tracking. 
  • Zoho Connect - is an excellent modern business communication tool that is well-suited to a workforce that relies on mobile communication.

Collaboration tools:

  • Zoho Cliq - is a cloud-based team collaboration and communication solution that features team chat, audio and video calls, file sharing, and more.

Inventory management tool for bill of material:

  • Zoho Inventory - is a tool for keeping track of each product in your inventory.

 

How we help?

 

Sliver Business Services helps startups and scaleups in developing business systems. We typically serve small and medium-sized businesses, groups, and non-profit organizations implement a comprehensive, integrated business suite in alignment with their long-term IT Strategy and enable processes that execute with minimum friction.

 

At Sliver, we use Zoho applications to achieve the fastest implementation time for a Concept-to-Launch system, which is 50% faster than the industry average. Our full-service consulting and professional services help map out a company's particular implementation requirements, whether it's a small business, an enterprise, or something in between.  We integrate sales, marketing, and product and service departments on one platform improving drastically the customer experience. 


 

For more information visit us at https://www.sliverusa.com/systems-for-startups.  You can also email us at info@sliverusa.com or call us at +1 331.888.2627.


 


By Sudhakar Kandanala 09 Nov, 2024
In today’s digital world, your startup’s online presence can make or break your success. Whether you’re just starting or trying to scale, having a strong, consistent brand presence across social media platforms is critical. Sliver Business Services understands the unique challenges startups face in building visibility online, which is why we’ve incorporated Zoho Social into our Marketing-to-Lead process. This powerful social media management tool helps startups maximize their reach, engage with their audience, and convert followers into qualified leads. The Power of Social Media for Startups For startups, social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to grow a brand, engage with customers, and promote products or services. With the right tools and strategy, social media can quickly become your primary driver for generating leads. But it requires consistent management and monitoring, which can be overwhelming for growing businesses. Zoho Social changes the game by simplifying the way startups manage their social media accounts, allowing for more effective marketing campaigns with minimal effort. How Zoho Social Fits into the Marketing-to-Lead Process At Sliver Business Services, our Marketing-to-Lead process is designed to optimize every step of your customer acquisition funnel. Here’s how Zoho Social fits into that process: 1. Streamlined Social Media Management Managing multiple social media accounts is challenging for any business. With Zoho Social, you can control all your profiles from a single platform. Whether you’re posting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Google My Business, Zoho Social lets you schedule and publish posts across all channels in one place. For startups, this is invaluable. Instead of logging into multiple accounts and posting manually in each, Zoho Social lets you save time and ensure consistent messaging across platforms. This streamlined approach helps to increase brand awareness and maintain an active presence online, which is essential for lead generation. 2. Real-Time Monitoring & Engagement In today’s fast-paced digital environment, customers expect quick responses to their inquiries and comments. Zoho Social’s real-time monitoring feature enables you to keep track of all interactions on your posts across different platforms. You can reply to comments, engage with followers, and monitor brand mentions—everything you need to keep your audience engaged. At Sliver Business Services, we use this real-time engagement to foster relationships with potential leads. Social media is no longer just about broadcasting content; it’s about having meaningful conversations that help move prospects down the sales funnel. 3. Data-Driven Insights One of the biggest challenges startups face is knowing what’s working and what’s not. Zoho Social provides detailed analytics and reports, showing you which posts are driving the most engagement, which platforms are performing the best, and how your audience is responding. This data allows you to make informed decisions about your social media strategy. For Sliver Business Services, this information is essential in optimizing our clients’ Marketing-to-Lead process. By analyzing the performance of social campaigns, we can adjust our messaging and targeting to ensure we’re generating the highest-quality leads. 4. Collaboration Across Teams Many startups operate with small teams where marketing tasks are shared across members. Zoho Social’s collaboration tools make it easy for teams to work together on social media management. You can assign roles, review posts, and collaborate on content, ensuring that every piece of communication aligns with your brand’s overall strategy. For businesses working with Sliver Business Services, we ensure that social media management fits seamlessly into their broader marketing efforts, aligning with email marketing, SEO, and other lead generation activities. Why Zoho Social Is Ideal for Startups Zoho Social is particularly well-suited for startups due to its affordability, ease of use, and scalability. Startups need marketing tools that don’t just meet their needs today but can grow with them as their audience and customer base expand. Zoho Social delivers this by offering features that range from basic social media management to advanced analytics and automation, all in one place. Key Benefits for Startups: • Cost-Effective: Affordable pricing options for growing businesses. • Time-Saving: Manage multiple platforms from one dashboard. • Scalable: Advanced features that grow with your business. • Data-Driven: Insights that help you optimize performance and results. At Sliver Business Services, we’ve seen firsthand how Zoho Social can elevate a startup’s online presence and integrate into a broader Marketing-to-Lead strategy that drives growth and success. The best part about Zoho Social is that it is part of the comprehensive business management suite: Zoho One . Zoho One is a set of fully integrate suite of 50+ business applications under one affordable subscription that any startup or business would need to operate and scale up efficiently. How we Help? In today’s competitive landscape, a strong online presence is critical for startups aiming to stand out and generate leads. Zoho Social provides the tools you need to manage and optimize your social media channels effectively, saving time and improving engagement with potential customers. At Sliver Business Services, we incorporate Zoho Social into our Marketing-to-Lead process to ensure that startups can reach their audience, engage meaningfully, and turn followers into leads. With the right strategy and tools like Zoho Social, your startup’s online presence can be a powerful asset in achieving long-term success. For more information visit us at www.sliverusa.com to learn more about how we can help you implement Zoho Social to optimize your marketing strategies and fuel your business growth. For more information visit us at https://www.sliverusa.com/systems-for-startups. You can also email us at info@sliverusa.com or call us at +1 331.888.2627. 
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