Imagine you have a brilliant idea for a new product. You design the product, engineer it, and roll it out—but your customers aren’t interested! This is a common problem for all sorts of businesses: each year, more than 30,000 new consumer products are brought to market—and 80 percent of them fail. How can you ensure your product idea is part of the successful 20 percent? Proof of concept—an initial test and validation of the product idea—is a huge part of the equation. Developing a proof of concept is an essential way to test, fine-tune, and prove your product’s success. This article will explain what a proof of concept is, as well as how to create and test your proof of concept. White Paper In this guide, you’ll learn how rapid prototyping fits into the product development process, its applications, and what rapid prototyping tools are available to today’s product development teams. Download the White Paper Proof of concept (POC) refers to an initial test of an idea, method, or product to show its potential and feasibility in real-world settings. A proof of concept occurs during the ideation phase of a project—before extensive design and engineering work actually begins on the project—and usually consists of a small and relatively simple or undeveloped version of the desired final result. The purpose of a proof of concept is to validate assumptions and illustrate that a new product or idea can be successful. Team members can use the proof of concept as a tangible way to help identify any unforeseen risks in the production or execution of the product or idea. A proof of concept should be simple, just sufficient to imitate how the product works. For example, the POC for a charging stand might just be a 3D printed enclosure connected to a standard USB charging cable. 3D printing is a popular way to create proof of concept models rapidly and at a low cost. White Paper Looking for a 3D printer to create proof of concept models? Download our white paper to learn how SLA printing works and why it's the most popular 3D printing process for creating models with incredible details. Download the White Paper A proof of concept might seem similar to a prototype, a pilot, or a minimum viable product, but each of these things actually serves a unique purpose in the product ideation and development process. Although a proof of concept might seem similar to a prototype, their objectives are very different. A prototype is an actual working model of a product that shows exactly how the product will function in terms of mechanics, design, user experience, and so on. While a proof of concept simply tests the viability of a new idea, prototypes show exactly how that idea can happen. A proof of concept might just imitate how the product works, while the actual functionality of the product is carried out by humans or other tools, while a prototype would function enough like the final product that the client could reliably use it to visualize the end result. A pilot is a more advanced phase of testing than both proof of concept and prototyping. A pilot is, in fact, the final testing phase before full production of a new product. During the pilot phase, a company allows real customers to try out the product, ensuring that it will indeed function properly upon a full rollout. Pilots are usually tested on a small segment of a business’s customer base in a phased approach. This gives the company time to work out any last-minute bugs, or even roll back the pilot if more significant issues arise. Although they have some things in common, proof of concept and minimum viable product differ significantly from each other. Minimum viable product refers to a pared-down version of a new product that only performs the core functionality, without any additional features. The company can then test the minimum viable product or put it on the market for real customers to try. The purpose of a minimum viable product is to test whether there is a market for the core functions of a new product. The top reason start-ups fail is a lack of market need for their product, so it’s important for a company to test whether there is actually significant interest in its product before spending time and money developing a full-featured version of the product.
Creating a proof of concept is an exciting challenge that takes care and creativity. Your ultimate goal is to know your audience inside and out, and to be able to express exactly how your product will serve their needs. The proof-of-concept process should adhere to the following steps:
Each step of the proof of concept process requires specific deliverables to ensure success. Here are the other deliverables you’ll need throughout the proof-of-concept process:
The tools you’ll need for a proof of concept differ somewhat based on industry: for instance, if your company is in engineering or hardware product development, you won’t need all the same tools as a company that works in software development. The following are some tools you may need as you develop your proof of concept:
3D printing has become a very popular way to efficiently create proof of concept models, as well as visual and functional prototypes. If your company does a lot of prototyping, consider bringing your 3D printing in house. Desktop 3D printers, like the Form 3+, offer a wide range of materials and applications at a price point accessible to most companies. 3D printers can assist you throughout product development, from creating proof of concept models to visual and functional prototypes. Video Guide Having trouble finding the best 3D printing technology for your needs? In this video guide, we compare FDM, SLA, and SLS technologies across popular buying considerations. Watch the Videos The whole purpose of a proof of concept is to test an idea for efficacy before you invest significant amounts of time and money into it. The key to effective proof-of-concept testing is to take your time surveying and interviewing a sample group of customers throughout each step of the proof of concept process, developing a greater and greater understanding of their specific pain points and what they want your solution to achieve. Here are the steps you should follow in the proof-of-concept testing process:
It’s important to remain clear on the ultimate goal of a proof of concept: to demonstrate that a new product or idea can be successful. Through careful, targeted tests of customer demographics, you can gather invaluable insights into what will make your product a success. Creating a proof of concept is an important step in the product development process, as it will allow your product team and stakeholders to build a solid foundation. Once your concept is validated, it’s time to move onto the next stage and prototype your final product. To streamline your prototyping process, read our Ultimate Guide to Rapid Prototyping for Product Development. |