Towards continuous customer validation: A conceptual model for combining qualitative customer feedback with quantitative customer observation

Abstract

Software-intensive product companies are becoming increasingly data-driven as can be witnessed by the big data and Internet of Things trends. However, optimally prioritizing customer needs in a mass-market context is notoriously difficult. While most companies use product owners or managers to represent the customer, research shows that the prioritization made is far from optimal. In earlier research, we have coined the term ‘the open loop problem’ to characterize this challenge. For instance, research shows that up to half of all the features in products are never used. This paper presents a conceptual model that emphasizes the need for combining qualitative feedback in early stages of development with quantitative customer observation in later stages of development. Our model is inductively derived from an 18 months close collaboration with six large global software-intensive companies.