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Compaq Computer Ds

Greg Memo at Compaq Computer faced a dilemma on whether to base the design of the company's new consumer notebook on the opinions of 64 people from focus groups. The focus groups evaluated 7 different notebook products based on 4 form factors. They provided feedback on features like size, weight, battery life and storage options. While the focus groups provided useful customer insights, some issues were identified with the questioning and communication during the groups. Greg Memo had to determine if the focus group results warranted changes to the design of Compaq's new Shark notebook before manufacturing 40,000 units.

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141 views6 pages

Compaq Computer Ds

Greg Memo at Compaq Computer faced a dilemma on whether to base the design of the company's new consumer notebook on the opinions of 64 people from focus groups. The focus groups evaluated 7 different notebook products based on 4 form factors. They provided feedback on features like size, weight, battery life and storage options. While the focus groups provided useful customer insights, some issues were identified with the questioning and communication during the groups. Greg Memo had to determine if the focus group results warranted changes to the design of Compaq's new Shark notebook before manufacturing 40,000 units.

Uploaded by

NOWRIN A H 2228344
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Case study contribution

NOWRIN AH
222834
Date: 1999

Title of the case: Compaq Computer : Focus Group

Topic:  Data Research, Sales And Marketing

Key decision maker/s: 1. Greg Memo

Dilemma/conflict faced by the decision maker:

Gives the final report, both results and methodology, of the focus group on Compaq
Computer's new consumer notebook. Describes the groups, selection method, and
methodology in detail. Should Compaq base its product design on the opinions of 64 people?

The google can be the competitor


for Mobileye or the partner for the future succes

Problem statement:

1. What were the research objectives in the case?


2. How would you describe the focus group methodology in the case ?
3. What did Greg Memo, Consumer notebook design team leader at Compaq Computer
Corporation's Consumer Division ("Compaq"), learn from the focus groups?

Causes:
 There wasn’t any depth into the questioning of the group
 There was a lack of knowledge and communication with the group and moderator, at
seven minutes and forty seconds a statement is made about the interchangeable drives
in the case.,all of sudden.
 Competitors
 Customer preferences and needs
 Supply chain channels
 Customers spending capacity
 Key communication Message and media used
 Prices
 Customer segmentation
Criteria:
 Sales
 Revenue
 Market share
 Future sales
 Brand image
 Customer perception
 Positioning
 Distribution channels
 Promotion strategy
 Key communication Message and media used

Alternatives/options/solutions:

 Do product research on the new product to have a greater understanding of the brand
in the market.
 The emergence of e-commerce and social media marketing as a trend can be a great
opportunity for Compaq Computer Focus Groups if it can ensure strong online
presence on different social networking sites.
 The emergence of new market segments and new niches provide business and product
line expansion opportunities.
 The diminishing boundaries and rising global interconnectedness allow the
organisation to get into the international market; target geographically dispersed
customer base and increased profitability.

Analysis of the alternatives/solutions:

 In my opinion the qualitative research method was the appropriate research method in
this particular case. I disagree with the focus group approach; reason being there
wasn’t any depth into the questioning of the group; there was a lack of knowledge and
communication with the group and moderator, at seven minutes and forty seconds a
statement is made about the interchangeable drives.
 The subsidies provided by the government and other policies to make the business
environment more friendly is a positive external environmental factor for Compaq
Computer Focus Groups..Improvement in the customers- lifestyle and standards mean
more consumption on consumer goods and services, and more opportunities to
encourage the purchase.
 Do product research on the new product to have a greater understanding of the brand
in the market:
Step 1: Problem Discovery and defining:
Problem: probability of market success of PC
 To understand the brands impact in the minds of customers
 To understand the future sales potential of the
 To explore the brand health
 To understand how the brand has been perceived by its early adopters
Step 2: Evaluate the Literature
A thorough examination of the relevant studies is essential to the research process. It enables
the researcher to identify the precise aspects of the problem
This stage gives problem-zone background. It teaches the investigator about previous
research, how they were conducted, and its conclusions. The researcher can build consistency
between his work and others through a literature review. Such a review exposes the
researcher to a more significant body of knowledge and helps him follow the research process
efficiently.

Step 3: Create Hypotheses


Formulating an original hypothesis is the next logical step after narrowing down the research
topic and defining it. A belief solves logical relationships between variables. In order to
establish a hypothesis, a researcher must have a certain amount of expertise in the field. It is
important for researchers to keep in mind while formulating a hypothesis that it must be
based on the research topic. Researchers are able to concentrate their efforts and stay
committed to their objectives when they develop theories to guide their work.
Step 4: The Research Design
Research design is the plan for achieving objectives and answering research questions. It
outlines how to get the relevant information. Its goal is to design research to test hypotheses,
address the research questions, and provide decision-making insights.
The research design aims to minimize the time, money, and effort required to acquire
meaningful evidence. This plan fits into four categories:

Exploration and Surveys


Experiment
Data Analysis
Observation
Step 5: Describe Population
Research projects usually look at a specific group of people, facilities, or how technology is
used in the business. In research, the term population refers to this study group. The research
topic and purpose help determine the study group.
Suppose a researcher wishes to investigate a certain group of people in the community. In
that case, the research could target a specific age group, males or females, a geographic
location, or an ethnic group. A final step in a study’s design is to specify its sample or
population so that the results may be generalized.

Step 6: Data Collection


Data collection is important in obtaining the knowledge or information required to answer the
research issue. Every research collected data, either from the literature or the people being
studied. Data must be collected from the two categories of researchers. These sources may
provide primary data.
Experiment
Questionnaire
Observation
Interview
Secondary data categories are:
Literature survey
Official, unofficial reports
An approach based on library resources
Step 7: Data Analysis
During research design, the researcher plans data analysis. After collecting data, the
researcher analyses it. The data is examined based on the approach in this step. The research
findings are reviewed and reported.

Data analysis involves a number of closely related stages, such as setting up categories,
applying these categories to raw data through coding and tabulation, and then drawing
statistical conclusions. The researcher can examine the acquired data using a variety of
statistical methods.

Step 8: The Report-writing


After completing these steps, the researcher must prepare a report detailing his findings. The
report must be carefully composed with the following in mind:
The Layout: On the first page, the title, date, acknowledgments, and preface should be on the
report. A table of contents should be followed by a list of tables, graphs, and charts if any.
Introduction: It should state the research’s purpose and methods. This section should include
the study’s scope and limits.
Summary of Findings: A non-technical summary of findings and recommendations will
follow the introduction. The findings should be summarized if they’re lengthy.

Decision/summary/learning :
 Compaq Computer is in business of designing and selling notebooks.
 Consumer division market share is only 3% compared to market leader share of 60%.
 Company expertise is in commercial division so company is less focussed on retailer’s
relationship.
 Company is launching a new product ‘Shark’ for consumer division in late summer
1996.
 With expertise of engineers and manufacturer, new product has to be optimized
features viz. size, weight, battery life, CD-ROM facility, screen, modem availability
and floppy drive etc.
 December 1995, Greg Memo, leader of the consumer notebook design team, had
ordered a set of focus groups as part of his efforts to design.
 Focus group participants reviewed seven different products, based on four different
form factors.
 Mid – December 1995, Company has placed an order for 40000 notebooks to
manufacturer.
 Greg is reviewing the report of Focus Group & rating of machines to check the survey
response with respect to the features planned on model code Shark.

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