This pack helps you to plan your research. Pick a combination of methods belonging to different research strategies to suit your needs. Have fun!
For Field, Workshop, Lab en Showroom see the methods website
Ideally, good practices tend to be repeated, but few companies have the required processes to identify and incorporate best practices described by others.
Companies identify the legal requirements that apply to their products and services as these provide development input. Examples are the EU Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
A competitive analysis is a regular precursor to developing new product offerings; it is often required before 'real money' is spent on a project. Large-scale competitive analyses often include a field study to identify user needs.
Companies use a patent scan to make sure no existing ideas are being developed that are covered by a temporary monopoly; violating an existing patent can be costly. The scan is also done to generate ideas for a new market niche
Many professionals in industry use expert interviews to gain a better understanding of a topic; the Delphi-method is an often-used methodology.
Most companies build their work on what others have already done. This happens a lot in the open source community, but also in commercial products. You can use information from competitors and patents for inspiration.
A literature study gives you an impression of what has been done in your field of research, for example in terms of research, real life applications, products, and innovations.
A trend analysis is often used to discover more about the novelty and timeliness of a design. Some companies employ trend spotters in their strategic planning cycle; they are given time to bring in and analyse new developments.
