PRODUCT FAILURE: CAUSES AND EFFECTS

PRODUCT FAILURE: CAUSES AND EFFECTS
 
INTRODUCTION
1.1       Background of the Study
Marketing management should be concerned with the responsibility of pursuing customer’s-oriented policies, and as a result develop products and services that satisfy customer’s needs and wants beneficially.  Often a market opportunity is recognized or there is a commitment to make something better or cheaper, but occasionally the simple desire to invent or introduce a new product or service provides the spur to starting the firm.  In developing a programme to reach its intended market, a company starts with product or service designed to satisfy the wants and needs of that target market.
Product failure is the ultimate defining line in poor quality. Smithers Rapra (www.smithersrapra.com) has investigated thousands of product failures and the results of this are shown below. The overwhelming majority of product failures (65%) were caused by poor specification/material selection and design. Of the remaining 35%, 20% were caused by processing (although in many cases this could also potentially be due to poor design) and 15% by misuse (although again good design can minimise the potential for misuse by either clear signposting of the limitations or the design intent)