Strategic NPD issues and Problems

This case describes how 3M Corp. introduces and learns a new and innovative methodology titled Lead User research to understand future customer and market needs. A team from 3M's Medical-Surgical Markets Division applies the Lead User Methodology to the field of surgical infection control and discovers that there exist new product concepts together with a new business strategy. The problem here is 3M should decide whether this new strategy will be a tool for 3M 's strategy towards corporate expansion and innovation.
In the mid 90s, 3M realized the symptoms in its innovation approach that only incremental development is involved in its current product range instead of breakthrough ones. This approach limited the company’s competitiveness and financial performance and growing the business required to prepare the environment capable of delivering “breakthrough innovations“. Therefore, 3M’s management set a new goal: 30% of sales should be driven by new products.
The new strategy focuses on understanding the real market needs to create possible developments and enhancements for a particular product which can eventually lead to a breakthrough in product offering that ultimately results in a competitive advantage. In this case, the suggested approach, Lead User Method, enables 3M to satisfy an important need (not spreading infections during surgery) by developing a specific new product or service. If there is not a new approach, the innovations that 3M makes will only be a "solution looking for a problem" approach rather than a needs-driven one.

Whether to use research studies or the lead user method
While identifying market needs and coming up with convenient solutions for them, it is essential to use effective market research method. In order to do these activities successfully, the 3M Company has two main options;