Call to Action: Developing a Support Plan for a New Product

Abstract

The CEO of a large United States-based manufacturer was angry. A service and support plan was not in place for a new line of electronic controls that was a critical part of the company’s growth plans. This product was also the first jointly developed product since a French competitor acquired the CEO’s firm three years earlier. The executive team was looking for 500% sales growth over the next five years, and had made it clear that everybody’s job was on the line if the team failed to produce. The product management and marketing team was given the specific challenge to develop a plan for service, support, and training. They had less than 90 days to review the current situation, and to then develop and begin to implement a new plan that centered on managing the flow of information between a number of key stakeholders.