SPE COURSE: Discovering Unmet Customer Needs – A Fundamental Tool for Success in the Plastics Industry

Course

Discovering Unmet Customer Needs – A Fundamental Tool for Success in the Plastics Industry

June 17, 2025
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM EDT.
Online

Summary

Before starting any new product or service development, it is essential that we understand our customers' needs. This first step in a development project helps us avoid costly mistakes and redesigns. This course is designed to familiarize the participants with a seven-step process for planning, executing, and analyzing valuable customer inputs. The output of this process provides valuable information to development teams as they create solutions that are most likely to address customer problems and drive sales.

Agenda

June 17, 2025

Duration: 1 Hour

Resources

Go to Session 1

If you can't attend one or several sessions live, or if you want to review some concepts, the recordings will be available after each session.

Registration Information

SPE Premium Member	FREE
SPE Student Member Student but not a student member? Join SPE for free to get program discounts!	$49
SPE Student Members	$25
Nonmembers	$249

Not an SPE member? Join today and attend this workshop at a discounted rate!

1 Session

Level: Intermediate

Total Hours: 1 Hour

Streaming access on desktop and mobile browsers

Instructor

Daniel Walker, Ph.D.
Consultant
Poly Flex, part of Nefab Group
LinkedIn

(Click for more information)

Dr. Daniel Walker has been developing his skills in problem-solving, innovation, and culture change for several decades. He is a certified Six Sigma black belt. He holds a BS in Plastics Engineering Technology, an MS in Management, Strategy, and Leadership, and a PhD in Business Management. His doctoral research focused on organizational change and innovation. Nearly two decades ago, he developed a seven-step process to identify unmet customer needs, and as a consultant, he has shared it with clients across multiple industries. He is a dynamic instructor who strongly believes in engaging his students in the learning experience through interactive, facilitated workshops.

Questions? Contact:

For questions, contact Iván D. López.

Who Should Attend?

The target audience for this course is lead R&D managers and practitioners. They should have some familiarity with developing new and innovative products and services.

Why Should You Attend?

Frustrated by failed projects that waste time, money, and resources?
Many professionals know the stress and disappointment that come from launching products that don’t meet customer expectations. This workshop will help you avoid those costly missteps by teaching a structured process for identifying unmet customer needs—before development begins.

Struggling to develop products that truly resonate with your customers?
Understanding what your customers actually need is the foundation of successful innovation. This course introduces a seven-step method for planning, executing, and analyzing customer input, so you can design solutions that hit the mark and drive business growth.

Finding it difficult to turn vague customer feedback into actionable insights?
Gain practical tools to uncover and define real customer problems. You’ll learn how to translate voice-of-customer data into clear, actionable guidance for product development teams.

Worried your next launch might miss the mark—again?
Don’t rely on guesswork. This course will give you a repeatable approach to ensure your development process starts with the right information, reducing the likelihood of costly redesigns and failed products.

Want to align your team around what really matters to the customer?
Learn how customer insights can become the foundation for cross-functional collaboration, guiding decisions in R&D, marketing, and product strategy.

If these challenges sound familiar, the "Discovering Unmet Customer Needs" workshop will equip you with the mindset and methods to reduce risk, improve success rates, and deliver solutions that your customers truly value.