The Elements of value Harvard Business Review

 


Introduction

Value is not simply quantifiable as dollars saved or profit margin. Value can also be characterized by a service's ability to satisfy an individual. Tools, knowledge, and the right approach to analysis value can be found in ideas and innovation that yield an intelligent solution to a complex problem. These are just some examples of how Value derived from a business is realized through superior innovation.

 

In this case study analysis, we will analyze to identify the elements of Value it demonstrates how great businesses are built upon ensuring customer satisfaction through their products/services. This can be by way of providing the customer with a product that is needed. A product and service that does what it says it will do and offers excellent Value to its customers both in terms of quality and price (Passey, 2022). The Value of the consumer-facing product, whether tangible or intangible, is dependent on how effectively these elements create a lasting relationship with their customers.

 

Based on the analysis, the elements of the values model have a limitation on ignoring the negative aspect of the products. For instance, if we have to analyze two companies (A and B) with the concept of the element-value model, then we are not allowed to examine the product's negative quality but rather only limited to the positive and good sides of the product are compared. Currently, there are many products of renowned companies which are operating in the small market segments or completely short downed, considered the failure due to their negative side. The best example can be the product of Samsung company – the Samsung galaxy note 7, which still delivers superior customer values despite the reputation of a negative value proposition based on functionality (Clark, 2021).

Background

When defining what services or products a business should provide, it starts with defining which problem(s) they want to solve. These problems can be thought of as conditions where consumers do not know what they want to buy, which leads them to seek out companies (manufacturers) for help in finding satisfactory solutions for basic needs like clothing, electricity and food. Potential customers will eventually decide how much Value a product or service has for themselves, depending on their needs and their ability to afford the price. It is with this in mind that the tools of identifying an innovative solution to business problems can be found.

 

Let’s take the same Samsung note 7 phone examples after the burned house of a South Carolina household the company sales plunged by 15% due to the intense media coverage (Clark, 2021). The company has to face the waves of negative comments which forced them to take the most revolution steps that was never been taken by any tech giant company. The company targeted the key element of value customer, which is highlighted in figure 1, which helped the company to regain its loyal customers and bounced back in the market. the company took the full responsibility for the problem caused by the product and recall all the note 7 products even from the shipment. Thou, the company faced the temporary losses, but it gains its customer trust which is the most valuable assets for the company in long run.

Figure 1 Samsung Targeted its Customer Value Elements





Evaluation of the Case

The evaluation of the case describes how there are four different types of Value a company can provide:

·       Tangible Value - also known as a functional value, this is when a product does what it was designed for (i.e., providing light by a flashlight).

·       Relational Value - by building customer relationships, trusting relationships will be created over time, and the customer's inherent need for Value is met through the business's offerings.

·       Emotional Value - or emotional satisfaction, is created by the brand's ability to create an emotional tie with customers that they will be drawn to return to.

·       Experiential Value - Experiments are created through innovative products and services that allow the customer to do something they've never done before.

Furthermore, the case also highlights the fundamental elements of Value that talk about four kinds of needs. Functional impact- the customer will evaluate the product by analyzing how much the product will save time, whether it will reduce risk or might reduce cost, and other functional characteristics are considered. The emotional impact is more focused on rewards, fun and mental peace. Under life-changing impact, the customer will ask questions like the product could full fill my unrecognize needs like self-actualization (Almquist, Senior, & Bloch, 2016,Sep). Finally, the social impact, the customer will evaluate the product in the sense of improving society. The customers tend to place the products or services to those kinds based on their understanding of the product, and the more the elements provided, the more significant the customer tries to buy. The best example that has all the needs, Value and needs features is the tesla car- no fuel and saves money; self-driving reduces human effort, provides hope for a sustainable future and has a positive impact on society.

 

A business goes about creating Value for their customers by identifying where these different types and elements of Value can be derived from and how their products can be improved upon to provide a solution for this need for Value. Then with commitment and patience, introducing changes over time will allow the brand to build on the reputation it has grown to develop a more solid foundation from which it builds upon with new offerings and make improvements over time.

Proposed Solution/Change

By analyzing and evaluating the case, we have identified two critical problems in the case. The first problem is that the case only focuses on the positive side of consumer value and neglects to address the negative aspects of customer value holistically. The second problem is that customer lifetime value analysis doesn't consider risks inherent to consumers, such as obsolescence or uncertainty about customers' future behaviour. We have proposed the following changes and solutions, which we think, if implemented in the case, lead to perfection.

 

·       How to Address Customers' Value Problems

The first step in addressing customers' values issues is to examine the business model and strategy from a holistic perspective. The second step is to look at the customer's Value and think about how you might improve it, which is completely ignored in this case. The third step is to examine your costs and resources and consider any positive or negative impacts that may result from your management options. Only then should the management come up with a strategy to address customers' values issues in which the case will sign if these concepts are implemented after the element value and need hierarchy.

 

·       Solutions for Value Issues

The costs of a product or service need to be compared with its Value among consumers. If the product provides too much Value relative to its cost, then there is a reason for concern. If we do not have enough sales volume comparable to costs, there may be less opportunity for profits. In the element of value case, the customer value of the product will increase concerning its cost. There are many ways to reduce cost, and one is to decrease R&D expenditures to have a quick-mover advantage. Another way is to outsource some production activities from China- currently the global manufacturing hub because it will create economies of scale and lower overall costs.

 

Recommendations

Finally, we need to make a strategic decision about how much profit we want in each product category instead of thinking about always maximizing profits. For this focusing only on the customer value element might not be enough as it only focuses on the creating needs and value of the product and once its full filed the questions is what’s next.  The company like Costco could have collapse if it has only focused on fulfilling the customer needs and creating value for its customers. According to the Q1 report form the Costco financial report 2022, 35.26% of the net income of the company comes form the membership (Costco, 2022). Costco has work with creating values and fulfilling needs of the customer and then they charged its customer for their work which the customer. Thus, I would like to recommend having some of the key element of the competitor’s analysis which makes the element of value a perfect strategy not only limited to the production development phase but also gives the insides form beyond that.

 

The competitive analys has the elements which donot neglect the negative side of the, it focuses both potivie and negative side of the product. Along with that, the SWOT analysis after producted finanlazation could be the perfect combination of both words. This can be futher be highlighted in the give figure 2.

 

Figure 2 Product Development phases after Element of value and need analysis

 


References

Almquist, E., Senior, J., & Bloch, N. (2016,Sep). The Elements of Value. USA: HBR.

Clark, M. (2021, June 10). 11 Organizations with Negative Brand Images and How They Overcame It. Retrieved from etactics: https://etactics.com/blog/organizations-with-negative-brand-images

Costco. (2022, 08 08). FINANCIAL REPORTS. Retrieved from investor.costco: https://investor.costco.com/financial-information/annual-reports

Passey, J. (2022, 08 06). Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from Perceived Value: https://www.gemawards.com/perceived-value-everything-you-need-to-know

 

 

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