The Kano model

The Kano Model is an excellent prioritization framework that was developed by Japanese quality management expert Noriaki Kano in 1984. Kano model has a qualitative approach, unlike the RICE model framework which has a quantitive approach. I first heard about the Kano model at a Product Marathon by GrowthSchool. I will also share how you can turn qualitative data into quantitative data in upcoming articles article.?

How does the Kano model work?

When the product team has quite a many features to develop and the team is confused as to which feature they should start working on first and which features they should prioritize last or eliminate, here is when the Kano model helps the team. It is a combination of two lines in a graph that helps us to understand what satisfies a customer (y-axis) and whether are we able to meet that need (x-axis).

What are the key features of the Kano model?

As we can see in the graph, the 3 key lines are,

1. Delighter (wow)
2. Performance (more is better)
3. Must have

Performance (more is better)

With performance more is better. As the need is fully met, the resulting customer satisfaction increases. The more you can serve the need the better it is for your customer.

For example, let’s suppose that you go to a shop to buy a Car. Now you have two options Car A & Car B. Look at the table below and tell me which one would you prefer to buy.

I am sure that you will prefer buying Car B because though everything is the same in both these cars the only differentiator is the Mileage. Car B gives more mileage than Car A.?

Conclusion: Fuel efficiency is the performance benefit here.?

Must Have

Miust have features may not create customer delight or satisfaction but they may create dissatisfaction if not available. These are the features that are a part of basic understanding and you can not eliminate them by any chance. Must-have features are also known as “cost of entry” or “table stakes”?

For example, seat belts in a car. It is a must-have feature and you cannot avoid it while building a car. Having a seat belt in a car will not make your customer happy, but if there is no seatbelt the customer might get pissed off. Also, if Car A has 4 seat belts and? Car B has 20 seat belts within it, you will not say that Car B is 5 times better than Car A. We all know that the number of seat belts should be equal to the number of seats that it has. Having no seat belt of having an extra seat belt will dissatisfy the customer.?

Delighter (wow)

Delighter are the unexpected benefits that you give to your customers. These are the features that customer does not expect within the system. Delight is the differentiator that your product can have, resulting in very high customer satisfaction. The absence of a delighter does not cause any dissatisfaction but customers do not expect that feature.

For example, GPS navigation systems acted as delighters when they first got launched in the 90’s. It was a feature that customers did not expect at that point of time but if they received it in the budget car they were looking for, it would excite them resulting in a high customer satisfaction rate.?

Another example we can look at is if the restaurant owner serves you a complimentary bottle of champagne if he gets to know that it’s your birthday. This can act as a delighter and you may want to visit the same restaurant again and again.?

Note:

An important thing to note here is that the Kano model works in the hierarchy which means that if a Car having a GPS navigation system does not have a seat belt (a must-have feature) but will not buy the car no matter how cool the delighter looks. The very first thing to ensure is that all the must-have needs should be met first.?

How to use the Kano model?

Make a list of all product features and then put them one by one in the table. Now to be more accurate in your prioritization work, you can try to use the RICE framework to prioritize your feature development to get the most benefits out of each feature development.?

When should you use the Kano model?

Whenever you are looking to address these 5 points p[refer using the Kano model framework.?

1. Limited time
2. Limited resource
3. Minimum feature?
4. Wow feature
5. Performance enhancing feature.?

The Kano model framework is when the team needs to figure out which minimum-threshold features they absolutely must build, which performance features to start investing in now, and which customer-delight features will deliver the biggest customer “Wow!” for the buck.

Also, refer What are the best practices for launching a new feature in the existing product? Before launching the product.?

Request you to please react if you liked the article to help benefit more people and don’t forget to follow for more such updates.?

Conclusion

The Kano model framework is most useful when the product management team is looking forward to functionality prioritization.

Other Articles

1. RICE framework - Prioritization?
2. What are the best practices for launching a new feature in the existing product?
3. Marketing Strategy of OYO — A Travel Technology Company
4. Profitability Framework in Product Management with a Case Study.
5. This Book skyrockets my sleep quality — A summary on Why We Sleep ?

References

1. The Lean Product Playbook by Dan Olsen
2. Product Plan