Customer Needs Identification and Concept Development in the evolving marine market Future boat abilities developed with Volvo Penta

Abstract

In August 2023, an internal fair was held at Volvo Penta to explore opportunities for continuous update of their product portfolio. Here, stakeholders and internal R&D presented innovations for future abilities that could be implemented in the Volvo Penta offering. Many novel abilities were presented, but the fair lacked coherence and the customer needs were never addressed. The thesis aims to identify and de- velop desired abilities for Volvo Penta’s future offerings. The first step of the methodology was based on interviews with customers and market research. Through the identification, analysis, and structuring of customer statements, the customer needs could be formed. Both needs and market opportu- nities were used as a basis to generate future abilities. The most promising abilities were then selected through a three-step screening process. These abilities were then developed in further detail to prove the technical feasibility and functionality. A business case was also created to highlight the financial outlook of the abilities. 19 abilities were generated based on the information collected. After the screening process, two of the abilities remained as they were considered to be the most promis- ing. They are the Automatic Light Guidance (ALG) and the Penta Environment Detection (PED). The PED analyzes the environment and detects hazards through camera and LiDAR sensors. The ability can detect hazards such as other vessels on collision course and objects floating in the water. The ALG utilizes the PED sensor data, to direct a spotlight which enhances safety and awareness in low vis- ibility conditions. These two abilities were chosen to be combined as one concept, as they are highly dependent on each other. The financial outlook for the concept was considered promising, based on the high sales margins. In conclusion, the developed abilities have high customer satisfaction, promising market opportunities, and a strong financial outlook. Based on these factors, Volvo Penta is recommended to include these abilities in their future offerings.