Market Access Barriers and Adaptation Using Lean Principles
In this journey, the book production and release teams applied a combination of product development strategies, user experience principles, Lean methodology, and the Scrum framework to systematically identify and address challenges in creating and distributing the book, Therapy for Mgbánwè. Here is a detailed breakdown of each phase, highlighting their approach, decision-making process, and the outcomes.
Key Steps and Actions:
- Identifying Market Access Impediments:
- Forex Restrictions: The Central Bank of Nigeria’s forex limitations made it impossible for readers to purchase the book in Nigerian Naira.
- Location Restrictions: Amazon’s regional restrictions also prevented Nigerian readers from accessing the eCopy even if they had virtual USD cards.
- Shipping Challenges: High shipping costs for the paperback edition created an additional barrier to entry for Nigerian readers.
- Lean Methodology Adaptation:
- Listening to Customer Feedback: The book release and production teams consistently engaged in active listening with a Nigerian customer named Faith to understand her needs and frustrations. This deepened their understanding of the unspoken user requirements.
- Waste Elimination (Muda, Mura, Muri):
- Muda: Rather than just sending pdf copies to those in the Nigerian market which might encourage piracy and copyright violation, the book release team developed a Google Drive viewer access version with disabled download and print settings to bypass Amazon’s location restrictions.
- Mura: The book release team, after deliberating on an online book conversation option, against the initial plan of granting the viewer and commenter access to readers on Google Drive, created a uniform viewer access strategy for all readers to ensure consistency in the user experience. For online conversation, a blog was created for that purpose.
- Muri: The book release team after investigating shipping options, partnered with logistics providers in Houston to explore cost-effective shipping methods, preventing financial overburden on the customers of the book team.
Market Adaptation Outcomes:
- Product Accessibility: Removing geographic and currency restrictions ensured a wider audience could access the book.
- Customer-Centric Design: The Google Drive eCopy allowed the book release to meet Nigerian readers' needs effectively, with minimized risks, and without delays.
By blending product development principles, user experience strategies, Lean methodology, and the Scrum framework, the book production and release teams were able to overcome significant challenges in the creation and distribution of Therapy for Mgbánwè. This approach enabled them to systematically remove impediments, reduce waste, and iterate rapidly, ultimately creating a more refined and accessible product for a diverse audience.
If your team is in need of guidance in product development, user experience strategies, team assessment, Agile and Lean methodologies, or even support on overcoming mental blocks, don’t hesitate to reach out to Upgrading Self. We are here to help you transform your ideas into reality and navigate any obstacles along the way.
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