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Table 4.3 Osborn product and service development list Key word 4 : STEP TWO – GENERATING NEW IDEAS

Checklist statement adapt
modify
G What other product or service could I adapt to my opportunity? magnify
G How could I change the existing product/service? minify
G How could I add to this product/service? substitute
G What could I take away from this product/service? rearrange
G What could I use instead of this product/service or a portion of it? reverse
G How could I alter the composition of this product/service combine
G How could I turn the problem/service around?
G What could I put together to make a new product/service?

Imagine how the founders of low-cost airline easyJet could have
applied this technique as they assessed how to break into the low-cost
end of the air travel market – see Table 4.4.

Table 4.4 Osborn product and service development list applied to easyJet

Adapt Apply the principles of the economy-class segment which exists
within conventional full-service airlines to an entire fleet; mimic the
Modify no-frills concept from American pioneer Southwest Airlines; apply the
Magnify lowest-cost self-serve marketing principles of discount stores such as
Aldi to the airline business
Minify
Sell tickets direct to the customer and create cost savings through
Substitute eliminating travel agents; eliminate meals from the service offering
Rearrange
Reverse Extend the time spent flying by aircraft with full passenger loading
Combine by minimising turnaround times at airports, by maximising pilot flying
hours within legal requirements, by eliminating the need to load the
planes with pre-prepared food at every stop, by discouraging customers
from bringing baggage which requires storage in the hold, by heavy
discounting to ensure that flights are always full

Offer price discounts to passengers carrying hand luggage only;
eliminate system of pre-allocating seats; reduce customer service to
bare minimum; do not offer refunds for delayed flights; minimise the
number of routes offered; minimise the different types of aircraft flown to
optimise aircraft maintenance arrangements

Purchase second-hand aircraft with low depreciation; fly to
out-of-town airports

Focus flights very early and very late during the day

Unbundle the service so that customers are charged for all baggage
stored in the hold (which incurs handling cost for the airline and
impinges on turnaround time) rather than charge customers only for
excess baggage

Establish in-house car rental service for easy onward transmission
for customers from airports; multi-skill the staff to maximise
productivity