PDMA Carolinas Event: Voice of the Customer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Product Development & Management Association's Carolinas Chapter hosts professional development event
Voice of the Customer focus of May 31 event
Press Contact: Montie Roland
(800) 722-7987
montie@montie.com
CARY - The Carolinas Chapter of the Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) will hold a professional development and networking workshop on Thursday, May 31. The event, which is sponsored by Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex and held in conjunction with the Project Management Institute (PMI), will provide valuable networking opportunities and introduce participants to practical Voice of the Customer techniques.
The Voice of the Customer (VoC) session will be led by Christina Hepner Brodie, lead principal with PRTM Management Consultants and co-author of "Voices into Choices: Acting on the Voice of the Customer." Voice of the Customer refers to the process of capturing a customer's requirements through qualitative and quantitative market research. A growing number of companies are implementing VoC methodologies to significantly improve the design of innumerable products and services. By gathering first-hand input from their customers and applying it to their solution decisions, these companies are obtaining a decided competitive advantage in exchange for their efforts. Additionally, innovative executives and managers use VoC approaches to gain invaluable insights into a broad range of strategic issues beyond product or service development.
The seminar will be held Thursday, May 31 at MCNC Auditorium, located at 3021 Cornwallis Road in Research Triangle Park. Registration and networking will begin at 6:00 p.m., and the seminar will run from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. The cost, which includes handouts, is $20 for PDMA and PMI members, $35 for non-members and $15 for students. Pizza and drinks will be served. Attendees are encouraged to register online at http://voc.pdma.org. Pre-registration is not required, but walk-ins will be charged an additional $10 and asked to pay by check.
"We are excited to partner with Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex and PMI to show event participants how Voice of the Customer techniques translate customer voices into winning products," said Claire-Juliette Beale, VP Programs, PDMA Carolinas. "Those who attend will learn how to improve their market share by addressing the real needs of their customers, especially when their customers are other businesses."
Speaker Background
Christina Hepner Brodie leads PRTM's innovation management, Voice of the Customer and requirements management practice areas. Brodie has more than 17 years of experience working with companies to manage and develop new products and services as well as improve performance through sharpened up-front definition. She has introduced executives, senior managers and new product developers to Voice of the Customer methodologies at more than 100 companies in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and Europe. Prior to joining PRTM, Brodie headed CHB Consulting, where she worked in association with the Center for Quality of Management (CQM). While associated with CQM, she evolved Voice of the Customer methodologies including Concept Engineering©, the FOCUS Method and the Language Processing© method. Brodie received CQM's Ray Stata Outstanding Contributor Award in 1996. Brodie earned a master's degree from the Ohio State University and a bachelor's degree from Capital University where she received the 2005 Outstanding Achievement Alumni Award. She is a certified New Product Development Professional and a Certified NPDP Trainer.
About PDMA
The Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) is the premier global advocate for product development and management professionals. For more information about PDMA, visit www.pdma.org. For more information about the Carolinas Chapter, call (919) 481-1845, email Montie Roland at montie@montie.com or visit www.pdma.org/carolinas.