Companies should make sure a product is ready before mass producing it

'Just as in baseball, increased competition has changed operating dynamics in every product realm. The difference is that while fans have short memories and are eager to re-apply their team's colors at the first sign of a winning streak, we all know the stealth at which a negative product experience travels."

Unfortunately I found my thoughts wondering last night as I watched the Milwaukee Brewers lose their fourth straight game. It's bad enough that they've all come at home and that two were courtesy of the much-hated Cubs. However, the real issue is that he last two from the Reds show a significant design flaw in the composition of my beloved Beer-Makers. This missing link seems to run parallel to a key issue many in the design community can appreciate.

The first three games of this slide were frustrating to watch, but at least entertaining. Last night simply brought everything crashing into greater perspective. While they can hit with the best in major league baseball, right now the Crew lacks the right mix of consistency, talent and experience in both their starting and relief pitching. Basically, the design of this team looked for their strengths to overshadow weaknesses that the critics were quick to identify in season previews, but that the optimistic fans and organizational powers were equally eager to dismiss.

Although they've always played prominent roles, cost controls and time-to-market considerations are driving more and more product development decisions. The end result in many cases has been introducing a product before it was ready for mass consumption. In some cases, such as Amazon's Kindle, the company was able to get away with early discretions in time to launch a second generation that meshed more accordingly with consumer demands. However, early versions of the Blackberry Storm demonstrate what ignoring key functionality factors can do to a promising brand.

While we all have to adhere to time and cost demands, at the end of the day there's no sacrifice for overall quality and functionality. Granted, price points allow for some fluctuation when defining value, but the dangers associated with rolling out products that contain known faults in hopes that other capabilities will compensate for them is risky at best. Consumers are too well informed and more than happy to share shortcomings with anyone who cares to venture down Al Gore's information superhighway.

Just as in baseball, increased competition has changed operating dynamics in every product realm. The difference is that while fans have short memories and are eager to re-apply their team's colors at the first sign of a winning streak, we all know the stealth at which a negative product experience travels.

Every day is game day once a product hits the open market, and you don't have the benefit of trades or free agency. The Brewers still have 154 opportunities to turn things around - you won't. Here's hoping your fans won't have to wait until next season to see your best.

What's your take? Send comments to jeff.reinke@advantagemedia.com