The Learning Launch Tool: Reflection

 Challenge

We live in a world where restaurants and food outlets are plenty. Cuisines of all kinds have proliferated in recent years due to access to world-class ingredients and training. This reduces brand differentiation between several restaurants and makes it difficult for customers to choose between them. While conceiving our Business Plan for a new sandwich-joint, this is the challenge we faced. After multiple interactions with stakeholders to uncover our customers’ unarticulated needs, we realized that we had to come up with a way of guaranteeing customer satisfaction in order to really stand out as an eatery. We narrowed down on one major challenge that needed solving- Customers were overwhelmed by the choices they have to make while ordering food. With a plethora of options available, picking a restaurant and then picking a food item off the menu card seemed to be a major cause of concern. Customers would never be sure if they would like the food until they tasted it. More often than not, their co-diners’ food ended up looking more appetizing than their own, resulting in regrets about one’s own choices.

 Selection

The Learning Launch tool was selected to solve the problem. At this stage of thinking, our team had already collaborated with stakeholders, used various design thinking tools and had come up with ideas to test. The immediate next step was to test out these ideas to see which of them were most likely to solve the problem at hand.  We selected the Learning Launch tool because it enables experimentation and does so in a fast and cost effective manner. As a business in its early stages of existence, resources like time and money available to us were of utmost value and their spending needed to be minimized. The Learning Launch tool would be a good fit with these conditions and would help us discover which of the ideas were good.

 Application

In order to apply the Learning Launch tool, we came up with hypotheses for each of our two ideas to be tested. Because our business was not yet launched, we set up pop-up stores at Food Festivals to test out the two ideas. At our first Learning Launch, we wanted to test out if better interactions with the waiters could help ease the process of ordering and customer satisfaction. To do so, we trained our waiters at the pop- shop about the menu. They were taken through the process by which each item on the menu was prepared and made to taste each item on the menu. Then, they were trained to describe each item in an effective way. When customers were deciding on orders, the waiters would communicate with them to give them a better idea of what they can expect from each food item. Pictures were also added on the menu beside each item. For our second Learning Launch, we wanted to test if technology could be used as a fool-proof way to help customers make better choices consistently. A technological supplement was added to the process of ordering food in the form of a short quiz. This quiz would narrow down on what item on

the menu the customer would be likely to enjoy for the day. This would ease the food-ordering process and would hopefully increase the satisfaction they get from the food they receive.

 Insight

The Learning Launches helped us test out our ideas quickly and in a cost effective manner. We understood  that real-time  experimentation had given us  proof in a way that no focus-group discussion could ever have. We learnt that both the hypothesis had enhanced customer satisfaction when compared to data from before implementing the two ideas. Our second Learning Launch was found to be most effective. Not only did it enhance customer satisfaction but it also helped our brand stand out amongst competitors because of the technological innovation.  We plan to implement this idea in our business soon.

 Approach

If we were to go through the process again, we would choose to apply Learning Launches again. This is because it fits well with the kind of ideas we had to test and allowed us to accurately test our hypotheses despite our resource-scarcity.

What we would do differently: We would add one more stage of experimentation with the Learning Launch tool. After learning that using technology (a quiz) would enhance our customer satisfaction, we would choose to design a few prototypes of the quiz after coming up with hypothesis for each. This would help us further improve our customers’ experience and ease their process of ordering.


The Learning Launch Tool : Reflection  Challenge We live in a world where restaurants and food outlets are plenty . Cuisines of all kinds have proliferated in recent years due to access to world - class ingredients and training . This reduces brand differentiation between several restaurants and makes it difficult for customers to choose between them . While conceiving our Business Plan for a new sandwich - joint , this is the challenge we faced . After multiple interactions with stakeholders to uncover our customers ’ unarticulated needs , we realized that we had to come up with a way of guaranteeing customer satisfaction in order to really stand out as an eatery . We narrowed down on one major challenge that needed solving- Customers were overwhelmed by the choices they have to make while ordering food . With a plethora of options available , picking a restaurant and then picking a food item off the menu card seemed to be a major cause of concern . Customers would never be sure if they would like the food until they tasted it . More often than not , their co - diners ’ food ended up looking more appetizing than their own , resulting in regrets about one ’s own choices .  Selection The Learning Launch tool was selected to solve the problem . At this stage of thinking , our team had already collaborated with stakeholders , used various design thinking tools and had come up with ideas to test . The immediate next step was to test out these ideas to see which of them were most likely to solve the problem at hand . We selected the Learning Launch tool because it enables experimentation and does so in a fast and cost effective manner . As a business in its early stages of existence , resources like time and money available to us were of utmost value and their spending needed to be minimized . The Learning Launch tool would be a good fit with these conditions and would help us discover which of the ideas were good .  Application In order to apply the Learning Launch tool , we came up with hypotheses for each of our two ideas to be tested . Because our business was not yet launched , we set up pop - up stores at Food Festivals to test out the two ideas . At our first Learning Launch , we wanted to test out if better interactions with the waiters could help ease the process of ordering and customer satisfaction . To do so , we trained our waiters at the pop- shop about the menu . They were taken through the process by which each item on the menu was prepared and made to taste each item on the menu . Then , they were trained to describe each item in an effective way . When customers were deciding on orders , the waiters would communicate with them to give them a better idea of what they can expect from each food item . Pictures were also added on the menu beside each item . For our second Learning Launch , we wanted to test if technology could be used as a fool - proof way to help customers make better choices consistently . A technological supplement was added to the process of ordering food in the form of a short quiz . This quiz would narrow down on what item on the menu the customer would be likely to enjoy for the day . This would ease the food - ordering process and would hopefully increase the satisfaction they get from the food they receive .  Insight The Learning Launches helped us test out our ideas quickly and in a cost effective manner . We understood that real - time experimentation had given us proof in a way that no focus - group discussion could ever have . We learnt that both the hypothesis had enhanced customer satisfaction when compared to data from before implementing the two ideas . Our second Learning Launch was found to be most effective . Not only did it enhance customer satisfaction but it also helped our brand stand out amongst competitors because of the technological innovation . We plan to implement this idea in our business soon .  Approach If we were to go through the process again , we would choose to apply Learning Launches again . This is because it fits well with the kind of ideas we had to test and allowed us to accurately test our hypotheses despite our resource - scarcity . What we would do differently : We would add one more stage of experimentation with the Learning Launch tool . After learning that using technology ( a quiz ) would enhance our customer satisfaction , we would choose to design a few prototypes of the quiz after coming up with hypothesis for each . This would help us further improve our customers ’ experience and ease their process of ordering .