MY TUNE

Problem: Driving a motor vehicle continues to get more dangerous every year. Talking on cellphones and the temptation to text are two distractions drivers can give into while trying to get to thier destination. The car radio is another distraction driver’s encounter that forces them to take their eyes off the road. Some car manufacturer’s have addressed this safety issue by installing buttons on the steering wheel allowing the driver to change the volume while maintaining their focus on the road ahead. However changing Cd's and the current station still possess safety issues.

Idea Generation: The solution I purpose to address the need to take your eyes off the road and switch songs can be intergraded into systems already in place on the newer model vehicles. Most new cars have an in dash touch screen GPS. Most people today also own an IPod. If the drivers were able to load their music from the IPod onto the GPS unit they would then have them stored in the car and would not need to carry around the IPod. The car manufacturers will need to add an additional button to the steering wheel. When pushing this button the voice recognition system in the car would now be ready to listen to the drivers command. You can then say a song or artist and the GPS would pull the song or artist up on the screen for your convenience. The driver would now only have to say play or touch the song on the screen to allow it to play.

Idea Screening: Before spending company and investor money toward product development, they must first do research. The research would reveal if the potential buyers would use the new integrated product. Additionally the company would have to assess the additional cost passed on to the potential customers. I believe the system would add $200-250 charge on to each car. This feature however seems well worth the extra money due to the extra safety and convenience it offers.

Business Analysis: Car manufacturers are always trying to out due each other by increasing their vehicles mpg, performance and safety. They obviously want to increase profits from previous years and outsell their competition. With this idea incorporated into a few models they offer, they can offer potential customers something that their competitors do not. With this idea the manufacturer can offer additional convenience and safety to the driver and may have an edge in the automobile market.

Development: The design team must decide where the button should be placed on the steering wheel. They also will need to consult with apple to see if they would want to partner. This of course would have to be developed and proven to not cause additional distractions and danger to drivers. Once a few test trials have been run it would then be time to test market the new “My Tune” system.

Test Market: A few prototype cars can be developed to test the usability and functionality of the product. These cars can be sent to some dealerships that the automobile company chooses to be most suitable for this type of vehicle upgrade. This would probably be heavy traffic areas and large business cities. These dealerships can allow people in the car market to take the vehicles for a test drive and try out the new "My Tune" system. They get to sample the new technology and give feedback for a chance to win money off their new car or another promotional strategy found best by company. This feedback can allow the company to tweak the system before releasing it full scale or to scrap the idea all together.

Commercialization: Using television, radio, internet and word of mouth you will be making potential customers crave the need for your product. These potential customers are now aware of this unique feature that is exclusive to your brand. Be it Mercedes, Lexus, or Honda, this inexpensive upgrade may boost your yearly sales considerably and due to the patent it will give you a market advantage for a few years.

Robert Borys