Start with the end in mind; why the Voice of the Customer is so important in medical device development
According to Forbes, 50% of failed medical device projects attribute their failure to customer-related issues, such as not listening to their customer or the lack of market requirement. When designing and developing medical devices, it is not only important to identify who your end-users will be, but also fully understand how your device will be used and how it will fit into their day-to-day workflows. By understanding which tools, techniques, and processes can be used to capture your customer’s expectations, preferences and aversions, businesses can better determine requirements, identify risks, and challenge assumptions.

In this webinar we look at the importance of factoring in the Voice of the Customer (VoC) into medical device design and development programmes. Our experts will discuss:
* how incorporating user research and VoC will fortify the funding process
* how understanding the clinical pathway, context of use and the end-user is a recipe for success
* why human factors and usability engineering is pivotal

Key takeaways will include:
* an appreciation of why your customer is the key to your start-up’s success
* practical knowledge and skills to better understand the VoC & usability engineering process
* how to thread the needs of your user throughout your wider development programme

Our expert in residence Rouzet Agaiby and colleagues from eg technology will be leading this lunch and learn session.

Kella Kapnisi Biography:

Kella works as part of the project management team. She is responsible for delivering projects from concept through to production, on time and within budget. Working closely with clients to ensure successful projects across a wide range of products, including medical devices, IVDs, lab equipment & consumer products. Kella has developed a specialisation in usability engineering and is helping to shape human factors business development at eg technology. She is also involved in strategic reviews of project operations, to ensure efficiency in our internal engineering design processes, including requirements management. Her background is in polymer chemistry and she has a PhD in biomaterial engineering, under Prof. Molly Stevens at Imperial College London.

Bec Wilkins Biography:

Bec holds a BDes (Industrial) design engineering degree from the University of Newcastle, Australia and is a skilled Human Factors expert, backed up by solid mechanical design experience. She brings sound knowledge of the application, requirements and regulations for usability to the project and regularly interfaces with Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) and clinicians and lay users to investigate ergonomics, safe and effective use with human and device interactions and represents the Voice of the Customer (VOC). Her award-winning industrial design and human factors capabilities are teamed with development on numerous electro-mechanical surgical and implant devices, diagnostic equipment and drug delivery devices, from initial primary user research, to concept development through to transfer to manufacture.
Date: 2 March 2022, 12:00 (Wednesday, 7th week, Hilary 2022)
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Speaker: Rouzet Agaiby (Experts in Residence)
Organiser contact email address: translationalresearchoffice@medsci.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Lunch and Learn with Experts in Residence
Booking required?: Required
Booking email: translationalresearchoffice@medsci.ox.ac.uk
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Anne-Sophie Schillinger