The Desirability Feasibility Viability (DFV) framework is a product development and innovation framework that evaluates potential business ideas or innovation concepts based on three key dimensions: desirability, feasibility, and viability. It is a widely used framework for assessing the potential success of new product ideas or business initiatives. While it’s difficult to attribute the exact origin of this framework to a single person or organisation, it has been popularised and widely adopted in the field of design thinking and innovation.
The DFV framework emphasises the importance of considering various aspects to ensure a holistic evaluation of an idea or business initiative. Here’s a breakdown of each dimension:
Desirability:
This dimension focuses on understanding customer needs, wants, and preferences.
It involves evaluating whether the business idea or innovation concept is desirable to the target customers, aligns with their values, solves their problems, meets or better yet, exceed their expectations.
Desirability considers factors such as user experience, emotional appeal, market demand, and customer satisfaction.
Feasibility:
Feasibility assesses the technical and operational feasibility of the idea.
It involves evaluating whether the concept can be realistically implemented and if the necessary resources, technology, infrastructure, and expertise are available or can be developed.
Feasibility considers factors such as technical constraints, resource availability, timeframes, scalability, and potential risks or challenges.
Viability:
Viability focuses on the economic and business viability of the idea or concept.
It involves assessing the potential market value, revenue generation, profitability, and long-term sustainability.
Viability considers factors such as market size, competitive landscape, pricing strategies, cost structure, business models, and return on investment.
Relationship between the concepts:
- Desirability, feasibility, and viability are interconnected and need to be considered simultaneously for successful business outcomes.
- A product or service must be desirable to attract customers, feasible to be implemented, and viable to generate sustainable revenue.
- The different teams within a business collaborate to ensure that these concepts are addressed throughout the product development and implementation process.
- Regular communication and collaboration between marketing, product development, engineering, operations, finance, strategy, and business development teams are essential to align these concepts and make informed decisions.
By evaluating ideas or concepts across these three dimensions, the DFV framework helps organisations make informed decisions about pursuing or refining potential innovations.
It encourages a balanced assessment that takes into account the desirability of the idea for customers, the technical feasibility of implementation, and the economic viability of the business proposition.
Successful innovation team can seamlessly integrates Desirability Feasibility Viability (DFV) in their ideas & business cases to maximise business outcomes.
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