In: Operations Management
Answer the following short questions: [Total: 10
marks]
b) What are 3 differences between lead user and beta user?
Lead Users: Lead users refer to advance users who identify the need and future opportunity for any product. Lead users are basically early adopters of any product who experiences the need in advance for a particular product before the general public is aware of the product. These are valuable customers for any company as they help in the identification of the future opportunity of any product in advance.
Beta Users: Beta user refers to the user or people who are provided with the software or application or any computer program to test the feasibility, user interface, technology and collect feedback about the software and mobile applications. These users are real users and the software or mobile applications are realized to them to collect feedback before launching to the public.
Difference between the Lead user and Beta user:
a. Beta users are used to testing computer software or mobile application but Lead users are the person who identifies the need and opportunity for any product or services in advance.
b. Beta user has to follow the guidelines from the developer company and has to sign a Non-Disclosure agreement but Lead users are the general public and find the need and opportunity in any area in life and find a suitable product to fulfill their needs.
c. The beta tester could not be a person from the developer company or even the developer self cannot be a beta tester but the lead user can be from the manufacturing company or services provider. All startup founders are lead users as the identify the need in the market and society and provided the solution for the issue they have faced in their life.