$0 Faulty Radio Fix
BioLite Inc - 2018
SolarHome 620 Radio Education
THE PROBLEM
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The top customer complaint about the SolarHome 620 product was poor radio performance despite no issues observed during development and perfect performance of returned units
THE SOLUTION
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I led a team of field technicians to replicate the customer complains and prototype solutions in a realistic environment and use-case
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Longer duration usage, different towns around Kenya, and different home installations uncovered previously unforeseen environmental factors and a minor design flaw
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I updated the instruction manual and customer service messaging to educate customers on the main impacts of radio reception in their regions, notably the direction of the nearest radio tower and the proximity of the antenna to large metal structures like corrugated roofing
THE CLUES
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Product was developed in an office in NYC, a very different environment than our customers’ rural, East African homes
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Radio testing was usually short-duration on a tabletop, whereas real products were usually installed and used for hours at a time
THE AFTERMATH
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With proper installation guidance, customer complaints virtually disappeared with no alteration to the product required
Tools: Soldering and rework tools, measurement and DAQ tools, customer and technician surveys
Techniques: Rapid Prototyping and Iteration, Asynchronous Collaboration, Surveying across language and geographic gaps, Independent Research, Instruction Manual and CS material creation