Microsoft's Sway

Microsoft used online suggestion system to improve the functionality of their innovative presentation application named Sway. Participants of the beta-testing stage of Sway development were able to submit their feedback via UserVoice.  Their input made a difference. Microsoft  implemented many user suggestions. For example, Sway users were enabled to import PDF files directly into Sway, as well as reorder sections more easily.

 Procter & Gamble

P&G has stepped up its experimentation because it has discovered an ideal laboratory for doing so: the Internet.  Using test markets – auditioning a product in selected locations in order to find out what sells and what doesn't – is important when you develop new products. Before rolling out a new product nationally, the company typically spends several months and millions of dollars to conduct field tests in a handful of midsize cities. But the Internet has fostered new, more efficient ways to sound out customer attitudes toward product innovation. As A.G. Lafley told shareholders, "By doing a test online, we can do it for a tenth of the cost in a quarter of the time."... More

 Corning

Corning identified the five steps to turning an idea into a successful new product.  They develop a large prototype that reflects the initial product or process concept; testing this prototype both in the laboratory and with target customers ... More