Assignment
CHANGING A PRODUCT TO MEET CONSUMER DEMANDS
The Danta Villanova Glass Corporation was forced to decrease the effectiveness of one of its products, Acoustical Tile, because of the peculiar demands of the consumers. 66 The consumer Villanova products are formed from glass drawn into thin filaments of various diameters, some as fine as % o tne thickness of a human hair. The many desirable properties of glass are retained fibers of glass are incombustible, moisture resistant, durable, and dimensionally stable. In addition, glass in fiber form can be flexible, resilient, and has excellent thermal and acoustical properties. Villanova manufactures 80 basic types of products, many having the variations in dimensions and density required for the particular use to which they are to be put. The company's products can be classified into the following four groups:
1. Villanova "wool" products, used for thermal insulation and acoustical applications.
2. Villanova textile products, consisting of strands, yarns, and cords, used by other companies in the manufacture of electrical insulation and decorative and industrial fabrics.
3. Villanova Sealor, an extremely light-weight wool product used in heating, air conditioning, and ventilating and in industrial processes.
4. Villanova mat products, consisting of porous sheets used principally in the manufacture of storage batteries and as a protective wrapping for underground pipes.
From Villanova "wool," the company manufactures a number of products. The basic "wool" is treated with a resinous binder and compressed to the desired thickness and density. It is then formed into sheets, boards, blocks, and panels of desired dimensions, shapes, and flexibility. The wool when so treated can also be fabricated with facings or enclosures of paper, cloth, or metal mesh or can be coated or saturated with bitumens or resinous cements for varied applications.
One of the products that the company manufactures from Villanova "wool" is Acoustical Tile. The panels are cut into blocks 12 inches square and 3A of an inch thick. Any color can be put on the face of the tile through a special process. Acoustical Tile is excellent for sound control and sound quieting, and will not burn. There is a large potential market for its use as a ceiling in offices, schools, and commercial buildings of all kinds, such as super-markets, department stores, and factories. The company ran extensive tests and concluded that its Acoustical Tile was superior to similar products of its competitors.
The tile was offered on the market in a variety of colors without any holes in the face of the tile. The Merchants Association of Putnam 67 Sales were so unsatisfactory that the company made a study of the market to determine the reason. During the investigation, the consumers expressed the opinion that unless holes were punched into each piece of Acoustical Tile, it would not be effective in quieting sound; they also preferred a white tile. They had been so conditioned for a period of 15 years by the advertising of manufacturers who used other materials that they would not accept the new product. The company experimented with punching the same number of holes (884) in each piece of tile as did its competitors, who had to use the holes so that their materials would control sound. In the tests which were made, the holes decreased the effectiveness of Villanova Acoustical Tile, but since it still rated above the products of the competitors, the company decided to offer it on the market in its new form.
The tile was painted white, and each piece contained 884 holes. Sales immediately began to increase, and within a short period of time had reached the desired level. Other experiments were run in punching holes farther apart, but in every case sales results were unsatisfactory. Even architects were reluctant to accept the tile without the holes, although the company showed them how it was more effective that way.
QUESTIONS
1. Do you believe that a manufacturer should follow the dictates of the consumer when doing so results in an inferior product?
2. Should the Danta Villanova Glass Corporation have followed any other policy with its Acoustical Tile? Why or why not?
3. List other similar situations in which manufacturers have been affected by the demands of the consumer in determining the quality of the product which they will manufacture.
4. Does a manufacturer have an obligation to the consumer to continue to produce the best possible product even if the consumer prefers one that is less effective or satisfactory
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.