Combining “Fuzzy Front End” of Ideas with New Product Development Phase May Dramatically Boost New Product Success Rates

Sopheon, the leading international provider of software and services for Enterprise Innovation Management solutions, and The AIM Institute, the global leader in B2B voice-of-the-customer (VOC) training and software, announced a partnership that will ensure customer insights become the cornerstone for a company’s innovation processes. With AIM’s Blueprinter^® software automatically flowing into Sopheon’s Accolade^® innovation management software, companies will be able to manage innovation and new product development programs based on the customer’s stated business goals.

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Sopheon’s flagship product, Accolade, is a flexible and scalable single innovation system that gives companies complete visibility into their new product pipeline and portfolio. AIM’s Blueprinter software is used by product development teams to conduct impressive customer interviews, both virtually and in person. To ensure maximized insight as teams move into the development stage of the new product launch process, Blueprinter software can now automatically integrate with Sopheon’s innovation management solution, Accolade. This connection of the various phases of new product development will take B2B innovation to new levels.

“AIM’s new product, Blueprinter, is a perfect fit for Sopheon because the connection of optimal customer needs with a single new product development system can eliminate much of the commercial risk companies face when they go to market,” said Greg Coticchia, CEO of Sopheon. “A leading cause of new product failure is often inadequate market analysis. Companies tend to produce what they believe customers need. But AIM’s Blueprinter generates a market or business case for product development based on the customer’s stated outcome goals. Combining that superior front-end insight with Accolade’s innovation management system will redefine the standard for new product development.”

Since 2005, AIM has been on a mission to change B2B innovation. Blueprinter’s combination of qualitative “discovery” interviews and quantitative “preference” interviews uncovers a customer’s most essential needs. Armed with these customer insights, AIM helps companies introduce bold new products that achieve profitable and sustainable organic growth through market-facing B2B innovation.

“We’re excited to be working with Sopheon,” said Dan Adams, founder and president of The AIM Institute. “Among our clients, we’ve seen their Accolade software to be the most popular for managing gated NPD processes. Imagine the success B2B companies will have combining Accolade with New Product Blueprinting—the world’s leader in B2B VOC—to eliminate most commercial risk on the front end.”

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Sopheon CEO Greg Coticchia will moderate a 3-part series on why future B2B new product development (NPD) gated processes will look very different.

• Dates – April 5, April 6, April 7, 2022
• Time – 10 a.m. EDT
• Participants
  • Dan Adams, founder and president of The AIM Institute
  • Paul Heller, chief evangelist of Sopheon