The right dialogue between engineering and marketing

The most persistent organizational wall in the electronics industry is the one between engineering and marketing. Each side wants what the other cannot provide: Engineering looks to marketing for a crystal-clear view of customers´ intentions; marketing wants the perfect product. For the wall to come down, engineering and marketing have to work at improving their relationship. As a start you can forge a stronger human link. Major improvements are possible if each function accepts its responsibility for change (it´s futile to expect the other side to make all the changes), adjusts expectations so less than perfect market clarity and perfect products are the goals, and tries to walk in the other person´s shoes to understand the limits of professional practice. You also have to work on the substantive part of the relationship-what you discuss and how you discuss it. It´s easy to see why. If you view product development as a series of interlocking, close-call decisions, then the data you use and how you use it can make a huge difference in the outcome. One set of data and one way of thinking can lead to a me-too product. Looked at differently (and often with different data) can lead to an innovative barn-burner. This article helps you figure out what to discuss between engineering and marketing and how you discuss it. With the information provided, you can assess how you currently dialogue and evaluate methods that could be an improvement