SIRRMRM010
Plan product development


Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to plan the development of new retail products. It requires the ability to generate product ideas suitable for a defined marketplace and prepare a design brief for production.

This unit applies to senior personnel working in a diverse range of sectors and business contexts. They operate with independence and are responsible for making a range of operational business decisions.

No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Research product development opportunities.

1.1. Access and review organisational merchandise objectives and direction.

1.2. Research and analyse the current marketplace and market trends to generate ideas for product development that align with organisational merchandise objectives and direction.

1.3. Review competitor product offerings to identify opportunities and risks in relation to product development.

1.4. Seek input from internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities for product development and inform product concept.

1.5. Review opportunities for product development and identify product development options.

2. Develop product concept.

2.1. Complete product development costings to determine commercial viability of product development options.

2.2. Consider supply and sourcing arrangements to determine feasibility of product development.

2.3. Undertake conceptual testing to determine market responsiveness.

2.4. Document product concept and present to relevant stakeholders and make any required adjustments.

2.5. Seek approval for final product concept.

3. Plan product development.

3.1. Determine product range options, quantity and grading.

3.2. Identify critical path and required resourcing for product development.

3.3. Identify internal and external compliance requirements and undertake product development planning to ensure adherence.

3.4. Identify potential product development and supply issues and plan contingency strategies.

3.5. Plan product packaging and labelling needs and ensure compliance with packaging and labelling requirements.

3.6. Document a detailed product design brief for supplier tendering purposes.

3.7. Source supplier samples and provide feedback.

3.8. Determine suitable supply arrangements that meet product design brief and compliance requirements.

3.9. Ensure ethical and environmental sustainability of supply arrangements.

3.10. Finalise product development brief and communicate to relevant personnel.

4. Review product performance.

4.1. Review product sales performance and market receptiveness to determine product performance.

4.2. Review product development costings against performance to determine commercial viability of product.

4.3. Make recommendations for the continuation, alteration or deletion of product.

Evidence of Performance

Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

review the merchandise objectives and direction of one organisation and conduct target market research to identify product development opportunities. Use findings to create a product development concept for one product, that details:

risks

opportunities

benefits

commercial viability

supply arrangements

for the above product develop a product development design brief that details:

range size and options

grading

product costing

product and technical specifications

quantity

quality requirements

bill of materials

compliance requirements:

internal

external

resources

critical path and timeframes

supply arrangements

packaging and labelling

storage requirements

review product performance data to determine viability of product and make recommendations for future improvements.


Evidence of Knowledge

Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in the elements and performance criteria of this unit:

key legal and ethical compliance requirements and considerations as related to product development:

certification

packaging and labelling

safety

Australian standards

sustainability

ethical sourcing and supply

key stages of product development:

concept development

screening

planning

testing

producing

reviewing

key considerations in product development:

range size and options

critical path

current marketplace and market trends

target market

competitor activity

internal sources of feedback

external sources of feedback

product feasibility

waste minimisation

quality requirements

supply arrangements

freight and logistics

product and technical specifications

bill of materials

minimum order quantity

costings:

cost of materials

yield

production efficiencies

through-puts

packaging and labelling

storage requirements

technology

techniques for:

determining market receptiveness

determining product commercial viability

determining supply feasibility

determining product performance

common issues faced in product development and contingency strategies

role of, and sources of internal and external feedback in product design and development.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated in a retail environment. This can be:

an industry workplace

a simulated industry environment.

Assessment must ensure access to:

organisational direction and objectives

customer and market information on which product development can be based

current sources of information detailing legal and ethical compliance requirements as related to product development

templates for product development brief.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations' requirements for assessors, and:

have worked in the retail industry for at least three years where they have applied the skills and knowledge within this unit of competency.


Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria, are listed here, along with a brief context statement.

SKILLS

DESCRIPTION

Numeracy skills to:

calculate complex costing of product development, material and supplier sourcing.

Technology skills to:

access, document and communicate information using digital technologies and systems.


Sectors

Retail


Competency Field

Merchandise Management