Product Spotlight - Know your customer

Making sure your designs meet user needs is critical to a product's success. Taking time in the beginning of the design process to understand those needs will pay off in the long run.

Fluke Corp.'s (Everett, WA) success in bringing hand-held test equipment and other devices to market is a good example of comprehending customers' needs. Rosemary Baisch, product line manager for digital multimeters, notes several tools that Fluke uses to zero in on what customers want and need. These include: focus groups to discuss product likes and dislikes; surveys that solicit customer input on desired features; the gathering of trade show attendees' hands-on opinions about the products on display; and site visits to customer workplaces to observe how equipment is actually used. To generate even broader user input, the company continuously runs a survey on its website (www.fluke.com). Visitors who respond are entered in a drawing for a free digital multimeter.

Baisch says that one industry trend Fluke is seeing is an increasing need for electronics measurements. "Users are demanding higher reliability, and ease of maintenance," she notes, "along with premium features at lower prices." They also want a simple user interface and good ergonomic features, such as a hand-held "feel," probe holders, tilt stands, and straps for "hanging" the meters in view in tight spaces.

One of the company's latest products that bears out this research is its 170 Series digital multimeters. These instruments have a true-rms engine, 0.09% accuracy (on the 177 and 179 Models) with 6,000 counts of resolution, and a backlit display. A Min/Max/Ave mode enhances troubleshooting. The Model 179 (see photo) also measures temperature via thermocouple leads plugged into front panel sockets. Fluke has priced these meters from $169 to $209, within high-end consumer market range.

Other features include probe holders integrated into the polyurethane overmolding, which in turn is bonded to a polycarbonate alloy case for shock load dispersion. And for safety, all inputs are designed to withstand an impulse voltage in excess of 8 kV, complying with CAT IV 600V requirements.

Additional Details...Contact Fluke Corp., Box 9090, Everett, WA 98206-9090; Tel: (888) 492-7550; FAX: (425) 446-5116; www.fluke.com .