Variant – what an unpleasant word nowadays! With a worry, we read news about new variants of covid-19 and its possible causes, influences, or vaccine responses.
Variants have always been in nature, that’s normal. Imagine all kinds of different species and varieties. Thinking of humans, we all are some sort of individual variants (maybe excluding identical twins). Our genes have travelled a long way from variant to another, and today we differ from each other. That’s the reason why we look different, why we have different features, tastes, feelings, thoughts − everything.
We are used to using products, commodities, to wear or consume in our everyday life. Our needs are based on many different things, e.g. our basic individual needs, penchants, or environmental statement. What if we wouldn’t have the possibility to choose different variants? Uh.
Therefore, companies offer consumers product and service variants, and the reasons are very simple: with product variants, they can cover larger customer segments and are still able to handle deliveries effectively. Clothes, cars, bicycles, foods, drinks, houses − almost everything you can think of has variants. When you go to the store next time, you can’t count the numbers of variants of milks, yogurts, coffees, shampoos, jeans. As a consumer you can typically buy produced variants, and sometimes you can even configure your own variant on the go for dinner or select features for your car or bike or hairdresser service.
Companies have similar needs for unique products or services with their goods, machines, equipment, systems, or solutions. This is different from consumer business, as these products are usually not manufactured to shelves, but are typically only based on order. But before the order, these products or services need to be offered to potential customers with their unique needs. And fast. The first who offers probably wins the deal. Then the winner should be able to produce and deliver the products or services effectively without surprises − and hopefully even offer services for the whole product lifetime or renew the deal someday.
As we understand the nature of variants and individual needs, Variantum has developed a solution for you to be the most effective with your variant-offering. Regardless of your product or solution, our VariSuite-software can respond to any variant requirements. You only need to understand your potential customer or market needs, and we will help you to manage your offering in design, sales, manufacturing, and in service the most effective way enabling the organization to speak the same product language.
Variants are the only way to evolve. Otherwise, we would be still in algae wondering where to get the next nutrition variant.
By Teemu Kaattari, a unique variant with unique skills working at Variantum as a Head of Products.