Product Testing and Competitive Advantage Assessment
Module 4 • 10 Questions
Question 1 of 10
0 of 10 answered
A new medical scanner is at 95% functionality and the firm is debating whether to do beta testing or jump to full launch to save time. Apple's PowerBook with faulty drives is offered as a cautionary example. What is the correct decision, and why?
A
Skip beta to capture first-mover advantage; medical scanners are heavily regulated, so faults will be caught later.
B
Conduct beta testing with selected external customer sites at this 90%+ stage, AND ideally proceed to gamma testing for the fully complete product with end users without time constraints. Apple's PowerBook launch with faulty drives illustrates the danger of skipping gamma testing. Medical equipment is one of the industries (alongside drugs and automotive) where gamma testing is essential.
C
Use only alpha testing because beta is too slow.
D
Conduct paired comparison testing instead of beta or gamma.