Analysis and Redesign Report

Analysis and Redesign Report

About the Product

A microwave oven is an electric device that uses electromagnetic waves to cook and heat food. One of the first things that one goes for when considering which microwave oven to purchase is the kitchen space available. A furnace should occupy a small countertop space in the kitchen. Daewoo makes of microwaves are very reliable in terms of space as they are small and also pocket friendly. The KOR 7LRE model net measurements are width 17.6 by height 10.6 by depth12.7 inches, thus making it portable enough for a little kitchen setup (Benford, Swegle & Schamiloglu 2015). The retro finish in this model makes it unique and stylish. The reason why the paper is about this specific microwave oven is that its control panel is complicated; hence most users find it hard to operate.

Stakeholders Research

A stakeholder is an individual who contributes to the establishment of a program, device, or business. There can either be direct or indirect stakeholders. A stakeholder’s research will enable an organization to know who its target customers are, get feedback from them, and finally rectify any mistakes to ensure customer satisfaction (Ackermann & Eden 2011).

Direct Stakeholders

According to this context, direct stakeholders are the people who directly use the microwave; that is, the customers. Customers are essential as they ensure that the manufacturing company stays in business by purchasing the device. Seeing that this device is long-lasting and may take time before it is replacing, there is needed to ensure customer satisfaction at the first sale. Thus they help the company maintain or improve on quality to ensure customer satisfaction. The customers must achieve value for their money through quality products.

Customers: Some of the customers for this microwave model are college students and office personnel. These two groups have busy schedules in their daily life and end up feeling tired at the end of the day. The Daewoo microwave comes in handy as they can easily prepare a meal to eat within a short time.

Research method: The most suitable methods are observation and interviews.

Research procedure: For the college students, the interview was the best, while for the office workers, the observation was a suitable method. For meetings, a selected number of students from various colleges were given questionnaires to fill, after which the results were gathered and interpreted. For the office observation, the research team set camp in various cafeteria offices to observe which device they preferred to use.

Results: At the office, most workers preferred to use the Daewoo microwave ovens from other brands. However, the results from the students showed the opposite results. Most students gave bad reviews

Conclusion: Most students complained that the device control panel had complications when it comes to setting a cooking time. The manual was difficult to understand; thus, operating the device became difficult. This caused the dissatisfaction of their needs.

Indirect Stakeholders

These are the customers who do not use the device directly but are affected by its existence. According to this context, the government and licensing boards are some of the indirect stakeholders.

Reason: Since the manufacture of Daewoo microwaves is a business, the rules and regulations that govern the existence of the company are made and protected by the government. Whereas, the licensing boards are in charge of inspecting the manufactured goods to ensure they are safe for use by customers

Research methods: The most suitable ways to reach these stakeholders is through online discussions

Research procedure:  to gather information online, emails were drafted to the two groups. This method was selected since it was the best official means of communication with the groups. It was less time consuming and cheap.

Results: The government showed their satisfaction with the microwave business stating that all set rules and regulations were followed. For example, taxes were paid on time and in full

Conclusion: The licensing board showed their dissatisfaction with the product stating that it was unsafe for use as it emitted some toxic waves that would end up in food. Also, there was a need to change the product used to manufacture as it was toxic to the environment when disposed of. These characteristics interfered with their goals and values.

Design Critique

The KOR-7LRE model interface has a single screen that allows the user to see as they set time to cook or heat food. However, according to the direct stakeholder’s reviews, the students claimed that the numbers appearing on the screen were not visible. The clarity invisibility is essential as it helps the user to know what to expect in terms of waiting time. However, it is clear to note that this device is easier to use for grown-ups. This is according to the research observation at the office setup. The office workers would only spend a few minutes to warm their snacks during their break hours. This information shows that the accessibility of the design is dependent on the ability level of the user. For the indirect stakeholders, the goals of licensing boards are interfered with, seeing that the device emits toxic microwaves that pose potential health problems.

Significant Problems

Visibility: Faded signs on electronic devices pose a significant threat to the health of consumers. For example, a student may want to heat a snack for two minutes and unknowingly press random buttons, setting the time to five minutes. The food ends up overheating and may ultimately lose its nutritional value, producing toxic substances that may be hazardous when consumed. All this is contributed by the digital buttons erected on this microwave model. The buttons tend to lose their power a short time after prolonged use.

Pic 1. An example of a faded microwave display

Pollution: environmental pollution occurs when waste is disposed of casually. Biodegradable waste, however, is useful to the environment; the manner of disposal is crucial. Plastics are considered toxic as they do not decompose, and when burnt, they emit harmful gases (Zheng, Yanful & Bassi 2005). This is the case when it comes to disposal of the Daewoo K7LRE microwave. The outer casing is plastic; hence the destruction means it is difficult.

Redesign Proposal

Problem 1- Visibility

One of the assumptions made is that the display readings on every microwave purchased would fade or fail to light after a few weeks of use. Also, it was assumed that the device would lose the sense of touch after some time. A more detailed display is required to counter this problem (Yoon, 2006). This will help the user, no matter the level of intelligence, to safely and comfortably use the microwave for an extended period. An example of such a display is shown in the picture below. The screen contains buttons that are well labeled and, at the same time, still lighting so that in case the lights fail, the device can even be used.

Pic 2. An example of a button and light microwave display

Problem 2- Pollution

The best way to dispose of plastic is through recycling. Recycling means that the waste plastic undergoes specific procedures to mold it into other plastic forms that may be helpful elsewhere. For example, the useless microwave top casing can be sold to water bottle making companies, who would mold them to suit their needs. This way, the indirect stakeholders can meet their goals and objectives of protecting human health and the environment.

References

Ackermann, F., & Eden, C. (2011). Strategic management of stakeholders: Theory and practice. Long-range planning, 44(3), 179-196.

Benford, J., Swegle, J. A., & Schamiloglu, E. (2015). High power microwaves. CRC press.

Yoon, G. (2006). U.S. Patent Application No. 29/229,768.

Zheng, Y., Yanful, E. K., & Bassi, A. S. (2005). A review of plastic waste biodegradation. Critical reviews in biotechnology, 25(4), 243-250.

Appendix

Interview Questionnaire

1. How efficient is the microwave?
2. Is the device heavy to move around the hostel?

• How do you find the display design?

1. Would you still choose the Daewoo microwave over other brands?
2. Rate the service of the device

Fifty students were engaged in the exercise. The Students were to rate on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the least score. An average of the results was done and tallied

Survey Results

Students find efficiency on average. Therefore, most of them would prefer other brands. However, the device is small and portable enough hence preferred by many.

More information about the Product

The microwave oven uses a 0.7 capacity unit with 700 watts output.

It has a packing weight of 24.7 lbs.