Over the past ten years, the average cost of introducing a new product has quadrupled. For all the effort and expense, the vast majority of new product ideas are not successful. The Wisconsin Innovation Service Center assists clients in improving their chances for success. By providing preliminary technical and market assessments of new product ideas, WISC helps clients make more informed product and market development decisions.

WISC's unique competence lies in access to a network, built over the years, of technical and specialized consultants with a variety of expertise, as well as maintenance of an in-house staff capable of performing quality market analyses. Since 1980, WISC has served over 6,000 clients from across the United States and several foreign countries. We have served as a model for new product review programs on an international scale.

WlSC enjoys a very high rate of client satisfaction and is very proud of the fact that most clients are referred by former clients and professionals.

WISC'S PURPOSE
New products and technologies are not only the lifeblood of small, growing companies, they also fuel economic progress and contribute to a higher standard of living for all. In spite of the fact that most major technological advancements of the last century are attributed to small companies and inventors, these groups face disproportionate obstacles relative to large companies on the road to commercialization.

Our assistance can help pave this road. According to a recent study, when small companies enter into research and other interactive relationships with universities, they are able to leverage this activity more cost-effectively than large companies. WISCs work with clients helps them make better development decisions and encourages further investment in ideas that appear to offer commercial promise. Some product ideas, however, may involve an unacceptable level of risk and may not warrant further development. WISCs role is not to make decisions for clients, only to assist them in making more informed choices.

FEATURES OF A WISC RESEARCH REPORT
WISC reports assess four major areas: technical feasibility, competitive situation, estimate of need, and current trends that may impact demand.

WISC's Expert Network is international in scope and constantly expanded as needed to address the needs of our clients.

Technical Feasibility
Technical feasibility addresses the issue of whether a product is likely to work as intended. WISC has developed an Expert Network of nearly 600 experienced consultants.

Expert Network members include representatives from universities, federal labs, technical colleges, and the private sector. University expertise ranges from general engineering capabilities to glaucoma diagnosis, dentistry, and computer systems management, to note only a few. Federal experts from the Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard and NASA are available. Technical colleges provide expertise in construction trades, fire science and auto mechanics. Private consultants have been accessed from Miller Brewing, Harley-Davidson, CocaCola, UPS, and many other large and small companies. (In some cases, technical feasibility is obvious, so our reports focus on the areas described below)

Level of Competition
A crucial element of a new product review is a thorough assessment of the competition. Whether targeted to industrial or consumer markets, all new products are judged by customers relative to existing products. In other words, it is impossible to create a "unique product position" in the minds of potential customers without a clear understanding of what is currently available. A professional market research manager, with support from upperclass and graduate business students, directs extensive information searches, including preliminary patent searches, phone contacts, to assess competitive activity in the product or service area. WISC investigates product features, prices, and distributors of related products to assess whether the client's product appears to offer competitive advantages.

WISC reviews both patented and unpatented ideas. As noted, WISC performs a preliminary patent search as part of its competitive analysis, but it does not offer opinions on potential patentability or infringement issues in regard to the submitted idea. The patent search is performed as part of WISC's effort to assess other company or individual activity, which is important whether or not the client has an issued patent.

Estimate of Need
In many cases, new products are designed to solve problems. Part of WISC's assessment includes investigation into how widespread the problem addressed may be. Again, interactions with technical or industry contacts, market studies, and other resources are used to make an assessment.

Current Trends
A variety of trends can impact demand for a product or service. For example, are pending environmental or safety regulations creating opportunities for alternative technologies? Is the overall market growing or shrinking? Who is the typical user? What are the projections for that demographic group or company type? The overall health of an industry has critical implications for product development. WISC relies on a wide variety of business and industry resources and databases, as well as trade association reports, for summaries of trend information.

WISC IN BRIEF

After the Evaluation... What Next?
WISC is committed to helping our clients succeed. Although our focus is on the research described earlier, we are pleased to provide additional guidance on development alternatives to clients with promising ideas as part of our basic assessment. More in-depth research services, as noted below, are also available.

Confidentiality/Patent Protection
All individuals involved with WISC have signed a nondisclosure agreement; that is, they have signed a contract stipulating that they will not disclose information about submitted projects or inventions to any person outside of the Center. More importantly, we have an outstanding reputation in this area.

Although WISC performs preliminary patent searches, we do not directly assist in obtaining patent protection. A patent is not necessary prior to use of our service, nor does submission of the idea to WISC constitute a public disclosure as defined by patent law. A WISC review is strongly recommended prior to investing in patent protection.

Evaluation Fee
WISC charges a $895 flat fee for the new product assessment report described, which includes the book Marketing Ingenuity and Invention and project planning guidance. This fee is partially subsidized by federal and state grants. Other research products offered by WISC include Licensing Partner Searches (available after new product assessments), Potential and Current Distributor Surveys, Competitive Intelligence Insights, and Customer Satisfaction Assessments. (Fees for these products vary. Please contact WISC for more information.)

Types of Products Evaluated
With its broad network of consultants and resources, WISC can research nearly all types of new products and services, from biotechnological breakthroughs and software innovations to games and sporting goods accessories. However, if a decision is made not to review a particular idea, materials and fee are promptly returned.

Turnaround Time
Most reports are completed within 30 to 45 days; faster turnaround is available in some instances. Products submitted from very specialized fields may require more time to locate qualified technical evaluators, if not already represented on the Expert Network. If reviewers are not found within a reasonable length of time, the fee will be refunded or the search continued at the client's option.

Types of Clients
WISC primarily assists existing manufacturers and technology-based businesses, but also works with many start-ups and independent inventors. WISC serves clients from across the U.S. as well as several foreign countries.

Other Evaluation Services
Many research and evaluation services have been created at both public and private organizations. Since WISC has a high level of credibility with professionals and past clients and has existed for many years, it has served as a model for new product review programs on an international scale, while constantly evolving to better meet the needs of clients.

Many reputable public and private research organizations exist, and we encourage "second opinions." However, please also be aware that some businesses claim to offer evaluations to clients at extremely high fees, with promises of also marketing the product; some businesses provide these services in good faith, and others do not. Many inventor groups maintain lists of "suspicious" companies, and information can also sometimes be obtained at state offices of consumer protection or the Federal Trade Commission.