Field testing is a critical step in La Marzocco’s product development. It involves engineers, designers, global technicians, coffee shop owners, and baristas.
To minimize risk, we make sure our products are tested and retested before their launch. It’s an essential process used to find eventual glitches in our prototypes.
Our conversation with the professional coffee community helps us gather ideas from expert baristas, opinion leaders, and espresso machine technicians. Collecting data of additional elements enables us to improve the quality of what we are offering, ultimately striving to make a product (or feature) that is in demand and still lacking to baristas.
Usually, there are 4 rounds of in-field testing.
The first stage is executed by our R&D department. They collaborate with our global branch colleagues. This stage begins about 9 months before product launch. Testers follow a strict testing protocol. Their feedback is carefully recorded. This takes 1-2 months since this is the initial phase- most of the glitches and back and forth happen here.
The second stage is executed by carefully selected external opinion leaders and customers. They also follow the same protocol and of course need to sign a non-disclosure agreement. The process starts around 6 months before the launch and takes about 1-2 months.
The third stage involves the “release” of the second round of prototypes to all testers. With all modifications taken from feedback received in the initial stages. This starts about 3 months before launch and takes about a month to complete.
Now we finally arrive at the final stage, “test wrap-up & validation” and product release!
