Ground Level
“The people closest to the work usually know the problems best.”
Executive Overview
The best innovations rarely begin in a conference room. They begin on jobsites. At dealer counters. During customer service calls. In contractor conversations. Inside warranty claims. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to learn. Every challenge represents an opportunity to innovate. The purpose of Ground Level is to create a disciplined process for understanding our customers before product development begins.
Innovation should always begin with insight.
2.1 — The Voice of the Customer
The Voice of the Customer Program is a standing Evermark initiative, not a one-time exercise. Monthly interview targets:
That's 20 conversations a month — 240 a year — 1,200 over five years. Innovation informed not by guessing, but by what customers actually told us.
The Interview Framework
- 1.What takes longer than it should?
- 2.What frustrates you the most?
- 3.If you could wave a magic wand, what would you change?
- 4.What product saves you the most time today? Why?
- 5.What do manufacturers simply not understand?
(Question five alone is gold.)
2.2 — Customer Journey Maps
We stop looking at products. We start looking at experiences.
Architect → Builder → Dealer → Installer → Inspector → Homeowner
Where does Evermark influence each stage? Where are the pain points, delays, mistakes, callbacks?
Pinterest → Instagram → Google → Home Depot → Purchase → Installation → Finished Staircase → Review
Notice: an entirely different journey. Entirely different messaging.
2.3 — Customer Personas
Inventory turns, margins, easy explanations, fewer returns.
Less labor, fewer mistakes, less measuring, faster installs, reliable products.
Satisfied homeowner, no callbacks, reliable schedules, consistent quality.
Beautiful staircase, easy project, confidence, value.
No ages. No income. Nobody cares — motivation is what matters.
2.4 — The Opportunity Matrix
A 2×2, plotted for every candidate idea. Vertical axis: Customer Pain (Low → High). Horizontal axis: Ease of Solving (Low → High).
| Quadrant | Read | Action |
|---|---|---|
| High pain / Easy to solve | Obvious win | Build it now |
| High pain / Hard to solve | Worth the investment | Plan and resource it |
| Low pain / Easy to solve | Nice to have | Only if cheap |
| Low pain / Hard to solve | Distraction | Decline |
2.5 — The Opportunity Brief
Every product starts here. Not with CAD drawings. With customer insight.
- What problem exists?
- Who experiences it?
- How often?
- What does it cost them?
- How is it solved today?
- Revenue opportunity?
- Competitive landscape?
- Why Evermark?
- Success metrics?
- Go / No-Go recommendation
2.6 — The Customer Insight Score
Every opportunity receives a weighted score. Anything over 85: move forward.
| Category | Weight |
|---|---|
| Customer Pain | 25 |
| Market Size | 20 |
| Revenue Opportunity | 15 |
| Ease of Adoption | 15 |
| Competitive Advantage | 15 |
| Brand Alignment | 10 |
This quietly redefines what Marketing does. Most manufacturing marketing teams wait for Engineering to finish a product, then make brochures. This framework says: Marketing starts before Engineering. Marketing discovers. Marketing validates. Marketing prioritizes. Marketing becomes the Voice of the Customer.
Strategic note: Evermark doesn't have much direct contact with installers today, because primary customers are distributors and lumber dealers. That's not a weakness — it's an opportunity. The Voice of the Customer program is Evermark's deliberate effort to shorten the distance between the manufacturer and the people using the products every day.
Questions, not action items.
- What customer problem are we solving?
- How do we know this problem actually exists?
- How frequently does it occur?
- What evidence supports our assumptions?
- Have we observed this problem firsthand?
- Would customers pay to solve it?
- Does solving this problem strengthen the Evermark brand?
- If we don't solve this problem, who will?