When in the Development Process to Use a CAG
Let’s say you’ve built your Customer Advocacy Group.
You’ve invited the right people — experienced users, a fleet manager or two, and someone who prefers your competitor’s machine (and isn’t shy about it).
You’ve planned a strong kickoff session, maybe even brought them together in person for a deep dive into how they actually use your equipment in the field.
Now what?
At iron echos, we’ve seen a common misstep: teams treat their CAG as a one-and-done event — a box to check early in development. But CAGs work best when they’re integrated throughout the full product lifecycle. That doesn’t mean you meet weekly, or hand them every decision. It means you treat your CAG like a strategic partner from first sketch to first shipment — and even beyond.
In this post, we’ll show you where a CAG fits best at each stage of product development, and what types of feedback you should (and shouldn’t) expect along the way.
The Four Key Stages of Product Development
We know every brand has their own way to build a New Product Development process. We absolutely want you to do what works for your company. Nonetheless, there are a few basic parts that tend to show up in every process, and we believe the CAG can be helpful in each of them.
Concept / Ideation
Development / Design
Validation / Field Testing
Launch & Post-Release
Let’s walk through what a CAG can do for you at each stage — and what your team should be doing to get the most out of it.
1. Concept / Ideation: Listen Before You Spec
This is where the CAG earns its keep early.
You’re not ready to pitch a solution. You’re not showing concepts or features. You’re listening. You're collecting frustrations, unmet needs, and real-world stories that will eventually define the boundaries of the product.
CAG Focus:
Surface day-in-the-life pain points
Compare competitive machines and why customers chose them
Prioritize customer problems, not product features
Debrief on what’s working (and not working) in current models
Product Team Goal:
Use the CAG’s insights to build a problem definition, not a product design. The goal is clarity on what must be solved, not how.
2. Development / Design: Challenge Assumptions, Shape Features
Once you’ve defined the problem and begun designing solutions, your CAG shifts from pure listening to critical input. This is where you validate early assumptions — and invite pushback.
CAG Focus:
React to initial design directions or concepts
Help clarify what “better” actually looks like in context
Pressure-test tradeoffs: weight vs strength, speed vs smoothness
Give feedback on serviceability, ergonomics, durability, and maintenance access — things that rarely show up in CAD renderings but always show up in the field
Product Team Goal:
Turn the CAG’s feedback into measurable, testable product specifications. Use it to focus scope and avoid feature bloat. Let the group point out what’s truly critical, not just flashy.
3. Validation / Field Testing: First to Know, First to Try, First to Break
Now it’s time to build and test. This is where the CAG shifts into an early access, high-impact role.
If you’re not putting prototypes in the hands of your CAG, you’re missing the point.
These users should be the first to:
Run it in real dirt
Break it in real failure modes
Tell you what was missed — in performance, usability, and ruggedness
CAG Focus:
Identify unexpected failure points
Report what’s unclear or frustrating during actual operation
Evaluate whether the product meets the specs (and expectations)
Highlight moments where “it doesn’t feel right” — those often point to spec blind spots
Product Team Goal:
Use the CAG to catch issues before they reach the market. This is your early-warning system. Fixing a flaw in prototype is orders of magnitude cheaper than field retrofits, lost deals, or brand damage.
4. Launch & Post-Release: Close the Loop
Even after the product hits the market, your CAG still has a role. Post-launch is a great time to:
Validate how the machine is performing long-term in the wild
Catch early user confusion, reliability issues, or unintended behavior
Gather real-world success stories and lessons for the next generation
CAG Focus:
Provide feedback on product rollout (training, materials, service support)
Report post-sale satisfaction and performance
Suggest changes or enhancements for the next version
Product Team Goal:
Stay close to the field. Keep the CAG informed, involved, and invested. Don’t ghost them after launch — this is where long-term trust is built.
What Not to Do
A few quick missteps we see often:
Using the CAG too late: If the first time you show them a machine is two weeks before production, you’ve missed the point.
Guiding the CAG to say what you want to hear: The CAG needs full reign to talk through each point that is important to them. Picking the wrong members or dominating the conversation too much can waste the whole effort.
Expecting perfect consensus: CAGs are not democratic. You’re not voting. You’re gathering inputs to inform decisions.
Letting it drift: If there’s no cadence, the CAG fades into background noise. Set a schedule, even if it’s only quarterly.
A CAG Isn’t a Phase — It’s a Companion
The best product managers treat the CAG like an internal stakeholder: trusted, challenging, and ultimately aligned with success. You don’t need to run every idea by them — but when you bring them in early and often, you’ll build better products with fewer surprises.
CAGs don’t just tell you what customers want.
They help you understand why — and that’s what turns guesswork into clarity.
Want to Know Where Your CAG Fits?
At iron echos, we help equipment brands plan, structure, and manage CAGs that actually drive better product decisions. If you're wondering where to start — or how to restart a stale feedback loop — we can help.
👉 Reach out to iron echos and let’s build a feedback loop that spans the whole lifecycle — not just a single meeting.