Early Access Testing Program

Roost products are very carefully designed and our standards are high.  Our product development process is methodical, and sometimes a bit slow.  However, we feel the value of our process is evident in our products, and well worth the wait.

We are often in a position where customers are asking to purchase products that are still in development.  Though we want to remain methodical in the release process, we often invite customers to take part in the testing process by offering conditional, early access.

Roost’s Product Design Overview:

  1. Concept
  2. Prototype
  3. Offered as shop only Installation
  4. Refinement & revision for DIY
  5. Alpha Release
  6. Feedback and Revision
  7. Beta Release
  8. Feedback and Revision
  9. Full Release

Pre-Alpha:

From Concept to Alpha, our design team and professional installers have been working together to first develop a product that meets our standards of quality, efficiency, and elegance.  Initially our only focus is doing quality installation work on the vans in our shop.  However, at some point in this process it is determined that a product will be practical to ship and offer to DIY customers (not all products are).  It is at this stage that our team starts to focus on much more.  We begin to revise the product with additional concerns in mind, to meet the requirements of an online product to be shipped to DIY customers across the country.  Additional considerations include:

  • Packaging that will ensure safe shipping.
  • Dimension and weight concerns in relation to shipping costs.
  • Ease of use from a DIY perspective.
  • Assembly documentation and support
  • Hardware packing lists and quality control
  • Tools required to complete the work.
  • Consistent sourcing of parts, and standardization of hardware.
  • Mass production capabilities, and ability to consistently meet lead time standards.

Alpha Release:

Alpha Testers will be the very first DIY customers to get their hands on a new product.  Prior to alpha release, our professional installers have been assembling and installing the product for some time.  However, our installers are just that… professional installers.  In this case, being a professional is actually an impediment.  Things that might be obvious to our staff, may not be as evident to a DIY customer working with the product for the first time.   At this point, we benefit greatly from a “fresh eye” on the installation process.

When we look for Alpha testers, we are looking for DIY customers who will notice small challenges (such as hole pattern tolerances, dimensions, install challenges), but also have the patience and ability to address them to complete a quality installation.  At this stage the installation documentation will likely be in its infancy, and we need our Alpha testers to have reasonable experience with common assembly procedures (particularly for cabinetry).

Beta Release:

When we reach the Beta Release phase, we hope that most potential bugs with the product itself have been worked out, and generally expect a problem free installation. However, we are typically still working on supporting documentation, and we still want everyone receiving the product to be prepared to address issues if they do arise.  This is also when a lot of fine tuning is done, particularly in the assembly instructions, packing lists, etc…   Feedback is very important at this phase, as we want to be confident in a very positive user experience prior to full product release.

Early Access Agreement:

BEFORE YOU COMPLETE THE CHECK OUT PROCESS of a product in ANY pre-production testing phase, please be sure that you have read ALL of the following, meet all of the requirements, and agree to the expectations for a program participant.

Tester Requirements

  • Basic problem solving and technical communication skills.
  • Ability to cut and/or drill mild steel up to 1/8” thick.
  • Ability to cleanly cut and/or re-finish ends of up to ¾” bamboo 3-ply.
  • Willingness to locally source incidentals (hardware, brackets, etc..) to overcome any difficulties encountered.

Tester Expectations

  • Contact us immediately if you experience any problems, provide pictures, etc..
  • Make minor adjustments (cuts, re-drilling holes, sanding, filing, procure additional hardware, etc..) to address minor difficulties with the installation process.
  • Provide direct feedback to us about your installation process and provide any information that will help us improve the design for the DIY customer experience.
  • Due to the fact that we are waiting for confirmation and feedback from customers before moving to the next round of Beta and/or full release, we ask that our testers commit to performing the installation within a week or two of delivery so that we can collect your feedback prior to the next phase release.
  • We always appreciate pictures of in progress and completed work.

Tester Benefits:

  • Early Access to products
  • Though final retail price of a product is not determined until the time of full release, typically we set our pre-release pricing 5-10% lower than what we anticipate will be the full release price
  • Should you experience any difficulty with the installation process, we will offer up to 60-90 minutes of technical support (by phone and/or screen share) to assist with problem solving.