General Description The Thermassager is a personal, hand-held massager. The Thermassager combines the unique sensations of hot, cold, and vibration in order to soothe and relax weak or sore muscles. The Thermassager is made up of two pieces. The base, which features a comfort grip handle, also contains the vibrating motor and battery compartment. The bottom of the Thermassager, the massagehead, is detached and either placed in the microwave or the freezer. It is then reattached to the base and the user massages themselves, taking advantage of the heat, cold, vibration, or any combination of the three. Background The idea for the Thermassager came from a group of students from the School of Management at Boston University. While taking the Cross-Functional Core, which consists of courses in Information Systems, Finance, Operations Management, and Marketing, the students were instructed to come up with an idea for their new product development project. After several rounds of pre-clearance, the team's professors approved the concept of a personal massager that could be heated or frozen. The team was to then develop the product as thoroughly as possible, implementing course concepts from each of the cross-functional areas that they were learning about. The project would consist of several workshops and small presentations, and the course culminates in a final presentation of the product as well as a business plan. Throughout the course of the semester, the students investigate warehouse facilities, customize specifications and features, and fully develop marketing plans, financial statements, and web strategies for the first five years of the products lifecycle. Disclaimer The Thermassager is not an actual product. Its concept has been developed by a team of students for an academic team project and educational purposes only. The Thermassager cannot be found in stores, and is not being distributed via any channels whatsoever. References The Thermassager Boston University Boston University School of Management
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