“Our Average Customer requirements exactly match our average product, but surveys say everyone is unhappy. Why is that?” Well, if the average foot and the average shoe is a size 9, does that mean we can all randomly trade and then comfortably walk a mile?
The “average” customer and product does not exist. In reality there are only individuals, and all pertinent facts about the most homogeneous group of individuals cannot be summarized by a single statistic.
Furthermore, the validity of the most complete analysis rests upon the integrity of measurement. Measurement is a process of observation and systematic comparison to a standard. If the measurement process is flawed, then the statistical summary is invalidated and has zero standing as proof or evidence.
Finally, although measurement and analysis may surprise us with unexpected results, they should never explicitly contradict what one can observe.
