Abstract
The success rate of new strategies, products and services can only be increased by a consequent (pre-) orientation to the future markets and respectively the stakeholder’s and the customer’s benefit. This paper presents a methodology which helps predicting new market trends and identifying systematically the customer needs and shows how to define on this basis a consistent vision and strategy for the company (from the high-level targets to the lower-level strategies). The approach is based on the combination of different methodologies like the Delphi techniques and the Axiomatic Design aims to the systematic identification of share-/stakeholders and customer’s benefits and requirements. The Axiomatic Design is the cornerstone of the proposed methodology and is applied in different stages of the approach: first, to set up specific surveying / interviewing guidelines (that integrate the Delphi applications), and second to drill down the different strategic options and to set up new strategies and product or service concepts with the highest probability of success. An example taken from the durable goods industry helps to illustrate the successful application of this approach (case study).