Customer needs as moving targets of product development: a review

Abstract

Product development organizations face the challenge of capturing fast-moving targets in volatile markets of the 21st century. Key driver of market turbulence is known to be the rapidly evolving need of customers, which contributes to the uncertainty of product successes. Research in dynamic customer requirements specifically aims to minimize the uncertainty. The present article frames the research by presenting and discussing the implications, investigations, and the range of proposed solutions that in various ways approach the issue. The dynamism of requirements has been known to bear different forms of impact on functions of product development organizations. To date, investigations have validated the importance of the subject and have also shed light on the multi-faceted characteristics of the dynamic information. Three distinct categories of solutions that proponents have proposed to address the issue are respectively reviewed. On the basis of the review, recommendations for researchers and practitioners are made.