Improving the Future Trends Forecasting Process of the Upholstery Fabrics' market

Abstract

Forecasting the demand for new products is becoming more and more difficult in many markets. A new approach to reduce the risk of the failure of new products based on the idea to integrate customers emotionally into the product design process (customer co-creation). The aim of this research is to build an innovative business model with the helping of the textiles CAD/CAM systems and the superior facilities of the e-marketing solutions, to help the upholstery designers to build their own customers perspective products in order to reduce the risk of the traditional trend forecasting uncertainty, by producing exactly what customers are really want. This process starts with an open call on to a community of hobbyists and interested customers to hand in a new product concept. Feedbacks of the hobbyists and customers have produced as a simulated fabric and 3D presentation models by the aid of the textiles CAD/CAM systems (computer aided design/ computer aided manufacturing) in order to be inspired in the web page, the internet opinion polls. If the numbers of the interested customers beat the minimum threshold, or the actual orders for the new product is quite enough, then the product are to be produced. This paper demonstrates this process with a case study of Homefashion-fabrics.com, a company in the upholstery market from Egypt. This new business model offers a dependable model of trend forecasting to help the upholstery fabrics's marketers decission makers', to access their customer's preferences efficiently.