A core activity for planning that is vital to product success is collaborative roadmapping, an essential but missing component of Product Lifecycle Management that allows a company to map their long-term product, market and R&D requirements over time, ensuring that the products they develop meet their business expectations.

This straightforward directive lies at the heart of all successful consumer products businesses, but many companies mistakenly take it to mean paying attention solely to existing consumers. Indeed, for any consumer products company that seeks to continually expand into new markets — an absolute must in today’s global commercial environment — the real trick is to develop effective ways to listen to potential consumers. This requires a lot of pains­taking, on-the-ground spadework. But whether a company makes automobiles, laundry detergent, or (as my own company, Gruma, does) flatbread, listening to potential consumers is an essential task. And it’s particularly important for those who seek to adapt their product to a foreign market.