RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Every organization exists to satisfy the needs of customers through the provision of products that are perceived to match the specific and unique needs of different customers. Producing products just to participate in the market is the same as firing bullets aimlessly to scare the enemy away, rather than targeting it. Many companies, if not all, have realized the importance of seeking customers' feelings about their products, their needs and also their expectations. Walking on the streets, you are most likely to find some company agents with questionnaires, trying to gather as much information as possible about what their customers think about their products. Some companies go that extra mile to mail questionnaires through post offices and also electronically through the internet, just to seek what customers want before producing products into the market. Companies are pitching tents and setting tables in different institutions to gather information. Research should be given the first priority in organizations since it explores important facts and new trends in customers' changing behavior, including their tastes, preferences and buying patterns. Companies should maximize their utilization of every customer touch point, in that they should be able to obtain and store information every time a customer comes into contact with the organization, whether via the phone, mail, face to face or through the internet.  Before development of any product, a thorough and extensive research should be undertaken.