case study nanotech, inc., designs and manufactures automotive components.
for years, the company enjoyed a stable marketplace, a small but loyal group of customers, and a relatively predictable environment. though slowly, annual sales continued to grow until recently hitting $300 million. nanotech products were popular because they required little major updating or yearly redesign. the stability of its market, coupled with the consistency of its product, allowed nanotech to forecast annual demand accurately, to rely on production runs with long lead times, and to concentrate on internal efficiency. then, with the advent of the north american free trade agreement (nafta) and other international trade agreements, nanotech found itself competing with auto parts suppliers headquartered in countries around the world. the company was thrust into an unfamiliar position: it had to become customer-focused and quicker to market with innovative products. facing these tremendous commercial challenges, top management at nanotech decided to recreate the company as a projectized organization. the transition, though not smooth, has nonetheless paid big dividends. top managers determined, for instance, that product updates had to be much more frequent. achieving this goal meant yearly redesigns and new technologies, which, in turn, meant making innovative changes in the firm's operations. in order to make these adjustments, special project teams were formed around each of the company's product lines and given a mandate to maintain market competitiveness. at the same time, however, nanotech wanted to maintain its internal operating efficiencies. thus, all project teams were given strict cost and schedule guidelines for new product introductions. finally, the company created a sophisticated research and development team, which is responsible for locating likely new avenues for technological change 5 to 10 years down the road. today, nanotech operates project teams not only for managing current product lines but also for seeking longer-term p -Given the market demand NanoTech has experienced before the company found itself competing around the world, which quantitative market analysis method is more appropriate and why?