OvertureFor global corporations, achieving a differential advantage in terms of product design means to develop a product based on the best interpretation of specific distinctive characteristics. For this purpose, information must be collected in continuum from the market, referred to customers and competitors, to understand the targets and to predict the future actions, even monitoring the threat of new competitors and any eventual replacement products, i.e. products that meet specific consumer needs in a different way or at a lower cost (Brondoni 2014;Lambin, Brondoni 2001).In particular, global markets express a new vision of corporate researches, consistent with the information needs of complex organisations (generally networkbased) working with several decision-making points (characterised by high-level of autonomy and responsibility) and with very brief action-reaction times (Koo, Cooper 2011;Brondoni, 2010).