Phase 2: Analysis & Evaluation

In the second phase of trend management, the focus is on systematically understanding and evaluating the identified trends. The goal is to filter out, from a multitude of trends, those that offer the greatest added value for the company and serve as a basis for strategic decisions. The evaluation thus creates an important basis for using resources in a targeted way and driving innovation effectively.

Essential for a successful evaluation is a clear separation from trend identification. While the first phase is about collecting, this is now about prioritizing trends based on traceable criteria. Typical criteria are the influence on the company, the time of mainstream adoption, the maturity, the strategic fit, market strategy, or also whether a trend is new or already known. It is particularly important that the evaluation criteria are closely linked with the company strategy and reflect the strategic guardrails, such as sustainability, digitalization, or market focus. This ensures that the evaluation is not only methodically clean but also strategically relevant.

A central tool in this phase is the Trendradar in the Trendmanager. It visualizes and prioritizes trends, makes evaluations transparent, and serves as a communication instrument in the company. Recommended actions such as ACT, PREPARE, or WATCH become directly visible and support further decision-making. The evaluation results should not only be documented but also actively communicated. This involves all relevant stakeholders and increases acceptance for the selected trends. Transparency in the evaluation also ensures that the decision paths remain traceable for everyone involved.

The evaluation is not a one-time act. Since trends and the company environment change constantly, a regular re-evaluation as part of trend monitoring is essential. The evaluation criteria should be regularly reviewed and, if necessary, adapted to the company strategy to ensure that the evaluation always contributes to the current goals and challenges of the company.

Recommended methods:

• Relevance assessment with the Trend Café
• Checklist for idea evaluation
• Evaluation workshops, interpretation workshops, and panel discussions
• Using best-practice examples as a comparison
• Involving experts for specialized topics

Practical tip: Reduce the number of evaluation criteria to the essentials to keep effort and benefit balanced for all participants. Use the Trendradar not only as an analysis instrument but also as a central communication tool in the company. This way, trends, evaluations, and recommended actions become visible and traceable for everyone.

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