NovaDesk is a mid-market B2B SaaS company that sells customer support software to e-commerce brands. The company has $85M ARR, is growing 18% year over year, and serves 4,200 customers across North America and Europe. NovaDesk has historically competed on ease of use and fast implementation, but the market is shifting quickly as AI agents, workflow automation, and omnichannel support tools reshape buyer expectations.
The CEO has asked the Strategy team to design a repeatable approach for staying ahead of emerging technologies and market trends. The immediate decision is whether NovaDesk should invest in a formal “technology and trend intelligence” capability over the next 12 months, and if so, what scope and operating model it should use. The concern is practical: the company has already missed two meaningful shifts—AI-assisted ticket summarization and WhatsApp support integration—allowing competitors to win deals in segments NovaDesk once led.
Management wants a recommendation that goes beyond personal habits or generic industry reading. The answer should define how NovaDesk can systematically detect relevant trends early, assess commercial impact, and translate insights into product and go-to-market decisions.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Current ARR | $85M |
| YoY growth | 18% |
| Gross margin | 78% |
| Annual R&D budget | $19M |
| Enterprise win rate vs top 3 competitors | 31% |
Additional market signals:
You are the Head of Strategy at NovaDesk. Prepare a recommendation for the executive team.