Do you talk "directly" to your customers before you begin new product development. More importantly, do you really listen to them? If you do, you're bound to see profits increase.

That's what I learned when I read  New Product Blueprinting: The Handbook for B2B Organic Growth by Dan Adams. It's a book that you'll want to read so that you can be sure that your product development processes aren't mired in old-fashioned methods.

In addition to thoroughly explaining the benefits of directly involving your customers in your product development processes, Dan even provides 7 steps you can begin using right away. I also really liked Chapter 8 on using customer interviews for a competitive edge. For me, reading Dan's book was time well spent for me, and I'm sure it will be for you too.

Many of you have participated in the BeyeNETWORK Vision Award for Business Impact in the past. We've ust announced the 2010 Vision Award call for submissions. We're looking for examples of real-world software implementations that provide measurable business value. Please send in your success stories on the adoption and usage of solutions that go beyond traditional expectations to optimize the business or enhance better decision making

You can download the forms here. I am looking forward to reading about the innovative, profitable and savvy solutions that I know are out there and then sharing the winning entries with our global audience.

Interested in improved customer care, faster reaction to business events and increased operational efficiencies? If you are, you know that those are some of the many benefits of operational BI.

Claudia Imhoff is the speaker for an upcoming BeyeNETWORK web seminar, and she'll describe how to develop successful operational BI solutions. The event is on April 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Be sure to register today!

I was recently briefed on TIBCO Spotfire 3.1, the latest version of their in-memory analytics platform. What I found very interesting is that this new version makes it easy for anyone in the enterprise - it doesn't matter if they're a business, technical or scientific user - to analyze complex data.

Here's an example that I'm sure marketing managers will find especially useful. A user can highlight a series of points on a graph and press a button to project it into the future. Just like that -- with the press of a button! The manager doesn't have to make a decision based on "gut instinct." The product will extrapolate how the points on the graph are related.

And the new version has improved exploration and data analysis features using hierarchical clusters and heat maps. There are even drag-and-drop user functions to do what-if analyses. You can get more details on this new version by reading the company's press release.

It's great to see TIBCO Spotfire step up to the plate and hit a home run!

Here's your chance to have your voice heard and then to receive a copy of this important research on business performance management.

Did you know that reports consistently show that business performance management (BPM) ranks in the top three as a priority in business intelligence (BI), along with data warehousing and data quality. Yet, according to a Gartner study, through 2011 at least 50% of companies implementing BPM systems will fail to improve performance management processes across the organization. The BeyeNETWORK and DecisionPath Consulting are conducting research on the power that the combination performance management and business intelligence can provide, and your input will help the report authors understand current adoption and usage of these technologies.

Qualified survey respondents will get a copy of the research report and a $5 Amazon gift card in appreciation for your time and input. Please click here to take the survey.