Problem: Product characteristics include the features of a product that influence customer demand for the product. Is the product new and developing quickly like many electronic products or is the product mature and changing slowly or not at all, as is the case with many commodity products? Forecasts for mature products can cover longer timeframes than forecasts for products that are developing quickly. It is also important to know whether a product will steal demand away from another product. Can it be substituted for another product? Or will the use of one product drive the complementary use of a related product? Products that either compete with or complement each other should be forecasted together.
Hugos, Michael H.. Essentials of Supply Chain Management (Essentials Series) (pp. 45-46). Wiley. Kindle Edition.