Leveraged high-variety strategies: From portfolio thinking to platform thinking |
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Authors: | Mohanbir S Sawhney |
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Institution: | (1) Northwestern University, Chicago, USA |
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Abstract: | Summary Barbara Kahn correctly points out the importance of creating dynamic relationships with customers and adopting high-variety
strategies to succeed in today’s fiercely competitive world. However, high variety is also often high cost and high complexity.
In this commentary, I propose that platform thinking is a powerful way to manage these contradictions in becoming a high-variety
provider. Platform thinking relies on a simple insight—understand the common strands that tie your firm’s offerings, markets,
and processes together, and exploit these commonalities to create leveraged growth and variety. Platform thinking should permeate
all aspects of the firm’s strategy and should guide all strategic decisions on diversification and growth. Marketers who master
platform thinking may find the 21st century to be a somewhat more inviting prospect.
Mohanbir S. Sawhney is an assistant professor of marketing in the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. His research
interests include strategic marketing in technology-based industries, marketing decisions for experiential products, and cross-functional
integration in new product development. His research has been published inManagement Science andMarketing Science, and his modeling work in the motion picture industry has been widely cited in the trade press. He is a consultant for several
large technology firms as well as small Internet start-up firms. His current research projects include strategic planning
for market-driving firms, cross-functional product line management, and strategy formulation for digital opportunity arenas. |
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