|
We
are living in a world of change.
Today low cost computing and communications tip
competitive advantage towards called value-added partnership (VAP).
In the VAP concept each small operating company focuses
on doing just one step in the value-added chain.
Therefore, each unit can tailor all aspects of the
organization to this single task.
Personnel, plant and equipment, compensation schemes,
carrier tracks, accounting systems and management style are
all very dependent on the work to be done.
All
this has to be backed up by new marketing approaches in three
main directions:
-
Create extra value for the client,
-
Communicate this extra value,
-
Implement the extra value for the client.
Thus
the following needs result:
*
Marketing mentality must penetrate all functions within a
company
(sales, order
processing, production, distribution).
*
Marketing teams must understand the client much better than
the client
understands
himself. The way
to gain better understanding of the
market situation
is through better knowledge of the client’s requirements
through better know-how
in new technology and through better
utilization of printer skills
developed from problem solutions of the client.
* Extra product value
should increasingly consist of client problem
solutions.
*
Competition in extra value beats competition in price.
*
Creation of added-value services (multifunction) allows the
client to draw
on the know on the know-how of the vendor and,
therefore, can be used
to build up a secure client relation.
* Added-value thinking should be an important issue, even in
departments
with little
client contact, to match product development to ensure
sensitivity for client
problems.
Know-how
and manufacturing capacity for such value-added services need
not always be generated within one company.
More and more price-competition EDP and communication
opportunities and growing network potential for equipment and
systems in print communication (text and image processing
systems) are allowing a coalition of small and independent
companies into what are nowadays called value added
partnerships. Such
coalitions of well-matched companies are able to take
advantage of value-adding processes. Those companies have a
higher competitive edge in innovation than larger competitors.
Examples
may also be found in other industries such as in the
automobile manufacturing business.
Value-added partnerships are combining the advantages
of large companies’ throughput and market position with the
flexibility, creativity and low administration costs of a
small company. New
strategies are emerging to be evaluated not only by small but
particularly medium and large companies and groups.
New
technology Management | New
Marketing | Waste
Management
|
