Technological innovation – customer-centred or market-centred Online publication date: Tue, 14-Nov-2006
by Hiroshi Suzuki
International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning (IJTIP), Vol. 2, No. 2, 2006
Abstract: Many businesses promise customer satisfaction to society. The typical Japanese way is customer-centred and different from the global approach, i.e., a market-centred one. More than the former, the latter approach promotes technological innovation. The author picked up two examples in technological innovations; one is software, the other is a control system. The software, Smallworld, is discussed as a network asset management tool. This software was originally developed in the UK to satisfy customers' potential needs. A US company acquired this original company and added more value to this tool. Now, this software is being sold in Japan through local partners. Another example is a generator control system. The typical Japanese design concept has a hierarchy configuration as master/slave while that of the US approach has an autonomous scheme. This difference results in a different business approach. A three-dimensional model explains the successful innovation processes.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning (IJTIP):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook