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The old competitive strategies of invention and mass production no longer work in an increasingly turbulent business environment. Successful firms and implementing the new competitive strategies of continuous improvement (constant process improvement) and mass customization--a dynamic flow of goods and services via a stable set of processes. This paper provides a "lens" through which managers can assess their firm's current competitive position, build a vision for where they must be in the future, and craft a transformation strategy to turn that future vision into reality.
How to succeed in today's rapidly changing competitive environment is a question weighing heavily on many a manager's mind. Everything seems to be changing--markets, customer demands, technologies, global boundaries, products, and processes. In the midst of this seemingly overwhelming change, managers are being asked to make critical competitive decisions that will affect not only the present position of their firm (the legal or competitive entity), but also its future success.
Much to their dismay, however, many managers are finding out, sometimes the hard way, that it is a different game, and the old rules do not apply anymore. To compete in today's rapidly changing competitive environment, new strategic responses are required that most managers may have never thought possible. In addition, managers must understand that at the heart of these new strategic responses is innovative management through advanced information technologies.
This paper begins by briefly discussing two firms that have developed innovative strategies to cope with our changing world. Based on their experience and other research cited, the paper th ...