《Market-Driven Management》.pdf

© SYMPHONYA Emerging Issues in Management, n. 2, 2009 www.unimib.it/symphonya Market-Driven Management, Market Space and Value Proposition Flavio Gnecchi* 1. Market-Driven Management and the Quest for Competitive Advantages The persisting and dramatic economic crisis that has beset the world markets since 2008, has aggravated the difficulties that businesses were already facing to tackle the widespread situation of structural over-supply. In fact, since the 1980s, the economic situation has shown a turnaround compared to the past, and demand is proving to be no longer able to absorb the supply originating from manufacturing companies (of goods but also of services). This situation, of quantitative saturation of demand, can be found in markets that 1 have reached an advanced degree of maturity . As a consequence, manufacturing and service companies both tend, wherever possible, to replace the traditional segmentation (a process that recognises behaviour) by the aggregation (in other words, a process that propels behaviour) 2 of demand , to anticipate the competition and win clients/users and consumers. In this situation, which affects the majority of manufacturing sectors, but does not spare categories of services (of any type), the most prudent companies no longer base their supply exclusively on their products or services, but also on intangible critical factors. What is more, when they define their strategies, they extend their analysis to a wide range of factors and aspects, not limiting it to partial visions. They therefore adop