Globalisation in the Internet Age: Exploiting Core Competency Thinking to Develop Global R&D 2000-01-1325
In the age of Internet, companies can derive many globalisation benefits, sometimes without having to relocate staff:
Take advantage of different ‘thinking patterns’ in different parts of the world in order to stimulate innovation. This difference in thinking is created by different education systems, cultures and access and knowledge of local markets, technology developments and social behaviours;
Link local centres of technology excellence to create virtual teams to solve difficult problems. Use of the internet makes this process more efficient;
Create global critical mass in competencies needed to develop new products where there is not the time or need to develop local critical mass.
Reduce the time to market via ‘24 hour R&D’ - one technologist goes to sleep when one wakes up on the other side of the world;
Smooth out resources without expensive recruitment, relocation and rotation of R&D staff.
However, global R&D is difficult to manage and organise and core competency thinking, along with the use of the company intranet, can help clear away some of the strategic barriers.
