This Week's Herman Trend Alert Purpose Emerging as Important Driver of Engagement

The Herman Trend Alert September 14, 1999 Customize, Customize, Customize 108 days until January 1, 2000 We're on the threshold of a major shift from mass-production to customized production. The move toward customization is already apparent in many industries, and will become even more evident during the next few years. A couple of examples will illustrate this trend. If you'd like to purchase a pair of jeans, you have several choices. Buy something "off the rack" at a clothing store or make your purchase from a mail order house. Alternatively, you can have a totally customized pair of Levis jeans made for you, personally. You'll be electronically measured at a convenient retailer, who will e-mail your measurements to the factory. Your jeans will go right into production, created just for you. In just a few days, your new clothing will be delivered to your door. Toyota recently announced a program to manufacture a car to your specifications within three days of receiving your order. Now, instead of selecting from cars available at a dealership, or placing an order for delivery in weeks or months, you'll look forward to a much quicker response. The car will still have to be shipped, but it will be delivered considerably faster than ever before. As we become more individualized as consumers, we'll demand more personalized products and services. Eager to maintain their competitive advantage and their relationship with you as a valued customer, suppliers will respond. Companies like the Lillian Vernon Catalog, who have been customizing for years will have an advantage in their markets. Manufacturers accustomed to mass production will scramble to create fast-response systems to make one-of-a-kind items. Workers-and their managers-will be challenged to devise and manage systems to manufacture one-time personalized products. This demand will increase the need for higher skills to operate what will essentially be fast-change job shops in many industries. People working in mass production manufacturing jobs will re-train to perform these new custom-production jobs. Other workers, rising from the unskilled or low skilled ranks, will move into vacated mass production jobs. The mass production demand will remain, to service domestic and international markets not yet ready or interested in individualization of products. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." WHO SENDS OUT YOUR NEWSLETTERS? We are convinced there is no better choice than ours! We have happily used DataBack Systems to deliver The Herman Trend Alert for over 10 years and. Visit their website (http://www.databack.com) or call Byron directly at 503.941.0427. You'll be glad you did. IS YOUR EMPLOYER AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE®? Our effective, onsite seminars, workshops, and consulting can help you get there. We offer 1-, 2-, 3-hour, and full-day programs to help you communicate what it takes to become an Employer of Choice® and inspire your folks to get it done. In the future, being an Employer of Choice® will not be optional. Call Carol at 336-210-3547 to arrange a no-obligation conference call. Or order the electronic version of the Employer of Choice book on your desktop for only $17.80 @ http://hermangroup.com/store/books_all.html#2. STRUGGLING TO FIND THE PEOPLE YOU NEED? VETJOBS CAN HELP! Recently, hundreds of thousands of jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of capable people. If you are looking for qualified candidates, you need to hire a veteran using VFW-sponsored VetJobs, the largest military employment site on the Internet. Thousands of returning veterans are looking for good jobs now. Mention this ad in The Herman Trend Alert and receive a 10% discount on job postings. Call Ted Daywalt at 877-838-5627 or inquire at info@VetJobs.com. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

[ Home · About · Products · Resources · Media ]

Web site design by WebEditor Design Services, Inc.