John Hagel writes:
Organizational success depends upon effective mobilization of resources.
Push models treat people as passive consumers (even when they are producers like workers on an assembly line) whose needs can be anticipated and shaped by centralized decision-makers. Pull models treat people as networked creators (even when they are customers purchasing goods and services) who are uniquely positioned to transform uncertainty from a problem into an opportunity.
Forces shaping pull platforms
Five broad forces are shaping the emergence and evolution of pull platforms:
- Increasing uncertainty
- Growing abundance
- Intensifying competition
- Growing power of customers
- Greater emphasis on learning and improvisation
For example, Amazon or eBay provide robust pull capability for consumers to access on demand an extraordinary abundance of products like books and CD’s. These products were originally made using traditional push manufacturing programs. On the other hand, reflect on the opportunities to further build upon these pull distribution systems by reconfiguring production processes to deliver publishing on demand.
Organizational success depends upon effective mobilization of resources.