Archives: Expert Predictions

Customization will become an important way for a manufacturer to add vale. Increasing numbers of products Ð from shoes to chairs, from newspapers to magazine to music albums Ð will be created on the spot to match the exact desires of a particular person. And often the item will cost no more than a mass-produced one would. In many product categories mass customization will replace mass production, just as a few generations ago mass productions largely replaced made-to-order.

On the highway you will be able to take a video tour of that hotel before you make your reservation. You wonÕt have to wonder whether the flowers you ordered for your mother by telephone were really as stunning as youÕd hoped. YouÕll be able to watch the florist arrange the bouquet, change your mind if you want, and replace wilting roses with fresh anemones. When youÕre shopping for clothing, it will be displayed in your size. In fact, youÕll be able to see it paired with other items you have purchased or are considering.

You wonÕt have to depend only on what we or any other manufacturer tell you. YouÕll be able to examine product reviews in search of less biased information. After youÕve seen the advertising, reviews, and multimedia manuals, you might ask for relevant government regulatory data. YouÕll check to see if the vendor has surveyed owners. Then you might dig deeper into one area of particular interest to you – for instance, durability. Or you could seek the advice of sales consultants, human or electronic, who will create and publish specialized reviews for all kinds of products, from drill bits to ballet slippers. Of course you will still ask people you know for recommendations.

As the information highway assumes the role of market maker in realm after realm, traditional middlemen will have to contribute real value to a transaction to justify a commission. For example, stores and services that until now have profited just because they are “there” Ð in a particular geographic location Ð may find they have lost that advantage. But those who provide added value will not only survive, they will thrive.