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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
10:09
Operation of the Collaborative Composite Manufacturing (CCM) System
Published on: October 1, 2019
Build the co-creative enterprise.
Venkat Ramaswamy1, Francis Gouillart
1University of Michigan's Ross School of Buisness, Ann Arbor, USA. venkatr@umich.edu
Harvard Business Review
|October 9, 2010
Summary
Companies are enhancing product design by involving all stakeholders in co-creation. This approach drives innovation, reduces costs, and boosts revenue by improving everyone's experience.
Area of Science:
- Business Strategy
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Co-creation in Business
Background:
- Companies increasingly involve customers in product design.
- Expanding co-creation to include employees, suppliers, distributors, and regulators is a growing trend.
- Focusing on the experience of all stakeholders can lead to significant business improvements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the benefits of inclusive stakeholder co-creation.
- To demonstrate how co-creation can overcome organizational challenges.
- To analyze a case study of successful stakeholder co-creation implementation.
Main Methods:
- Case study analysis of La Poste's business expansion initiative.
- Involving multiple stakeholder groups (tellers, customers, managers) in decision-making.
- Collaborative workshops to determine operational changes, such as office hours and space configuration.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 50% reduction in customer waiting times.
- Significantly increased customer satisfaction.
- Improved job satisfaction among tellers.
- Drove substantial growth in package delivery and banking services.
Conclusions:
- Inclusive stakeholder co-creation can lead to breakthrough insights and improved business outcomes.
- Addressing the needs and involvement of all stakeholders is crucial for successful business transformation.
- La Poste's co-creation strategy successfully navigated internal challenges and achieved significant growth.
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