Users, as the term will be used in this book, are firms or…
““Users, as the term will be used in this book, are firms or individual consumers that expect to benefit from using a product or a service. In contrast, manufacturers expect to benefit from selling a product or a service. A firm or an individual can have different relationships to different products or innovations. For example, Boeing is a manufacturer of airplanes, but it is also a user of machine tools. If we were examining innovations developed by Boeing for the airplanes it sells, we would consider Boeing a manufacturer-innovator in those cases. But if we were considering innovations in metal-forming machinery developed by Boeing for in-house use in building airplanes, we would categorize those as user-developed innovations and would categorize Boeing as a user-innovator in those cases. Innovation user and innovation manufacturer””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Users and manufacturers have distinct but overlapping roles in innovation, influencing product development differently.
In simple terms: Both can innovate, but their motives differ.
Key Takeaway
Recognize dual roles in innovation.
Themes
innovation
roles
business
strategy
Mood
analytical
pragmatic
Type
business
educational
When to use this quote
- product development
- market analysis
- R&D planning
- collaboration workshops
Key Concepts
value creation
user-driven design
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you identify user‑innovators in your firm?
- When might a manufacturer also be a user?
A Different Perspective
Assuming clear-cut categories can ignore hybrid cases.