About Gateway:
Gateway manufactures computer hardware and accessories. The company’s services include manufacturing and marketing a wide range of personal computers, monitors, consumer electronics items, and accessories through retailers, e-tailers, and channel partners.
Gateway all-in-one computer idea:
In 2007, Gary Elsasser, an engineering products manager at Gateway, was wondering about ways to catch up with the top PC players of that time, while its utilitarian PCs were being unfavorably compared to Apple’s iMac.
“If there are $399 notebook computers out there, what direction can the desktop computer go?” – Gary Elsasser.
Elegance – This is what he and his team figured could set them apart from the competition. Their passionate vision of a redesign gave birth to the Gateway One, a streamlined desktop with a single external cable. The Gateway one was equipped with Intel’s dual-core technology. This helped users to use multiple applications more smoothly. The computer had a front polished surface which was the most innovative feature according to the company.
But while a radical redesign looks good on paper, actually rebuilding a platform from scratch can cause major operational headaches. Since different departments were involved, and both had their differences, Elsasser mediated between the teams by reminding them of their common goal and how revolutionary it was for the company.
Another problem they faced was sourcing. The new product was so complex it required working with more than 30 new suppliers. Elsasser and his team put in long hours that included going to Asia to meet with individual suppliers. In hindsight, he said, the supply chain should have been as revolutionary as the project. “If I were to do this again, I’d have picked a production partner who was more focused on mobile machines, not a traditional desktop provider,” Elsasser admits.
Results
Although the company won’t disclose sales figures (Gateway was acquired by Acer, which doesn’t break out sales by individual products), the early buzz had been very positive: Tech reviewers at Gizmodo have raved about Gateway One’s “sleek and thoughtful” design and pronounced it “a very positive step forward” for Gateway.
Establishing an intrapreneurship culture within organizations not only tremendously increased revenue but also opened up new market segments. Hindustan Unilever is another such organization that gained well from establishing an intrapreneurship culture among countless others.
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