Will the market adoption of innovative products and services in the
fourth industrial revolution require an alternative reality? This
question is investigated in a concept paper in which new product
adoption patterns, alternative innovation regimes that include
intelligent machines as innovation partners with humans, disruption
of the producer, the fourth industrial revolution consumer, and a
fundamental change in business models are considered. Thought
models are proposed in which these four entities drive a new
concept of ‘life-world’ products through which consumers innovate
for their own personalisation and customisation, manufacturing
plants for volume products become algorithm factories, and the
linear value chain is destroyed and replaced by the value network.
This happens because the consumer becomes part of the value
chain, and overlaps of producer and consumer functions as we know
them merge into a new production ecosystem driven by social
commerce. Innovation by the consumer takes away the producer’s
concerns about market adoption; they may now servitise innovation
support. This paper is meant to stimulate academic debate and to
initiate research that will validate the thought models it suggests.
Sal markaanvaarding van innoverende produkte en dienste in die
vierde nywerheidsrevolusie ’n alternatiewe realiteit vereis? Hierdie
vraag word ondersoek in ʼn konsepsuele artikel waar nuwe
produkaanvaardingspatrone, alternatiewe innovasiestelsels wat
intelligente masjiene as innovasievennote met mense insluit,
ontwrigting van die vervaardiger, die vierde nywerheidsrevolusie
verbruiker, en ʼn fundamentele verandering in besigheidsmodelle
oorweeg word. Denkmodelle word voorgestel waar die vier entiteite
ʼn nuwe konsep van ‘lewenswêreld’ produkte aandryf, waar die
verbruiker innoveer vir verpersoonliking en doelgemaaktheid,
vervaardigingsaanlegte vir volumeproduksie algoritme fabrieke
word, en die liniêre waardeketting vernietig word om deur die
waardenetwerk vervang te word. Dit gebeur omdat die verbruiker
deel van die waardeketting word en die vervaardiger- en
verbruikersfunksies oorvleuel en saamsmelt in ʼn nuwe produksie
ekostelsel wat deur sosiale handel aangedryf word. Innovasie deur
die verbruiker doen weg met bekommernisse van die vervaardiger
oor markaanvaarding. Die vervaardiger mag nou verkies om
innovasie ondersteuning as ʼn diens aan te bied. Hierdie artikel is
bedoel om akademiese debat te stimuleer en om navorsing te
inisieer wat die denkmodelle se geldigheid sal ondersoek.
