Introduction
Many of us know this only one business called Textiles. Moving away from the present attenuating status of textiles, to something more reassuring business-domain is perplexing. Should we do it or not; will always be a question? Disinvesting from the known textiles domain to something more in vogue could be risky. Any new domain of business will seek investment of time, money, energy and sometime more pain to be called as success. So are we afraid of pain or hard work? I guess not, what we are afraid is the stagnation of the process. For far too long, we were restricted in this seemingly large space and with overpopulated supplies and its net result on the fall of economic demand. Margins shrinking even in the value added products. We don’t reach the pay back point in time. This slow progress creates fear.
Do we have an option to keep our knowledge, education, traditional skills, resources of men and material, machinery and go into a vast expanse of space for fresh air and away from the prolonged chest congestion? The answer could be Technical Textiles. If I may say so; we would follow the Darwin’s theory of survival or Exerting to exist, with leverage! We get to carry forward our assets (of the past) to the new balance sheet. The rate of survival is better since we will have to focus only on the application area or domain area.
Segmentation of Technical Textiles
When we decide to go forward the next confusion would be; where do we go in the vast world of technical textiles? We look for cross-references or meet people to know the domain worth investing. I am sure you will have a deja vu effect of school; where a child speaks of a topic not in the syllabus and you feel you are unprepared for the exam. Listen to the people and try to create a mnemonic (relative mapping) of your own. It would be a mental graphing or relative location of the products or application they may define. It has nothing to do with your strength or weakness; it would be relative positioning like your GPS system. The congested or a long route on the map helps you only to define your course. Finding a sweet spot which will accept your carry forward assets and a space where you can exert your skills to thrive; will be a position to look for. It needs a little analytics to match your assets and the opportunities. However too much of analysis could lead to paralysis. Something happens on a blink and that’s your judgement of business and rest the path will upgrade, teach you or make you competent. There are many forums, counsels or mentors that will flash the light on your path to success.
How do we classify or map? A Million dollar question! The author attempts to articulate the process but it is only collateral for the reader to make an individual’s discovery. One has to find his own way to this mnemonic. The confidence to achieve the unseen is an individual process and is never a shared domain. Arriving there could be with the help of the people around. They may give it to you without knowing its importance since they don’t think it is a value but for you it could be a world of difference.
We are all ‘Different Strokes’ and our skills could best exult on that sweet little spot with a huge resonance that can create what is a path-breaking, disruptive or a game changer. Only you can create one is what your inner should tell you. This will appear to you on a blink but most of us take opinions that distract or divert the path for a more universally accepted path instead of a unique and may say that the grapes were sour. Had Steve Jobs not asserted and taken on the second-opinion; we would not be in the Smart phone revolution. Your past and intrinsic strength resonating with the opportunity is unique only to you; it cannot be found outside your domain. Don’t look for reference success; it will come only with your commitment to end application you hope to suffice using your own strength and knowledge of Textiles.
Positioning to your Strength
Product Positioning:
To bring a perspecptive to any business, we look up the fig 1 and classify the product poistion. The lower base of the triangle is the commodity indicated by the wider width. The top of the product triangle is a peak single unit but resonating with technology. It is the concept product.
The critical line that seperates the product lines into two. The Top is sensitive to validations, compliance to safety and Standards, rigerous testings, enhanced infrastructure to regulate process, product and assure the MAXIMUM OF TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE OR COMPLIANCE for the given period with scientific projection and limits of its usage. The top line of the product expects the follow up the manufacturer to keep a control of its products/services sold till the end of its life and have a data keeping even when it is in the custody of the customer. The fact the lack of such perseption of the business limits the projection of the investments and when the business demands the additional funds for the sustainable act; there is either lack of funds or intimidation to invest further with no clarity of its abyss.
The bottom part of the product are where products need not follow up for its performances except to provide a good customer service or taking care of the brand. The Product is tested FOR MINIMUM TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE OR COMPLIANCE.
BY
SUDARSAN RAJAGOPALAN.
Runs a Medical Textile firm for an objective of Infection Control particularly for HAI in hospitals as a health issue, promoting a holistic development of eco-system for products/ services and look for franchise entrepreneurship.
