Clockspeed : Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage (Paperback)

by Charles H. Fine (Author) "IN 1995, two Americans and a German won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their work on the process whereby embryos develop from a single..." (more)
Key Phrases: volatility amplification, product clockspeed, clockspeed concept, General Motors, North American, Dell Computer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Based on extensive research he conducted at M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management, professor Charles H. Fine determined that fruit flies hold the key to the future of business. Not the insects themselves, actually, but the way geneticists study their extraordinarily condensed life spans to gain insight into the much more drawn-out human existence. In like manner, Fine suggests that industries with a very rapid evolutionary rate, or clockspeed, be examined for information that will benefit businesses of all kinds--as well as national economic systems, universities, and even religious institutions--although any edge that emerges may, without additional work, prove to be fleeting. In Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage, Fine lays out his resultant theories of business genetics. He focuses on "fruit fly industries" such as personal computers and information-entertainment providers and the lessons he says can be learned by dissecting their internal processes, product development procedures, and organizational arrangements. He then proposes ways that other companies can utilize the positive patterns of industry structure that appear. Those whose eyes do not glaze over at the mere thought of calculating "capital equipment obsolesce rates" should find this absorbing and thought-provoking. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
In propounding a "theory of business genetics," Fine, a professor of management at MIT, analyzes factors that determine corporate evolution, then outlines approaches to aid strategic decision making. For Fine, industries change at different rates, or "clockspeeds," depending on differing opportunities for innovation and competition, as is the case in the animal kingdom. Changing relationships and their causes often seem more apparent, he notes, in fast-clockspeed scenarios such as the current computer industry. However, "all advantage is temporary," Fine continues, "and the faster the clockspeed, the more temporary the advantage." Against that background, his main thesis is that design of the supply chain is "the ultimate core competency" for maintaining advantage in business. Fine advocates diligently and continuously studying its dynamics from the standpoints of organization, technology and capability. Citing the case of IBM as a cautionary tale, Fine notes the company's flawed decision to outsource its PC's microprocessor and operating system, with the result that customers are more concerned with the label "Intel Inside" than the actual makeup of their computer. Oriented primarily to specialists (and prospective clients) in the computer industry, Fine's theorizing suffers somewhat from management jargon yet is impressively well tuned.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; New edition edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738201537
• ISBN-13: 978-0738201535
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #287,812 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crucial for anyone in supply chain field, July 17, 2001

By	Daniel T. Crocker "[e-mail]" (San Mateo, CA United States) - See all my reviews

It would be a mistake to be employed in some supply chain capacity and *not* read this book. I believe that it offers an intriguing set of solid examples of how incorporating supply chain management into strategy discussions has helped some companies profit at the expense of others.

Some commenters have noted that examples seem anecdotal. I tend to think that Fine's approach here, in going into depth with just a few examples, is a richer basis upon which to draw conclusions. You don't necessarily need a statistically significant sample set in order to gain insights into how to conduct strategy.

I would also take issue with one reviewer's note that it is overly geared towards manufacturing, rather than services. Managing supply chains and conducting make-buy decisions are clearly the province of operations. But shouldn't consulting services develop precisely those areas of expertise in order to assist their biggest clients?

A note of disclosure: I took Fine's course on this subject while at MIT. While I wouldn't trade having been in that graduate seminar for 100 books, if you can't take the course, at least read the book! Doing so brought back the pleasure for me of being in his class.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book should be in every bookshelf., February 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control In The Age Of Temporary Advantage (Hardcover)

I enjoyed this book and found it useful. The concepts in this book are widely applicable to a variety of situations. The book addresses many cases in large institutions; however, many of the concepts also can be applied at the project or start-up level. Several concepts in the book are applicable to common situations: 1) Virtual Company: This framework allows one to assess whether a company has enough capability to remain a virtual company or eventually become a "hollow" company. By using the 3-d and the key characteristics frameworks, Prof. Fine provides a good understanding of which areas of the value chain to keep under control. Of course, to retain a very small asset base initially, one could potentially outsource areas where the company does not have the capacity or capability, but should be looking to bring in-house those functions that have been outsourced for capability. 2) Combining the clockspeed concept and the double helix with the "innovator's dilemma" and marketspace concepts generates some useful insights. When the helix starts turning, from a integral solution to a modular form, that is an optimum time to be forming an entrepreneurial company. When the helix is switching back to vertically integrated industry structure, that implies a mature market with consolidation that is not as inducive to entrepreneurship. At the switch from integral to modular, you will see many growing markets. Though the entire market may not grow, the actual marketspaces will grow tremendously and create new value propositions. This is the middle of the classic "S" curve where the venture capitalists tend to invest, and it is the time where "clunky" upstarts begin their innovations - similar to the electric cars in the innovator's dilemma.

This morning I was listening to a lecture from Brad Geagley of Disney Imagineering describing their new retail theme parks "DisneyQuest." Just as Disney always does, they are applying the latest technology to entertainment. Mr. Geagley described how Disney has to keep certain elements of its attractions upgradeable because the technology is changing at different rates. The mechanical aspects (head-mounted displays, etc.) are designed in-house with lengthy half-lives. Other parts, like the software and animation technology, are changing every few months. Some technologies are outsourced (Silicon Graphics), while other aspects such as the animation are proprietary and done in-house. All of these made me immediately think that these guys should get a copy of this book. They would feel much more in control of the process.

Thanks Prof. Fine.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read every page, April 20, 2000

By	Jamie Flinchbaugh (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This book has some really interesting threads around supply chain design competency, clockspeed, and learning from industry fruit flies, but the real value of the book is in between all of that. For years, there have been wonderful insights into technology strategy, product architecture, manufacturing strategy, etc. etc. roaming around the halls of MIT and throughout journal articles. The only way to really tap this depth of knowledge is by being there. Charlie has woven these thoughts, ideas, and concepts throughout the book rather seemlessly. If you read the book carefully, and think very hard about some of the nuggets throughout the book, I'm sure it will be worth your time.