Cost Saving Strategy Through Modularization: Identifying the Best Practice

目前，利用产品和服务的模块化，旨在实现节约成本的产品开发。模块化使零部件能够重复使用，并产生一系列规模经济。为了从技术模块化中获益，公司需要具备一整套战略，如何为适合具体消费者的具有适当规格的某种商业平台做好准备;公司必须搞清楚组织设计;企业必须采用伙伴关系战略和管理能力，通过建立良好的接口，将每个模块集成到竞争产品或服务中。在E-learning的情况下，企业早期采用模块化战略并没有带来市场成功和适当的利润。造成这种情况的部分原因是该行业处于早期增长阶段，用户对服务规格的需求不稳定。在行业中，技术优秀的公司试图引入模块化的学习内容往往失败的电子学习业务：很少有成功的公司不重视技术模块化战略。他们把重点放在管理或组织战略上，首先旨在通过与具有明确业务接口的最佳合作伙伴协作来整合相关模块以实现其业务利益。获得议价能力成为企业在不同业务模块间持续整合的必要条件。同样在本研究中的建筑业，我们发现，企业把他们的业务重点放在技术模块化往往会失败：少数成功的企业也在这个行业倾向于从组织或管理方面的模块化，并实现成本节约从企业的整体经营战略。

Now, utilization of modularization of product and service is aimed for the realization of the cost saving product development. Modularization enables reuse of parts and components and results in a series of scale economies. In order to benefit from technological modularization, firms need to be equipped with a package of strategies of how to prepare for a certain business platform tailored to specific consumers with proper specifications; firms have to figure out organizational design; firms have to embrace partnering strategy and management capability for integrating each module into competitive product or service by settling well-conceived interface.In the case of E-learning, firms' early adoption of modularization strategy has never brought about market success and proper profits. The situation is derived partly from the industry' early growth stage typified by the unstable user needs for service specifications. In the industry, technologically excellent firms trying to introduce modularization of learning contents tend to fail the E-learning business: few successful firms pay little attention to the technological modular strategy. They put their focus on the management or organizational strategies firstly aiming to integrate related modules for their business interests by way of collaborating best partners with clearly articulated business interface. Gaining bargaining power becomes indispensable for firms' sustaining integration among various business modules. Also in construction business in this study, we find that firms putting their business emphasis on technological modularization tend to fail: few successful firms also in this industry tend approach modularization from organizational or managerial aspect and realize cost saving from firms' overall business strategy.