Case | HBS Case Collection | 2002 (Revised from original 2001 version)

Herman Miller (A): Innovation by Design

by Sandra J. Sucher and Stacy McManus
 

Abstract

Gary Van Spronsen, president of Miller SQA, has been asked to leave the thriving subsidiary he helped to reinvent to join Herman Miller's corporate initiative on innovation. Miller SQA has pioneered processes new to the Herman Miller organization, such as computer-assisted sales and value chain integration. This case details the innovations that have led to a completely new business model for a previously underserved market and highlights the integration of target customer, product design, manufacturing, and supply chain management. Includes color exhibits.

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Product Design; Product Development; Supply Chain Management; Business Model; Organizations; Values and Beliefs; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry;

Format: Print 21 pages Purchase

Citation:

Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Herman Miller (A): Innovation by Design." Harvard Business School Case 602-023, November 2002. (Revised from original October 2001 version.)

Related Work

  1. Case | HBS Case Collection | 2002 (Revised from original 2001 version)

    Herman Miller(B): Creating Innovation Streams

    Sandra J. Sucher and Stacy McManus

    In 1997, Mike Volkema faced the difficulty of attempting to revitalize a once dynamic organization. Volkema wondered how he could incorporate advances made within subsidiaries, such as Miller SQA's business model innovation, into the company as a whole while also reinvigorating the product focus that had made Herman Miller great. This case details Herman Miller's development of business model designs for each of its target market segments and the evolution of its famed cubicle office system to a new design for the twenty-first century. Herman Miller's traditional focus on product design has been supplemented by a new focus on targeted business models. Students can analyze the changes, including market expansion, reintegration of the fragmented value chain, and sharing capabilities throughout the organization that Volkema introduced to redirect the firm toward greater growth. The details of customer-oriented business model design are examined. Concludes with a series of issues for organizational processes and structures to enable a firm to manage innovation on multiple fronts. Includes color exhibits.

    Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Product Design; Product Development; Product; Supply Chain Management; Business Model; Service Delivery; Customer Value and Value Chain; Manufacturing Industry; Consumer Products Industry;

    Citation:

    Sucher, Sandra J., and Stacy McManus. "Herman Miller(B): Creating Innovation Streams." Harvard Business School Case 602-024, November 2002. (Revised from original October 2001 version.)
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Sandra J. Sucher
MBA Class of 1966 Professor of Management Practice
Technology and Operations Management

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