I would recommend below changes in the CompuCo global product development strategy.
Culture: As studied in our Bull HN case (Week 4), French is slower and thoroughly studies the process. CompuCo US has to understand the global culture and communicate global offices with patience. Moreover, traditional habits hard to change, as fast as global business environment changing local traditions will not change that quickly. French staff would take between four to six-week vacations, which amounted to approximately half of a product's development cycle. For some companies sharing information with other departments will require a mindset shift.
Products:
1. Jose Santos, Yves L. Doz and Peter Williamson argue that a truly global innovation process uses global R&D sites both to gain access to foreign technology expertise and to access foreign market knowledge. CompuCo should start to develop in-house software products. Initially, in-house software products development takes
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By contrast, the emerging best practice in PD today utilizes a highly distributed, networked development process facilitated by a fully digital PD system. CompuCo should concentrate on developing internet based software application and add-ons to attract customers.
Services:
1. CompuCo US should involve end customers in product selection decisions. CompuCo US is taking the decisions based on “gut feel”, which is not a good idea.
2. CompuCo US should not only concentrate on marketing French products in the USA but also, it should consider market US products in France and other partnered and subsidiary companies’ countries.
3. CompuCo should hire the software developers who are proficient in both French and U.S. cultures to avoid unnecessary situations. It is a better if CompuCo develops programs similar to ready-to-use, means no manual instructions required for U.S. and worldwide users. It will ease the tensions between partners and subsidiaries and resolve most of the complexities and communication