Fluidized Competences

Trying to highlight my company technical competences, I’m wondering whether we do have competencies or just competent people. Turning competent people knowledge into core competences is a critical and expensive task.

Re (and) co-location of competent people does not come cheaply. The reality is that it’s hard to diffuse people skills and help the organization make profits from them.

Do you think competences cost? Try incompetence, then.

The Final Cut

Gillette and Wilkinson keep adding more blades to razors. “Razor and blade” business model works by selling an initial “master” product at a loss (razor), while making profit with “consumables” (blades).

Gillette won a patent for its double edge razor in 1904, another for the double-blade in 1971, before the three-blades in 1998. Now Gillette sells five blades, rear blade and battery power razors. Trends indicate Gillette will ‘invent’ an eight blades razor in 2015. Because Gillette acquired Duracell, it put batteries into razors, another consumable product within the master product. Wilkinson acquired by Energizer did the same.

I’m missing the benefit of such product, as I don’t find them much comfortable. Gillette recently became supplier of Oral-B. I’m afraid they will embed a toothbrush as well in the future. What worries me more, is that Wilkinson also markets tools for Circumcision for medical suppliers…