Design Rules - The Power of Modularity (Volume 1)

Author: Clark
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Where does the impact of the information technology revolution on the modern economy and society lie most importantly? It is not merely reflected in metrics such as the amount of fiber optic cables laid, the popularity of mobile phones, or the number of internet users. Instead, it lies in how the changes in information exchange and processing technologies are influencing relationships between people, between tasks, and between organizations, thereby fundamentally transforming the entire industrial structure. To understand this transformation, the fields of economics and management have begun to popularize a key concept—modularity. This book presents a systematic study of the phenomenon of modularity. From IBM's pioneering of modular design to the rapid upgrades and continuous innovation in the computer industry structure, the book analyzes how design rules based on modularity have driven the emergence of new high-tech enterprises in the United States, ultimately creating the "Silicon Valley" miracle. Modularity fosters modular clusters, promotes industrial upgrades, and gains international competitiveness—these are the core ideas of this book.