Richard Normann, SMG France.Rafael Ramírez is currently Professor of Management at HEC, the leading French business school. Dr Ramírez, who holds a PhD from the Wharton School, has extensive consulting experience, working with companies such as Hewlett-Packard, Nissan Europe, Shell International, Rockwool, Telespazio, Wärtsilä -NSD, and Sonera. He was the Managing Director of SMG France prior to joining HEC. Dr. Ramírez co-authored the Harvard Business Review lead article From Value Chain to Value Constellation, which was elected one of the ten most requested strategy reprints by the Review's readers. The follow-up book on value constellations, Designing Interactive Strategy, which he wrote with Richard Normann, has been widely translated. In 1998 he was elected 'individual member' of the Global Business Network.

• THE HISTORICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL DRIVING FORCES SHAPING BUSINESS TODAY.Competitive Dominance in the World of Business.Economies versus Sectors.The Microprocessor.VALUE CONSTELLATIONS.SECTION A: CO-PRODUCTION.What Is a Product?Density of Offerings and Value Creation.Examples of Co-Production.The Customer's Customer.What is a Business?Shifting Activities Among Actors: Reconfiguration.Innovative Co-Production Relationships..SECTION B: OFFERINGS AND VALUE-CREATION LOGICS.The Micro Level--A First Look at Its Architecture.From Value Chain to Value Constellation.The Offering as Code Carrier.Leverage.Value-Creation Logics.Inherent Dimensions of Offerings.SECTION C: RECONFIGURATION.What is Reconfiguration?Why Reconfigure?Examples of Reconfiguration.The Need for Continuous Improvement: Reconfiguring as a Process.ILLUSTRATIVE CASES.Introduction.Example 1: IKEA and the 'What'.Example 2: Ryder System and the Reconfiguration of the Truck Leasing Industry and The 'What'.Example 3: Danish Pharmacists and their National Association and the 'How'.Example 4: The Compagnie Générale des Eaux and the Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux: the Why'.References.Glossary.Index.