Gore Tex Case

Emma Gomez & Drishti Gupta                                                             28/03/2018

Innovation and new product management  

Professor: Gail Hamilton

Case study 2: Gore-Tex

Gore-Tex Case Study                                                                                               

1) What is the prognosis for Gore-Tex’s future success? Why?

Gore-Tex is well known for its long-lasting, comfortable, weather protection products that could be trusted. As most of the discoveries, the Gore-tex, product a polymer was also created by an accident, which was the waterproof laminate. In 1958, the company was founded in the basement of the home  Bill and Vieve Gore, is now a multibillion-dollar corporation 1. Not only it has a global position, but, is also known for its corporate culture and multiple innovative products. For Gore-Tex, from it’s first invention in 1970s,  it was never just a piece of cloth, rather, has always been a membrane, a laminate, a product technology, a promise (“a rebel to liquid” 2). The company has been one of the best for its business to business supply chain 3.

As we saw, Gore-Tex has been a very important company due its highly innovative ideas. It has been the best company for its water proof products and material. Not just the innovation, but, the uniqueness of the company structure, has always supported the company in its ventures. Thus, this case is an interesting amalgamation of innovation and management. Having read the case, the case falls under the category of general evaluation and appraisal case.

        The Gore-Tex has many patents and copyrights that makes it to have a monopoly over the innovations they do. The company have had a huge fan following amongst the huge population of bag-packers, waterproof bags and jackets, and electronic products, etc. Though the company has always been able to succeed from a long time, however, they are under a threat of increasing number of competitors dedicated towards research and development.

        They would need to increase their market if they need to remain in the vicious circle of innovation business. They might have been succeeding with the supply chain value they have, but this form of structure is quiet contemporary, they will have to update the supply chain value in lieu with present day business techniques and increasing concern towards sustainable development. The innovation technologies like bio-mimicry have been highly accepted by the innovation society and is very useful in developing waterproof coating for cars and for making other materials. Thus, Gore-Tex needs to bring changes in its innovation ideology and structure. The companies’ financial reports are also not available for public reading, though being a private firm, its their choice. But, this could be a probable threat to the company as most of the financial reports for its competitors are open to public. For most of the stockholders it is important to assess companies financial report per year, which is not possible with  Gore-Tex.

Further, the future of the company stays intact they don’t see a downfall coming soon. This remains the same until they don’t focus on high turnover and have the same company structure. “Sustainability = Innovation + Cooperation”4,
a statement by one of the Gore-Tex’s leaders in sustainability programs, in my understanding is an important aspect as it considers voicing Gore-Texs’ ideas to its stakeholders and letting the stakeholders realise the company's worth as a major investment by them.  They still need to indulge in advertising brand value as the awareness will help reinforce the company’s value standards and have a edge on positive competitive marketing advantages.  

2) Would you like to work for Gore-Tex? Why or why not?

Yes, I would like to work for Gore-Tex. The unique company structure makes it a very attractive work place and the limited number of employees the company has, ensures I would have a space that promotes my innovation ideology, if approved.

Thanks to the small number of people per team, it is easier to communicate, share and create new ideas. We can develop our ideas and then decide. We are able to start thinking about it and choose how and when to launch it or not. It is a company which lets the opportunity to its employees to innovate from the beginning and till the end. The anti hierarchical structure motivates and enforces a member to trust himself and ensures a  project well versed. Being able to communicate with the team members easily is by the way a consequence of the “flat lattice organization” implemented by the founder Bill Gore.

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