The innovative model of the Virtual Development Office for collaborative networked enterprises: the GPT network case study

Abstract

The paper presents one of the most interesting collaborative networked organisations in Italy, namely Gruppo Poligrafico Tiberino (GPT), the first organisation that adopts the governance model with the Virtual Development Office (VDO) structure. The VDO is an innovative model that introduces products/services innovation through collaboration between companies, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In effect, the existing forms of collaboration are evolving towards the direction of extending the classical collaboration fields of supply chains including phases like product and service development. However, when collaboration is established exclusively among SMEs, the introduction of new products/services becomes much more difficult. This is due to the lack of the actions of a leader firm, that is, a big company that is able to innovate. The VDO model is introduced to overcome this limit, and to stimulate innovation in collaborative networks of SMEs. GPT network is constituted by 21 companies belonging to the paper converting, packaging and logistics sectors. The nature of the collaboration is based on a long-term strategy vision, giving to the network more competitive advantages, with respect to the classical collaborative alliances in Italy, such as industrial districts, cooperatives, consortiums or temporary associations. Started from a national research project, currently it is a very fast growing up reality; the significant results achieved and the strong interests coming from Institutions, Ministries and Universities make GPT a real success both under the industrial and the academic perspectives.

Keywords:

• collaborative networks organisations
• case study
• SMEs
• virtual development office
• enterprise network

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