OSH Start-ups’ Business Development Challenges: The Case of SENSORICA from a Total Integrated Marketing Perspective

Abstract

While open-source software (OSS) networks have been part of the business landscape for some time, most open source hardware (OSH) organisations are still in the development stage, and marketing for OSH is still poorly understood. This paper presents a case study of SENSORICA, an award-winning Canadian OSH production network in the bio-medical research instruments market, to illustrate the challenges that OSH businesses face in developing their business. Normative results of this case study highlight the relevance of total integrated marketing (TIM) in OSH business development. In this article, we explain TIM and how it can help OSH business development relative to the four functional interfaces in arketing: Marketing-Accounting/Finance, Marketing-Human Resources, Marketing-Customer Service, and Marketing-Sales. On the Marketing-Human Resources interface, the success of OSH is dependent on both the quantity and quality of active members in the network. The Marketing-Accounting/Finance interface is important in activities related to financing, reporting, and member compensation evaluation. The Marketing-Customer Service interface is important in developing long-term satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, on the Marketing-Sales interface, members must limit rivalry between functions and focus on building linkages and delivering results.