An integrator is in command of the bulk of the steps in a value-adding process. The control of all resources and capabilities in terms of value creation lies with the company. Efficiency gains, economies of scope, and lower dependencies from suppliers result in a decrease in costs and can increase the stability of value creation.
How they do it: Automakers such as Ford are a typical example of integrators, as they control the whole product process from engineering and manufacturing to marketing and sales but ultimately source a lot of the parts from suppliers. They have strong partnerships with different suppliers and worked collaboratively on developing the individual parts for each model. This allows the suppliers to focus on specific applications of their part and build expertise whereas the OEM can focus on assembly and marketing.
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How they do it: Netflix’s core offering is providing the infrastructure and user interface for customers to watch content on the platform. The content in form of movies, shows etc. is usually not produced by Netflix (although they started producing their own shows and movies as well). As such Netflix can focus on the technical site of their platform as well as on user acquisition and license content from rights owners.
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How they do it: Carnegie steel controlled not only the mills where the steel was made, but also the mines where the iron ore was extracted, the coal mines that supplied the coal, the ships that transported the iron ore and the railroads that transported the coal to the factory, the coke ovens where the coal was cooked, etc.
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How they do it: Unlike other apparel retailers, Zara does not outsource production of its garments to low-cost manufacturing countries, but operates a number of factories in Spain and other European countries to produce the majority of products in-house. Integrating the different steps in the value chain enables Zara to respond to fashion trends very quickly, in turn positioning them as a leader in the industry.
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How they do it: Standard Oil Company’s successful, but illegal, integrator strategy ultimately lead to its demise. In a landmark case, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled it in 1911, as it was ruled to be an illegal monopoly. Standard Oil dominated the oil products market initially through horizontal integration in the refining sector, then, in later years vertical integration alongside the value chain, streamlining production and logistics, lowering costs, and undercutting competitors.
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Below, the top industries for the pattern "Integrator" are displayed, in order to get insights into how this pattern is applied across different industries. We've collected data from 5 firms using this pattern.
Below, the pattern "Integrator" is analyzed based on co-occurrence, in order to get insights into how this business model pattern is applied in combination with other patterns within the firms we studied.
