Abstract

Samsung Electronics is a Korea-based consumer electronics company. The case describes Samsung's journey from a company focused on manufacturing to one known for the excellence of its product design. It discusses how the company came to use design as a differentiator and for competitive advantage. It describes the steps that Samsung took on the people, process, and system fronts to improve its design capabilities. The case also talks about Samsung's design philosophy, and ends with a brief discussion on the use of design as a competitive advantage.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the format wars among major players in the global consumer electronics industry
• Compare and contrast the strategies that a company adopted in similar situations but at two different points in time
• Understand the issues concerning new technology and their adoption.

Keywords

Samsung Electronics, Design strategy, Competitive advantage, Role of design in purchase decisions, Design philosophy, Design in consumer electronics, Design centers, Design excellence, Samsung Bordeaux