Introduction
Market driven management is one of the modern techniques developed to bring significant changes into a business through addressing the principle aspects affecting the performance of the business. Some of these aspects include aggressive competition, rapid technology changes, and utilization of spare capacity, increasing requirements and demands of the clients and rising costs of products and services. The adoption of market driven management techniques thus assists in addressing roadblocks or obstacles that somewhat serve as tools in the transformation of an organization.

Market Driven Management - The 5 C's
The market driven management as generally agreed upon by a number of management experts and economics include what are termed as the 5 C's. These are 'costs, capabilities, customers, competitors, and cross functional teams'.

Taking each of the 5 C's in brief, one may observe that costs require to be understood and emphasis for lowering the same on a constant basis. Capabilities take into account the ability of the organization, and whether this ability fulfill the requirements and needs of the market. The customers must well be studied and there real needs fully comprehended to provide for a better product or set of services. The aspect of competition duly considers and assesses the performance and strategies of competitors, in turn allowing the organization to develop plans and strategies accordingly. The last aspect of cross-functional teams takes into account the inclusion of concerned members of the organization, including the management and the employees in the entire process of development of products and services of the respective organization.

Thus, all these 5 C's of market driven management serve to

a) Define principle issues and areas of priorities in an organization.
b) Serve to provide impetus for re-focusing the organization in recognizing the principle issues.
c) Allows the organization to correctly evaluate and calculate the actual value of economics of each respective department or business segment
d) Serve to provide end markets for the organization
e) And ensure that strategies and plans once finalized need due assessment.

Lambin Theory of Market Driven Management
Perhaps one of the most successful and popular market driven management theories has been one presented by Jean Jacques Lambin. Theory presented by Lambin takes on a truly market oriented approach, as it not only challenges the traditional concepts of marketing, it adopts and emphasizes on the 'functional' role of marketing. Lambin's theory thus enlarges the market definition to include the principle players such as competitors, distributors, as well as prescribes, as well as the various customer groups present in the wider macro-marketing environment. Furthermore, Lambin also takes into account the marketing strategy and shows how strategic decisions are implemented at the organization's operational level. Perhaps best proven from the case studies on manufacturing, service sector, consumer and business-to-business sectors, Lambin's theory of market driven approach provides an excellent module for organizations both at the national level, as well as the international level. Lambin's theory thus serves as an excellent guide to market-oriented management, international management principles, day-to-day needs for a guidance to long term strategy in organizations duly supported by an information system, and strategies which duly serve the changing and demanding needs of a competitive global environment.

Case Studies of Different Products
One of the vital areas where impact of market driven management has been most felt are the brand strategies of international organizations. Unlike to earlier practice of developing brands adapted to the needs of the local markets, the examples of which can be found in multi-domestic marketing, market driven management strategies duly favors the development of global brands which comprise of the same product, exactly the same name, and enjoys the same position in all the markets. One of the best examples of present day organizations practicing such a strategy is that of Unilever of England which has concentrated its entire focus on some 400 brands, all of which have international presence, or those which have international potential. This also brings us to discuss one of the strategies addressed in Lambin's theory, one that emphasizes on global brad creation.

In pursuing strategies to create global brands, majority of the organizations have adopted two types of strategies. The first takes into account the expansion of the local brand in international markets. Examples of such strategies can be observed in products such as 'Evian' a mineral water brand, which first found fame in France, before expanding to the international markets. Similar strategy was observed in the expansion of 'Barilla', a pasta brand from Italy, which enjoys a leading name in pasta brands worldwide, before being famous in Italy. Another product, 'Nivea' produced by Beirersdorfin of Germany also pursued a similar strategy and became famous first in Germany, then across the expanse of Europe, and than worldwide. The example of Coca-Cola need not be mentioned, which also pursed exactly similar strategy. Some of the primary advantages in oursuing such a strategy includes creation of a winning local brand, and increasing its chances of success. Pursuit of such a strategy also allows the organization to 'progressively' build up a brand on a truly international basis, one that would be a less risky proposition, and equally less expensive for the respective organization. The pursuit of such a strategy also ensures that minimal expenses are incurred, even if the expansion on a global scale fails for a given product.

The second such strategy comprises of creating a brand that is global from the first day of its production. Such brands are launched on a global scale at the same time, with Procter and Gamble as one such organization. Products launched in such a manner include Pringles, Swiffer and Kangoo, all of which have indeed become famous through out the world at the same time. One of the primary advantages of pursuing such a strategy is to launch a product in such a rapid speed, same name, and placing in practically every market, in turn benefiting from the requisite economies of scale. One of the only drawbacks is the huge investment that are a requisite for the same product to be launched across the globe, yet remaining unsure on the success or otherwise of the product. However, a simple comparison between the above first strategy and the second strategy shows that majority of the products that became famous did so from the pursuit of the first strategy, one where brands are first made famous locally, and then expanded on a international markets.

Irrespective of the policy pursued, the product's movement to the international markets indeed has some benefits. For example, the benefit gained from the large economies of scale is truly important for the organization as well as the product's popularity across the globe. The benefits gained in turn provide impetus to the different business systems of the organization. In addition, the important department of research and development is concentrated in fewer international locations, making the manufacturing process rational, and through pursuit of standardization the organization not only benefits of large scale economies of scale, it also provides for a significant reduction in the costs of the respect products. In turn this also provides for significance in the improvements of financial status and performance of the organization. Perhaps, one of the largest benefits is the creation of a truly unique image on a global scale. This image provides the organization with a 'coherence' status, as well as allows the organization to develop a single advertising campaign and advantages of using international media through the same single advertisement. (Schiling and Lambin, 2004)

Case Study of GE Plastics and Lambin's Theory of Market Driven Management
One of the best examples of utilizing Lambin's theory of market driven management has perhaps been found to be practiced by GE Plastics of the International General Electric conglomerate. Acknowledging the value of real time, and perceiving time as money, and perhaps pressurized to initiate significant cuts in costs as well as take on a more rapid pace in response to the 'increasing volatility in the market place'. GE with a truly wide of range of products and services spread across the globe is one of the conglomerates that is continuously taking on the shape of a truly digital enterprise. Practically every process from the activities of the production workers to the details of each minute financial transaction is made available to the numerous plant and corporate managers at GE. Pursuing a real-time revolution, GE has responded well through building the various processes, which have speeded up the organization's ability to the equally rapidly paced and competitive environment. Using complex sensing equipment’s such as radio frequency sensors, global positioning satellites and worker monitoring software, to software which operate in-house payroll departments to off-shore factories across the globe, GE has thus truly transformed and utilized some of the most modern and state of the art technology, which has reduced speeds to provide for split-second results. (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

An example to this respect can be found at General Electric headquarters where a single individual is responsible for monitoring what GE terms its mission-critical operations. These include monitoring of sales, daily order rates, inventory levels, including keeping a watch on the savings from automation from the conglomerate's 13 different businesses spread across the globe, and doing all this with a gap of every 15 minutes. The so called 'digital-cockpits' of GE showing graphical depictions of the details on minute to minute basis covering various business performances across the entire landscape of GE are then checked by electronic robots who send test transactions through the entire system, taking no more than a few seconds to accomplish the entire operation. A trigger to send automated responses through e-mail or inquiry whenever a yellow then follows this or red marks the urgent nature of the status. According to the management at GE, the idea is not to respond at the end of the month, end of the quarter or at the end of the week, and instead take action on a continual basis.

Taking a brief tour of GE workings, and its gradual move towards digitizing, one may observe that in the last couple of years, GE has successfully digitized each single activity and operation by creating a digital nervous system. This digital nervous system connects practically everything including the organization's IT systems, factories, employees and suppliers spread across the globe, customers and its vast range of products. The objective behind the strategy of making everything digital 'is to monitor everything in real time'. This has been successfully accomplished through the use of sensitive sensors to gauge performance of jet engines and other machinery in aircraft’s to the tracking devices which monitor customer payments, and exactly what it would take to get the same customers make faster payments. (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

E-buy, E-make, and E-sell
The above mentioned strategy of making everything turn digital has been segregated into three principle areas, namely E-buy, E-make, and E-sell respectively. Thus, GE's digitization drive notes that E-make is all about using the digital cockpit which serves as the hub for entire interaction within the GE organization, and strives to make things and activities operate and run at a faster pace.

The second strategy of E-sell is one where interaction with the GE global customers is speeded up. An example to this respect is the GE Polymerland Web, which has helped customer’s easy access to for researching GE's resin products and prices. An accomplishment to this respect is the GE strategy of cutting some 300,000-phone calls per year to service its representatives across the globe. The result of this tremendous cutting is rise in speeds at which customers gain access to GE, and the response by GE, as also cutting unit's costs by 35 percent over a five year period. Using the technique of E-selling, GE has also gained its sales as well as cutting back on costs by up to 60 percent, aside from enhancing the speed of the entire operations.

The third strategy of E-buy tackles GE's global suppliers, interacting with them in a better and faster pace. An example to this respect was observed in GE's web-based auctions, which fetched more than 680 million dollars in 2001 alone. In addition, there was the factor of precious time saved from these auctions. Prior to the adoption of digital technology, GE's customers were not quite aware of the products, or what GE actually expected from their buyers. With the introduction of new system, buyers are able to buy off pre-negotiated contracts, which saves precious time, money as well as investments and efforts, which would otherwise be wasted. (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

Though requiring a smaller investment, yet the vital area of billing was too enhanced, and significant improvements made at GE. For example, GE collected additional data on customers with a practice of making late payments on their bills. GE initiated a process through which payment information on such customers was collected, and duly passed on the respective salesperson of the respective area. Thus, the services of the would-be collector was eliminated and instead the salesperson was utilized to make the collection, a strategy which alone saved a significant 6 million dollars in interest payments for GE's global business.

Stressing on savings on both time and money, and making an excellent relationship thereof, GE has thus been able to create a truly 'cocktail explosive of time based change' intended to eliminate inefficiencies by utilizing 'the ability the gather, use and disseminate' information. At the same time, many experts may view the adoption of and getting to real-time parameters as requiring huge investments in terms of both technology as well as human resources. Yet, the levels accomplished by GE are not unique, as other organizations are equally competing to reach such levels. Examples to this respects may be found in response to call center inquiries which have witnessed a tremendous fall, from as long as 8 hours a few years back, to less than 10 seconds today. The practice of refreshing a data warehouse took approximately a month's time, which today has dropped to less than an hour. The time to make a custom-built personal computer was something like 6 weeks, an endeavor accomplished today in less than 24 hours. All these activities are evidence of accomplishments at increasing value of real time, and earnings thereof. (For GE, digitization efforts alone saved the organization approximately 1.6 billion dollars as of 2001). (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

Gaining on Strategic Advantage and Changing Conditions
The GE's cockpit model, which uses digital technology for practically each action and focuses on real-time movements, is also about strategic advantage. The strategic advantage concerns the monitoring of business on a continual basis, and reacting to the change as and when they occur, instead of simply shooting in the dark, as is perhaps the practice of majority of today's organizations. This is yet again a follow-up of Lambin's theory of market driven management, which emphasized on adapting to the changes and reacting thereof.

GE has duly taken on this concept, and integrated it into its sales strategy for example. Using the technique of real time, GE has been able to use new information and merge it with the existing information and while doing so, offer new products and services as well. For example in 2000 GE introduced the concept of online kiosks at some of the company's existing branches of the 'Home Depot'. The Online facility thus offers customers the facility to order an appliance, select a delivery date and time, as well as instantly inform whether their particular request will or will not be honored. (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

Perhaps the greatest advantages of adopting real time accompanied by the cockpit module for GE, has been the need for weekly operations reports. Prior to the induction and use of digital cockpit, some of the operations figures were not available till the end of the week. With the current system of digital cockpits, information is uploaded on a continual basis, and action taken upon immediately. For example, past-due invoices allows salespersons to find out the exact amount of leverage available to them over price, in turn allowing them to act on such figures accordingly to the benefit of the organization.

Some Drawbacks of Real Time and Digitization Concepts
Though GE has made tremendous advancements in the adoption of real time value based systems, and digital cockpits to control and monitor with significant benefits to the organization, there are some serious flaws as well. For example, the aspect of huge investments as also reiterated in the above paragraphs. GE spent approximately 1.5 billion-dollar in employee time, hardware, software and other expenses to acquire real time based systems around the globe. Second drawback is one, which addresses the aspects of trusts and monitoring. GE's command and control digitized system serves to disrupt the important element of local decisions making, as this is being carried out from the headquarters. It also serves to force responsibilities at local level, an aspect that is the domain of the local decision making official/representative. Critics of GE's modern modules are of the view that today's organizations are need of US marine style management or doctrine where micro-management does not exist, and where local decisions are the responsibility of the local representative, and not the center or command. Other equally important drawbacks include the loss of human labor and rise in unemployment, as both these aspects owe their rise to the expansion of digital technology. According to estimates predicted by Cap Gemini Earnest & Young, the gradual rise in real-time initiatives could lead a rise of unemployment from anywhere 2 to 2.5 percent, simply from the labor savings in technology. Similarly, GE's own research vice president has noted during a conference on real time enterprises, that the organization was able to make savings to the tune of 3 million dollars from the cut in payroll costs in 2001 alone, and by the year 2005, GE will have reduced its total workforce by 10 percent. These are aside from the eruption of skirmishes on the sensitive labor-management relations from the close monitoring practices adopted under the real time initiatives and maneuvers, and the various challenges faced by the management while taking along the organization towards a real-time movement. (Bellini and Fingar, 2003; Ranadive, 1999; Bradley and Nolan, 1998)

The above discussion thus provides for a comprehensive and detailed set of practices adopted from the Lambin’s theory of market driven management, including the extent and height of accomplishments as well as some drawbacks.