Cynthia Theriault Essay -- Design and Technology

Cynthia TheriaultDocumentum, Inc.Documentum, a atomic number 14 Valley startup, is the first to market with anenterprise-scale document management solution make from standardrelational database technologies in combination with object-orientedmethodologies. The bundle enables people to collaboratively create,manage, deliver, and instrument the content that drives businessoperations. The Company is at the crossroads of market strategies. Jeff Miller, the innovative CEO of Documentation, is faced with the questionwhether to undertake an innovative, but unproven, market pickaxeprocess presented by Geoffrey Moore, a well-known Silicon Valleymarketing pundit.Boeing (aerospace market) and Syntex (pharmaceutical market) were thefirst two customers of Documentum. During a prospect meeting withBoeing, Documentum realized that their immature harvest-home did not havereference material for the customer. Additionally, during themeeting, presenters spoke of the products technical architect ureinstead of telling Boeing what the product would do for theircompany. Documentum was not meeting the customers expectationsbecause they were not communicating on the customers level. During ameeting with Syntex, Documentum realized that their core software wasnot universal. The core technology had to be customized for eachindustry. It was a inviolable product, which validated their concept thatcompanies needed an easy and accurate way to sell and archivedocuments.In t...