The sure sign of a trendy term's decline is when you hear your parents use it in a sentence. Sure, some stuff happened, and some things have changed, but this "new economy" isn't as revolutionary as the pundits make it out to be, just as the upcoming recession will not be the Armageddon current hype would indicate. But that's not what concerns me. What I don't like is that we're all ignoring the less talked about, but certainly more "real" new emerging economies.

What's that, you say? You hadn't heard about any other new economies? There are several, but here's a few:

The "Marketing-Freeconomy"

Do you hate spam? In the future, spam-haters may become their own economic force, demanding access to products and services without being subjected to marketing messages or advertising of any type. They will have special filters on their Internet client software and ad blocking on their TV sets. They will close their eyes when they see a billboard on the highway. But they still want the convenience of timely information about products that will solve their problems, but without having to filter through the messages broadcast to the rest of the world. How will companies figure out how to find these customers and make them aware of their products? Beats me. These same customers also won't want to give you any personal information that helps tell you when it's okay to sell to them. Even if you only talk to customers who "pull" the information from you, how do you get them to even know you exist? We should all buy stock in the company that figures this one out.

The "Microconomy", aka "Segmented Economy," aka "Economies of One"

This is 1to1 marketing on a soaring caffeine high. In the future, we may see a dizzying array of product configurations for many more products as companies try to win choice by creating specific product varieties for smaller and smaller market niches. Through technology, it's plausible that a customer's needs will always be served, no matter how unique they are or how small their representation from the larger market. The critical challenge will come when companies must serve multiplying interests using the same amount of resources. A plausible scenario is the breakup of massive corporations into tightly integrated partner companies. Competition also changes, as market splintering will open the door to smaller, more agile rivals who can be faster to market. You'll know we've made it when you see cars with lefty shift sticks.

But the new economy I'd really like to discuss is:

The "Self-Serve Economy"

If you want something done right, then do it yourself. I pump my own gas (I don't even know where the full-serve station is). At Starbucks, I put my own milk and sugar in my coffee, and it's always the right amount. At some supermarkets I've been to, there are checkout aisles where you scan all your own barcodes into the register and bag your own groceries. What is often the most profitable meal at a restaurant? Why, a buffet, of course.

Can you see the trend here? In the near future, it's quite likely the self-serve phenomena will permeate more businesses, perhaps becoming the default service style of the next millenium. The beauty of self service is it pushes decision making downstream to the customer (so you don't have to guess as much), while simultaneously reducing your costs and increasing your speed and flexibility. You can serve more customers, more greatly ensure their satisfaction, and also collect data that helps you plan operationally and create more accurate market strategies. It closes the "flow loop" of any "lean enterprise" by creating a true "pull" system that involves customers.

With current emerging technologies poised to make mass-customized goods a more mainstream reality, the timing for an increase in self-service approaches is ripe for industries where customers are traditionally reliant on provided services and for products with previously limited configurations. Basically, the more choices you present to customers, the greater the need for a self-service approach.

Truly, there are multiple "new" economies. And, as we've seen over the past year, their budding development is often strewn with casualties. What's important for product developers is to understand their nuances, whether or not we are still active in the workforce when they finally come to fruition. The trick is not to forget traditional techniques, but to evolve them to these developing scenarios.

I leave you with the following statement from a former officer of a certain computer company that many are envious of.

Former CIO of Dell Computer, Jerry Gregoire, on Amazon.com's future:

It's Superfactory!

When I was sent a link to this site, at first the name reminded me of Mary Poppins. Supercalafactorylisticexpialadocious. Then I came to my senses and realized the site had nothing to do with magic nannies at all. Rather, I found a nice portal for manufacturing knowledge.

Yeah, we all know "portals" are clichι now, but many of the more niche locations still serve a purpose. Superfactory is effective in its tight focus and simple site layout. Anyone responsible for managing a manufacturing operation is sure to find something of value. Here are the highlights:

Manufacturing Resources - This is a nice breakdown of several categories of interest, including human factors, events, lean concepts, organizations and more. Here you'll find lists of links to articles, other websites, and resources.

Communities - What portal is complete without a communities section? Many different communities have been set up to serve various manufacturing groups. Within each are resources for news, links, discussion forums and networking databases.

Library - Every portal has an "Amazon" section with fast access to buy books in this area. This one is no different, well stocked and with a book buying interface we're all familiar with.

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