Full Inclusion through open source as a business principle at Ultimaker
A lot has been published and discussed about the way of working of Generation Y – the first generation that grew up with the Internet as an integral part of their world. And many people wonder how the future workforce can be integrated in the existing system. Instant feedback is one of the obvious aspects often highlighted. But what about the expectation of being able to contribute – just like in a liquid democracy? Can this be integrated in a business setting? Free participation is already reflected in the ‘open source’ approach of software such as Linux. Now, a Dutch company, Ultimaker, has applied these principles to its business model. The firm produces 3D printersand they use an open source way of working for developing and improving their products.
At first glance it may sound unbelievable: Ultimaker put their construction drawings and software codes online. The company explains on their website that this way of working provides them the opportunity to develop innovative technology to a higher extent. But whether this information is actually coming directly from Ultimaker is not even clear as the website itself also contains open source content. It is hence possible for everyone to add, change or delete information. This details points to one of the big question marks associated with open source working, and clearly we are not even close to a solution of this aspect. But for Ultimaker, the open source strategy seems to work at least for the moment or as a first mover: they have won several awards and are frequently invited to conferences to talk about their product and their way of working.
While open source approaches have obvious merits, the difficulties are particularly relevant in business contexts: A strategic focus does not allow contributions to go in different directions as this would either divert from the path or create losses of energy. “Liquid democracy creates the expectation that everyone can do everything they like – regardless of strength, skills or potential”, comments Diversity guru Michael Stuber, “and this cannot [yet] be integrated into our current business system which relies on efficiency, effectiveness and achievement”. The question is, to what extend the business world will be changed by the new culture.
So far, open source strategies have been used selectively, e.g. by Wikipedia, Linux, Arduino, and the DIY drones by Chris Anderson. In each of these cases, it made specific sense to give everyone the opportunity to provide ideas and opinions. In doing so, the range of perspectives may improve product, which would mean development but not innovation. Experts doubt that the approach could be used within companies, where coherence is key to ensure key processes work and gear into each other. But what if the expectation of future talent is to be able to comment on almost everything, just like on social networks?
