Digital Imaging Strategy of Kodak

Running head: BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Business management
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Table of Contents
Digital imaging strategy of Kodak..................................................................................................2
Evolution in the strategy of Kodak..............................................................................................3
Reasons for the strategic failure......................................................................................................4
Wrong adaptation of digital technologies....................................................................................4
Rigidity........................................................................................................................................4
Globalization................................................................................................................................5
Identification of the alternatives......................................................................................................6
Holistic adaptation of the change................................................................................................6
Business diversification...............................................................................................................7
Innovation in product development.............................................................................................8
Learning for other companies..........................................................................................................9
Accurate forecasting....................................................................................................................9
Importance of customer centricity...............................................................................................9
Importance of customer feedback..............................................................................................11
Reference.......................................................................................................................................12

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Digital imaging strategy of Kodak
During the period between 1992 and 2013, the business strategy of Kodak was based on
the approach of operating as a holistic picture business over juts offering photography solutions.
This refers to the fact that they tried to offer different solutions in relation to photography to the
customers. During this period, the major external trend that was being faced by Kodak is the
emergence of the digital imaging technology, which changed the existing scenario of traditional
imaging processes. In terms of these digital imaging trends in the market in the late nineties, the
approach of Kodak was offering hybrid solutions (Gershon 2013). It is identified from the given
case that accepting the digital imaging technologies in fully fledged manner was not a viable and
possible option for them as it would have affected the existing competitive advantages. This is
due to the reason that Kodak was the industry leader in the traditional process of imaging. They
have built a dedicated ecosystem of photography services under which Kodak was having retail
outlets for chemical based photo processing across the world. Thus, transforming the business
entirely towards the digital technologies would have made this infrastructure ineffective and
obsolete. In this case, Kodak came up with the hybrid solutions of integrating the digital imaging
technologies in the existing business process of Kodak (Dalcher 2014).
This includes enhancing the augmented services of the core offerings of Kodak by means
of the digital technologies. It is also identified that this hybrid approach was initiated based on
the forecasting that image capturing process will continue to be dominated by the conventional
mediums. According to the digital imaging technologies initiated by Kodak, customer
conveniences were increased in the process of accessing the printed photographs. For example,
Kodak installed self service kiosk in their retail stores located across the world where the
customers were able to edit and print the captured photos. In addition, this service also enabled

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the customers in getting their printed photographs digitally scanned. Thus, the core process of
capturing the photo remained same for Kodak but the delivering process for changed on the basis
of the digital imaging technologies. With the help of this picture maker kiosk, Kodak was able to
integrate both the digital and traditional imaging technologies and over the best value
propositions to the customers (Cuthbertson, Furseth and Ezell 2015). On the other hand, it is also
identified that Kodak leveraged on the digital imaging technologies in improving the quality of
the printed photos. The pixel density and lasting ability of the printed photos got improved with
the help of the digital technologies. Thus, it can be concluded that Kodak utilized the digital
imaging technologies as complementary to their core and existing process rather than based
entirely on the new technologies.
Evolution in the strategy of Kodak
However, on the other hand, it is also identified that in the mid nineties, Kodak changed
their hybrid approach of accepting the digital imaging technologies by introducing the quickTake
camera as the cheapest digital camera in the world at that time. This is also identified that with
the emergence of the digital imaging technologies, Kodak aimed at changing their business
process rather than the entire business. Thus, the customer conveniences got increased with the
acceptances of the digital technologies with the core process remaining the same (Ray Gehani
2013). It should also be noted that internet played an important role in the digital imaging
technologies of Kodak. This is due to the reason that on the basis of internet connectivity, they
introduced Kodak Picture Network and Photonet. With the help of picture network, customers
can digitized their printed photos and get them uploaded to the personal internet account. On the
other hand, photonet helped the customers in uploading their digitized photos and getting them
printed. The process of capturing the photo and getting it delivered for the customers got easier