Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 21.4
(See color insert.)
TWI's irst product from the 3-D process using the BOP.
21.3.3 Business Factors
In parallel, the TWI BoP team investigated how this unit could be brought to the market-
place with a proit. Proit allows self-sustaining growth of the TWI business to spread the
innovation and thereby solve water puriication problems on a large scale.
The total cost of the unit as conceived by iterating between the other elements of innova-
tion resulted in a “Xerox” business model. When Xerox created the irst copier, the machine
was a breakthrough; however, the initial price of the machine was too great for many busi-
nesses. Thus, Xerox created a novel business model in which it rented the machines to
companies, sometimes distributing the cost on a per-copy basis. TWI followed a similar
model by installing the unit in a home and then charging for water use. The risks of this
model were collecting continuous revenue and needing TWI to inance the units.
An additional feature of the model is a common one stipulated by the BoP protocol, in
which local entrepreneurs would sell the units, a variant of the franchise model except
there is no franchise fee.
21.3.4 Converging on 3-D
Once TWI established the database, and as it accumulated more knowledge about POD
markets and business factors, we do not need to reinvestigate those areas. However,
because different regions have different water quality problems, TWI does need to keep
the options open regarding the set of technologies and what the detailed market applica-
tion needs as it solves a new water problem in a different region. This realization is the key
to solving water problems worldwide; it is the reason TWI is a unique worldwide pure-play
