You will recall that GAVI Fund was the silvery lining of the cloud. Linux, Wikis brought in a new form of collaboration in the world. Coupled with outsourcing business model all over the world we are observing a new business model growing: Crowdsourcing.

The rise and grow of crowdsourcing is mind blowing. When you think that the word was only coined in June 2006 by Wired Magazine.

Procter & Gamble, and many world leaders companies have joined in band wagon in this business model and have already benefited largely in specific fields where crowdsourcing can provide lucrative solutions.

“The main advantages of crowdsourcing are that innovative ideas can be explored at relatively little cost. Furthermore, it also helps reduce costs. For example if customers reject a particular design, it can easily be scrapped. Though disappointing, this is far less expensive than developing high volumes of a product that no one wants. Crowdsourcing is also related to terms like Collective Customer Commitment (CCC) and Mass Customization. Collective Customer Commitment (CCC) involves integrating customers into innovation processes. It helps companies exploit a pool of talent and ideas and it also helps firms avoid product flops. Mass Customization is somewhat similar to collective customer commitment; however, it also helps companies avoid making risky decisions about what components to prefabricate and thus avoids spending for products which may not be marketable later.”

I see in crowdsourcing a more efficient way of developing innovative products as well as a way to market test the product. Some application in designing T-shirts and its production are well on stream. This could very well work for innovative fashion garments in Mauritius.