Market Segmentation is an area where public shared knowledge is sparse, but is believed will bring value to the CPS community through contributions towards expanding such a knowledge base. Identifying segments is frequently an important factor for tailoring technology to meet needs that will be desirable for the most relevant customers. This technique enables an analysis of customer profitability and where to compete, it also can show hurdles to be solved and reveals customers previously unrecognised.

A key point to note here is that Segmentation is looking up from a technology to split customers into groups rather than a customer looking down and grouping technologies (which we are familiar with in usual market studies).

A second point is that for CPS the customer is usually an other organisation rather than individual (i.e. B2B). This means the types of grouping characteristics include Business Demographics (e.g. Age, Size), Operating Variables (e.g. how products are used or technologies implemented), Purchasing approach (e.g. purchasing policy, structure of purchase department), Personal Characteristics (e.g. Socioeconomics, personality of a purchasing team).

We ask for your feedback below which presents general group characteristics between SME, LE, Europe, US, Civil, Defence. Please use your name and organisation when voting or providing arguments.

in particilaur if you could provide input to at least one of these domain specific cases it would be appreciated:

Health Care Examples
http://www.tricider.com/brainstorming/3WGdmge4PpZ

Manufacturing Examples
http://www.tricider.com/brainstorming/3WGdmge4PpZ

Transport Examples
http://www.tricider.com/brainstorming/3djMRtKdvTB

Energy Examples
http://www.tricider.com/brainstorming/3djMRtKdvTB

For more discussions, see platforum.proj.kth.se. This initiative provides feedback to the European Commission.