5.5 Historic development
The four Business Orientations are reflected in the historical development of the modern economy.
Until the Industrial Revolution, the majority of economic needs were met through the Expert Orientation. People sought out craftsmen for tailored solutions, such as shoes from cobblers, clothes from tailors, hats from hatters, furniture from joiners, and tools from blacksmiths. In shops, goods were not available for Self-Service selection in the form of products; instead, shopkeepers provided individual consultations, weighed the agreed quantity, wrapped the chosen items, and so on. The Packaging industry did not yet exist, as Product and Self-Service Orientations were not yet in place. Customers at that time were not abstract participants in impersonal markets but concrete, real individuals. Infrastructures for civic, legal, educational, trade, transport, urban, and communication Self-Service—both private and public—were underdeveloped.
Looking from the past toward future trends, craftsmanship forms the baseline of the pyramid, stretching toward future mass production, Self-Service infrastructures, and commoditization.
An imaginary view from the future—or perhaps even the present—might reveal a reversed pyramid, where most things, processes, and even cultural values have been commoditized due to globalization and its underlying infrastructure and information systems.