Abstract: The importance of product platforms for latecomer complex industrial enterprises to gain competitive advantages has been fully discussed. However, the independence of product platforms and the mechanism behind didn’t receive ample attention. Product platform independence is significant for improving technological innovation level and production efficiency of complex industrial products. In China, it is more urgent to construct and accumulates a constantly updated independent product technology platform in the process of technology catch-up. Compared with the micro-factors of the product platform, the interpretation from the organizational level and the interaction between the organization and the external context gets closer to the essence of organizational competition. Therefore, based on the existing research, we select two state-owned enterprises, CNR Dalian Locomotive & Rolling Stock Co., LTD and FAW CAR CO., LTD, which have great differences in platform independence.
With comparative cases study to analyze the key factors of product platform independence by comparing the research and development process of the typical product platforms of the two companies. Internal mechanism research of enterprise product technology platform independence will better guide the construction of a product platform for those later-come enterprises. We explore the main influencing factors of platform-independence and the mechanism between those factors. The conclusions are as follows:
First, product-market structures, technology strategy, resource orchestration model are the major influencing factors of platform independence. Through the comparison of the cases above, independent product platform plays a key role in the continuous innovation of products and technologies in complex industrial enterprises. And technology strategy is an important antecedent factor in the construction of autonomous platforms. In cases of CNR and FAW, the two different technology strategies of “host-orientation” and “away-orientation” led to differences of product platforms for independence. Therefore, in the process of constructing the independent product platform of the later-come enterprise, the appropriate technology strategy should be selected in combination with the product-market structure. The technology introduction process should emphasize more technical cooperation rather than simple technology transfer. Especially in the process of technology introduction, the TMT should fully consider the requirements of platform independence and targeted response to the requirements.
Second, under the influence of product-market structure and technology strategies, enterprises with different platform-independence choose different resource orchestration models: multiple orchestration and single splicing. Under the interaction between technological strategy and organizational resource coordination, there will be significant differences in the organization of resource orchestration modes－multi-resource orchestration and simple resource splicing. Report to a single resource splicing, multivariate resource orchestration not only has significant differences in resource efficiency but also directly affects the transition process between organizational heterogeneous resource possession and organizational capability. With simple resource splicing, organizations will gradually lose the ability to build platforms. While organizations under the multi-resource orchestration mode gradually get their independent platform building capabilities, ultimately achieving platform-independence. Therefore, for the independent product platform construction, the enterprises should select the multi-resource coordination mode under the guidance of the “host-orientation” technology strategy to build the platform construction capability.
Third, the close interaction between products-market structures, technology strategy, resource orchestration models ultimate impact platform-independence. This study specifies the cause of the difference between product platform independence and the mechanisms of building an independent platform, which complements existing research on product platform. Through the comparative analysis above, the difference in product-market structure results in the difference of technology strategy, which leads to the difference of resource orchestration mode, and ultimately leads to the difference of platform independence. The difference between product and market structure as relatively objective situational factors determines different technical strategies. And Different technological strategies have further led to separate resource concerto modes. Under the guidance of the technology strategy of “cooperative consulting”, enterprises can more effectively internalize of external resources and improve bundling and utilization of internal and external resources. With technology purchase and the huge differences between internal and external technical resources, it is difficult for enterprises to achieve effectively the integration of internal and external resources, and lose the ability to build platform independent eventually. The formation mechanism of independent platforms at the organizational level is neglected by the previous product platform research. Therefore, the research on the influencing factors and the formation mechanism of the platform independence can further enrich the existing research on product platforms.
According to the conclusions above, our research also has some management implications. First, the independence of the product platform, in essence, is the construction of the product platform leadership in the process of product platform accumulation. Product platform leadership means a dominant position in platform construction and improvement of the technical prospect. Built on the comparative study, the main influencing factors of product platform independence are product-market structure, technology strategy, and resource coordination mode. The interaction between the three determines the difference of the final product platform independence. Therefore, those later-come enterprises should focus on the product-market structures, technology strategy choices and resource orchestration mode selections during the process of the product platform building.
Besides, according to the research conclusions, the choice of technology strategy and the effectiveness of resource coordination and the matching of the two factors are critical to the success of technology catch-up. Therefore, in the early stage of technology strategy selection, later-come industrial enterprises should pay more attention to the technology introduction strategy model of cooperation and consultation, and better not rely solely on the purchase and license of external technology. The later-come industrial enterprises can gradually realize the independence of the product platform through benign technical cooperation and interactive processes to get rid of the technical disadvantages and achieve technological catch-up.

Key words: products-market structures, technology strategy, resource orchestration, product platform, independence