The symbol originates from a Japanese management planning technique called "Mandala". The core product application is placed in the middle of the grid, and new uses derived from that are placed in the surrounding rectangles. Each one of them is in turn placed in the middle of a new grid (so now you have eight new grids) and you can derive new uses for each one of them.
For example, Hitachi would start from 'fine-mechanics' as the core competence, the businesses where this core competence would be essential and beneficial are cameras, copiers etc. Now create a new grid to the side with copiers in the centre. Hitachi could do personal copiers, colour copiers, print copiers etc.
Smart Media's core competence lies in building Internet based business applications. These can be ecommerce, intranets, extranets, human resource applications, intranet enabled kiosk applications.
The grid above illustrates how the Mandala approach was applied to our Intelligent Intranet product.
The Mandala Chart was developed by Matsumura Yasuo, founder of Clover Management Research and of the Mandala Chart Association, who describes it as "the practical framework of wisdom".
The Mandala Chart is a lens through which you can see the big picture, the small detail, and the connections all at once. All essential aspects for creating software that is fit for business purpose. And that is exactly what we at Smart Media care about.