Elecom is one of the biggest suppliers of peripherals, I/O devices, and PC and smartphone accessories (such as mouse pads, mouse devices, keyboards, and earphones). The market for peripherals and accessories are directly affected by any changes made to the primary products, PCs and smartphones. This is an intensely competitive market because of the low barrier to entry and the large number of players. Many “new” products are usually upgraded versions of existing products, offering both enhanced features and lower prices. Elecom’s product line is easily the broadest in the industry. In addition, many Elecom products have secured the top share in their product category. The company introduces a much larger number of new products than its competitors in any given year. It should also be noted that Elecom’s salesforce far exceeds the competition in terms of numbers. These salespeople spur sales by making frequent visits to consumer electronics stores, the company’s main sales channel. At these retail outlets, members of Elecom’s sales staff improve displays and make product pitches to customers.Elecom does not have factories. Merchandise is procured from numerous suppliers. The company focuses its internal product development efforts on carefully selected cutting-edge products. The company monitors the profitability of each product, sales person and sales office. For each product category, Elecom creates 'tripod' teams, called 'Category Owner Teams' (usually shortened to 'COTs'). These teams consist of three employees, one each from R&D, procurement, and sales. COTs are responsible for product planning, product launches, and product termination. The effective utilization of COTs is what enables Elecom to efficiently manage such a broad product line.