In this article Dr. Stephen Sweid is sharing a few secrets of the analogy method that has been refined throughout the years. Suggested techniques render this method more user friendly, but also allow it to generate WOW type new ideas that are more compatible (for integration) and that work in the real world, e.g. in the market.
Innovation is highly relevant to every organization. Yet, eighty percent of innovation projects never reach the market. Many have a false start. My new book is written to inspire you with practical tools on HOW to start innovation effectively. The process of innovation is a process that many struggle to master.“What is the right moment?” “How do I discover what customers want?” “How do I get breakthrough ideas?” “How do I get internal support?”
Once you’ve got the green light from your boss, your innovation board or financer, it’s once again up to you to deliver the concept you’ve promised them.Depending on the nature of your new concept,in the next step you will deliver a prototype, a full business case or interested business or technology partners who will join the product development team.
Most new ideas don’t lead to new successful products or services. Six out of seven new concepts never reach the market. Lack of support at top management is an important explanation. In my professional practice I made - and saw a lot of mistakes being made in the way innovators present their ideas.
What a brilliant idea! That’s what a lot of people think after a new idea pops into their minds. Or it’s something someone says at the end of a wonderful ideation workshop where a team of colleagues has just brainstormed new concepts. Of course, at that very moment it looks and feels like utter brilliance. Just like adoring parents swooning over their child. But, in this instance is it really justified?
You might talk the talk of innovation. But do you walk the walk? Or, more realistically, are you doing some herky-jerky semblance of a walk that’s not getting you very far?
Innovation is difficult because your potential users need to change their behavior. And why should they? That’s the question! You will have to give them a strong reason why! So start solving a relevant problem.
Often there’s suddenly an urgent need for something new. We need to innovate. But what are we looking for? If that’s unclear, how can you come up with new concepts that will make everybody happy?
The life cycle of products decreased by factor 4 the last fifty years. Innovation is essential. But it is difficult, risky and it demands a lot of resources. It’s no walk in the park. Innovation is an expedition.
While idea management is nothing new to the innovation discipline, it seems there are new idea management software systems continuing to surface with great frequency. I am not sure what the latest count is, but search the term ‘idea management software’ and you get over 59 million results. This article takes a look at what steps you can take to choose an idea management system that is right for you and your organization.
“Open innovation” is a technique that is gaining greater consideration these days. For many companies, this practice has the potential to help them quickly and efficiently harness the new ideas they need in a volatile and uncertain business environment. It also may accelerate and de-risk progress from idea to launch. To realize the power of open innovation, businesses first should come to terms with how “open” they are willing to be.
The effectiveness of brainstorms is challenged. A lot of them are done in the wrong way. In this post, Gijs van Wulfen suggests you should shut up in a brainstorm for better results.
An innovation is a simple new solution for a relevant problem. That’s why at the start of innovation you should look out for relevant problems instead of ideas. But how do you find them?
Product lifecycle management (PLM) initiatives often miss their true potential and make projects unnecessarily costly. Not understanding how to optimize these investments can have long-term effects on both the top and bottom line, while companies that realize how to use PLM as a competitive weapon can capture significant market advantages. In this article we give you insights into how to take an approach that addresses the true potential of a PLM investment.
Innovation is successful when it targets customers’ needs, but how sure can we be that this is something we can predict effectively? In this article Tony Ulwick argues that the traditional voice of the customer methodology is the wrong tool to determine customer needs. Tony presents an alternative methodology that makes it possible to determine all the needs of a given customer group.
