Innovation Engineering 101 : Part 1
How to use open innovation for your team ?
The concept of open innovation is relatively new and can be applied to a number of areas.
In this first part of our new series, we will focus on how it can be used to benefit an existing business, or a new business that is in the start-up phase. It is important to note that open innovation does not mean outsourcing, but rather providing an opportunity for people to bring their ideas to your company. This can be a lot of fun for both the people who brought their ideas in, and the people who are working on them. It is also important to note that open innovation does not require a large investment on your part, and it can be used as a method of generating new ideas for your business.
What is Innovation Engineering ?
Innovation engineering is a systematic structured process for innovation. It is a very important technique for improving the innovation performance of the organization. Innovation Engineering is also called the structured innovation process.
Innovation is a positive change in the product or service of the organization to increase its value, performance or both.
It also includes a change in business processes as well as business models.
What is Open Innovation ?
Open Innovation means “The use of purposive inflows and outflows of knowledge to accelerate internal innovation and expand the markets for external use of innovative outputs.” In other words it means “Using external resources to generate new ideas, create new products and services, and solve problems.” This can be done by sharing ideas with others and incorporating their suggestions into your own plans, or by contracting them to do some of your work for you, or by purchasing products and services that someone else has already developed.
The Innovation management
Innovation management is a set of processes through which an organization can improve its ability to innovate and compete successfully in a dynamic environment. The goal of innovation management is to ensure that innovations are implemented properly and on schedule, while at the same time ensuring the successful transfer of new technology into the marketplace without serious setbacks or delays. Innovation management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to manage innovation activities within organizations with the main objective being to reduce risks involved in innovation projects and increase their chances for success.
How can you use open innovation?
There are many ways in which open innovation can be used. First of all, you should understand what it means. Open Innovation is the practice of allowing employees from within your organization or from outside sources to submit ideas that they think will help grow the business or improve operations. This is done by creating an environment where smart people feel good about sharing their ideas with others within the company, as well as outsiders. People like being recognised for their hard work, and if they have an idea that is not being used, they will likely feel as if their hard work is not being recognised.
One of the numerous ways to use Open Innovation in a company is to allow people to submit ideas that they have had and to see where they fall on the priority list. This can also be a great way to get feedback from your customers and clients. If you are working on a new product, you can ask your customers what they would like to see in the product, and then you can use the ideas that are submitted by others. Another idea for open innovation is to apply it to your research and development department. You could set up an internal contest that allows your employees within R&D as well as outside sources from outside of the company access to submit ideas for developing new products or improving current ones. This is a great way for you company’s R&D team to get new information about what consumers want from their products, and it also rewards people who have great ideas with cash prizes.
The Innovation Process
The idea behind innovation engineering is to create a work environment where creativity, innovation and continuous improvement thrive. Innovation engineering provides you with a framework that allows your organization to systematically develop new products, services and processes to increase business value while reducing costs.
The innovation process consists of seven steps:
- Specify the goal of the project : The first step in the innovation process is to determine what you are trying to achieve with the project. This can be anything from creating new products, services or processes for your company, or it could mean improving existing ones that are already being used within your company or by customers and clients. Whatever it is that you are trying to achieve, you need to clearly define this at the beginning of the project so that everyone involved knows what they are working towards throughout the entire process.
- Define the problem : Once you have identified what you are trying to achieve, you need to clearly define the problem that needs to be solved in order for you to achieve your goal. This may sound simple, but it is so easy for this step to get overlooked. It is very easy for people to jump straight into brainstorming solutions before they have really defined the problem. This leads people down a path of creating solutions that may not work because they are based on assumptions that are not grounded in reality.
- Brainstorm solutions : Once you have clearly defined your problem, it is time to start brainstorming potential solutions. The key here is quantity over quality. You want as many ideas as possible so don’t hold back at this step and don’t criticize any of the ideas that other people come up with. This is where creativity comes into play, so give everyone involved some time and space where they can bounce their ideas off each other.
- Evaluate potential solutions : After you have generated as many solutions as possible, it is time to evaluate each solution to see if it is a viable option. This evaluation step should be done in two parts. First, you should evaluate the viability of the solution from a business perspective. Does this make sense from a financial standpoint? Is it something we are capable of doing based on our resources and capabilities? Second, you should evaluate all potential solutions from an implementation perspective. Can we actually do this? Is it feasible? If we were to implement this solution, how would we do it?
- Select the best solution : After evaluating all potential solutions, select the one that has been determined to be the best fit for your organization. This is where your experience and expertise come into play. You will need to use your judgement and knowledge of your organization and industry to determine which solution will work best for you given your goals and circumstances.
- Execute the solution : After you have selected a solution, it is time to execute it. This is where the rubber meets the road and where your organization will either succeed or fail.
- Evaluate the outcome : After you have implemented the solution, evaluate how well it worked. Were your goals achieved? Is this solution still appropriate for your organization? If not, return to step 2 and repeat!
The Implementation Decision Making Process is an iterative process. There are no right or wrong steps to take as long as you are working through the steps. The key is to be willing to try new things and learn from your mistakes.
The Innovation Mapping
Innovation Process Mapping is a technique used by organizations to create an organized way for people within the organization to think about how they go about creating new products and services, as well as how they go about doing business in general. An organization’s Innovation process begins with mission/vision statements and goals that are used to guide the organization. An innovation process is often very complex and can include many steps, each of which must be carefully managed. The Innovation Process Mapping technique allows an organization to create a visual image of its innovation process. This image includes all key processes, people, and resources involved in an innovation project.
Innovation Process Mapping is not just a technique for creating maps of your organization’s innovation process; it is also a tool that allows you to evaluate your organization’s current state with respect to its innovation activities. You can then use this information to improve your existing processes or develop new ones if needed. This evaluation can be done by using any number of criteria that are relevant to your business environment such as Cost, TimeToMarket, Customer Satisfaction, etc… The purpose of creating an Innovation Process Map is not only for organizational learning but also for mapping out future innovations. Organizations use Innovation Process Maps to determine the best course of action for future innovations.
Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not a simple process; it is a complex process that includes many different stages. Each stage has its own unique characteristics and challenges that must be managed carefully. This involves the creation of appropriate processes and resources to manage each stage effectively.
The first step in creating an Innovation Process Map is to identify all of the stages involved in an innovation project. To help you do this, you should create a list of all possible stages involved in your projects.
Once you have identified all of the stages involved in your innovation projects, you need to map out each stage separately using any number of tools or techniques that are appropriate for your environment. I recommend using an approach called “Stage-Gate” or “Stage-Review” because it provides clear checkpoints at which each stage must be completed before moving on to the next stage.
Once you have mapped out each stage of your Innovation Process, you need to identify the resources required for each stage. This will help you create a list of all possible resources that must be available for your Innovation Projects. To help you do this, you should create a list of all possible resources involved in your projects.
Once you have identified all of the resources required for each stage of your Innovation Process, you need to identify the skill set required for each resource. For example, you need to know if you have people with the right skills to carry out each step in your Innovation Process. To help you do this, you should create a list of all resources involved in your projects and identify their skill set.
Open innovation is a powerful approach for driving your team’s innovation.
It provides a framework to tap into the collective intelligence of your team, get help from experts in the field, and also lowers the cost of bringing ideas to market.
If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a line :)
This post is a contribution to the ongoing discussion of this topic. I hope it will be useful to you, and that you will share your views with me on the subject.
Part 2 : The Innovation Imperative. 👉 Here
Part 3 : The Innovation Leadership. 👉 Here
