A Smarter Way to Source Ideas in Corporate Environment
In order to get non-trivial results, you need to think out-of-the-box. Volvo Construction Equipment decided to organize VOLVO x HACK SPRINT Hackathon to source ideas and potential solutions to an existing business problem as opposed to a traditional approach in developing new solutions. A team from Ukraine representing Sigma Software, part of Sigma Group, a consulting group established by Swedish entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan Olofsson, won the Hackathon demonstrating that consulting companies are open to fresh ideas, outside-the-box approaches and expert knowledge alongside traditional consulting services.
On November 23–26, Volvo Construction Equipment ran Volvo x Hack Sprint dedicated to image intelligence technologies. The Hackathon attracted 15 pre-selected international teams that gathered in Lindholmen to create innovative solutions to an actual business problem suggested by Volvo CE — generate meaningful data on machines and help take proactive actions regarding their availability.
Volvo CE ambition was to use Hackathon as a new and innovative approach to sourcing ideas and finding the best solutions. The advantages were obvious: involving people with different backgrounds and different skillsets to get a broader view of the problem looked like a perfect prerequisite to getting an out-of-the-box vision. Another advantage of this approach is that instead of just getting ideas shaped into specification, Hackathon would result in actual PoC solution one could use as a basis for further development.
“I am impressed with how people approached the problem,” expresses Mya Istanbouly, Business Analytics Services Leader at Volvo Construction Equipment who was among the ones inspiring the event and organizing it. “Everyone I have spoken to looked at the problem from a different perspective and all created solutions were extremely intelligent. This made the winner selection a really tough task.”
First prize went to the Sigma team from Ukraine, which proposed the solution at the intersection between image intelligence and machine learning.
“Participating in the Hackaton was an interesting experience for us, as it goes beyond traditional consulting activities where you already have the idea of potential solution defined by the stakeholders. Our domain expertise indeed contributed to deeper understanding of the business problem,” reflects Tetiana Osetrova, Sigma Software Hackathon Team Leader. “However, this was not the only success factor. All our team members had cross-expertise background from projects delivered to other industries and business domains. Thus, we managed to combine automotive domain knowledge with insights from other industries. Moreover, we have a lot of R&D initiatives at Sigma following most recent technology trends. Experience from those also helped a lot.”
Historically, most companies would try to define a business problem, brainstorm internally to elaborate a potential solution, and then turn to a consulting company to get this solution formalized and developed. However, recent industry developments show that most consulting companies shift their focus to becoming technology partners, coming up with new ideas and solutions. When you consider relatively big IT consultancies, most of them would have substantially increased the volume of R&D activities within the last three years.
“We work in a highly competitive market and this competition pushes companies to differentiate,” acknowledges Artem Petrenko, Managing Director of Sigma Sweden Software AB. “You can no longer differentiate by just offering software development. Well-established processes, quality practices and technical excellence are the major differentiators today. When you think long-term, the focus shifts towards being able to add value to your customer’s business. This is why we now actively invest in R&D laboratories, in which our experts play with AI, AR/VR, IoT, Big Data, and so forth, as well as into creation of background intellectual property to be applied to our customers’ projects.”
The next time you contemplate what and how to outsource, remember those trends. When you want more – ask for more.
About Volvo Construction Equipment:
Volvo Construction Equipment is among the world’s leading manufacturers of articulated haulers and wheel loaders, and one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of excavation equipment, road development machines and compact construction equipment. As a total-solution provider, Volvo Construction Equipment also offers servicing, financing, used equipment, rental and other related services.
About Sigma Software:
Sigma Software is a part of Sigma — a group of leading consulting companies with the objective to make our customers more competitive. Sigma Software provides top-quality software engineering services for global corporations, software product houses and start-ups in Scandinavia, Europe, and the US with special focus on technical excellence and innovation.
