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I have recently been studying a text on Operations Management. Innovation is an element of all operations and as product development professionals, our knowledge must be wide as well as deep. I have also been reading a book on “5S,” a quality management toolkit, by my friend Luciana Paulise. Like innovation, quality management is important in every aspect of business.
As innovation leaders, our focus is on the customer. How do we make product use easier or more convenient for them? How do we make the product easier…
Water. We all need water to stay alive. When we become dehydrated, our minds get fuzzy and our bodies collapse. Water is a fundamental component of life and we must continually take it to survive.
Creativity is like the water of innovation. A company cannot survive if it does not explore new ideas and without creativity, products become stale and collapsed. Creativity is fundamental to new product development (NPD) and we must continually supply it for a firm to stay in business.
But just as we take water in different forms to stay hydrated, we can use creativity in different…
A famous quote by Eisenhower tells us that we should plan well but know that our plans will be disrupted. Planning includes creating a set of activities, tasks, and milestones to achieve specific goals and objectives. You can think of planning as a roadmap to a destination with rest stops (checkpoints) built into the route.
New product development (NPD) is important for every organization, regardless of size or industry. Technology and markets are changing constantly. Globalization introduces changes in raw material supplies, labor, and distribution. Digitization has brought forth changes in how we manage relationships with customers and a dependence…
According to Dictionary.com, the origin of the word “competition” is Latin, around 1600 AD. One definition is “a contest for some prize, honor, or advantage”. Another definition is “the act of competing; rivalry for supremacy”. In business, we often think of our competition as other organizations that compete with similar products in a marketplace.
It seems that the formal definitions of competition are stronger, harsher than what we experience in our day-to-day business lives. There is only one prize in sports, for example. Many teams compete each year, but only one is the “national champion”. Many individuals compete in the…
Our society values efficiency. We use drive-through banking and automatic light switches to save time and energy. Operations managers measure task efficiency to increase production with reduced labor and materials inputs.
But how does “efficiency” impact innovation? Is efficiency a positive metric that drives customer satisfaction? Or does “efficiency” de-humanize the work of product development?
What is Innovation?
First, let’s take a step back and define “innovation”. Innovation is a new way of doing things that results in profit for a firm and increased utility for a customer. Innovations come from the application of new technologies yet are also derived from new combinations…
Most of the time when we think about innovation, we think about product innovation. We think of new technologies (including hardware and devices), gadgets, widgets and “stuff”, in general. Certainly, product innovation is important as we can simplify work tasks and build systems that operate more efficiently with increased production.
Yet, the other side of innovation — in the service sector — allows us to help customers via convenience, use of use, and efficiency as well. Often, we see the combination of new products with new service models. Sometimes, new products require new service models.
Factors for Service Innovation
One of the key factors…
I think we can all agree — with a giant sigh of relief — that 2020 is behind us. Yet, to succeed with personal and professional growth, we must look ahead. What will 2021 bring for you?
While I believe that some world events and forces engulf us in ever-growing avalanches of events, we do have much control over our everyday lives. We make choices — to keep or change jobs, to invest in new technology or to adapt existing systems. The selections we choose help us to achieve our goals.
Each year, I choose a single word to help…
Over my career, I have been rewarded by many interesting conversations about innovation. These discussions have covered the full gamut of why, how, and what. I think, though, the most important question is who.
Why Do We Innovate?
The “why” of innovation is the easiest question of all. We need new products and services to compete in a global marketplace. Our customers demand new features and technologies. Manufacturing becomes more automated and offers new approaches to serving the needs of customers. Competition is accelerating.
We also pursue innovation because, as humans, we are curious. We want to find better ways to produce goods and…
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When I started working as an independent innovation management consultant, I initially focused on helping companies design and implement the right system. Innovation succeeds if you have a good workflow that includes expectations, activities, templates, and clear decision criteria.
A couple of years ago, in assessing what really works for innovation success, I realized that even as important as systems are, people are more important! …
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For several weeks we have been discussing the Wagile product development process.
Wagile is a hybrid project management process that blends the discipline of a waterfall system (“W-”) with the adaptability of an agile process (“-agile”). Customer orientation is a key component of Wagile.
Like all project management approaches, Wagile follows four primary steps that link to team behaviors. You can learn more about Wagile in our upcoming 2-hour…
Teresa Kowal
I tackle life with an infusion of rigor, zeal, and faith. My passion is innovation and helping others improve their new product development ecosystems.
