Monthly Archives: December 2009
Nerac is a global research and advisory firm for companies developing innovative products and technologies. Two of their employees, Kristy Lutz Ulmer and Margaret Fiore, recently published a report on how companies scout for innovation.I just got to read it and I find this to be great stuff that I want to share with you. You should also download the full report here – Innovation Scouting For 2009The findings in the report fit well into a key thing being discussed in the open innovation community right now; the real effects of open innovation are due to behind-the-scenes activity rather than flashy portals and idea-generation campaigns.The report has lots of great insights and the authors want to highlight these conclusions:Innovation scouts acknowledge a general lack of formal knowledge of the process of scouting, including how to find and evaluate ideas.The more integrated a company’s products are into other companies’ products, the … Continue reading
Did use an abacus or slide rule to build your FY’10 budgets? To prepare and distribute information about next year’s Marketing Plan did you use a typewriter and make a duplicate with a layer of ink paper?Or did you hand crank copies on a Ditto (or Verifax) machine?Of course you didn’t. That would be crazy and inefficient. We have invented better and more efficient tools.With that said… while we are in the 21st century… there is a tool that is stuck somewhere in the mid-1900s: The Off-Site Meeting.It is interesting we don’t perceive meetings as a “tool” the same way we do a photocopier, computer, or even the coffee maker.And, of all meetings, the “off-site” is critically important. So important, it warrants sending a hand-picked group away from the office, sleeping away from their families, huddled in a hotel conference room for three days, not allowed to return with out … Continue reading
The problem is the recession. It is hurting businesses large and small. The answer is innovation. Innovation can help you to cut costs, improve margins, retain customers, acquire new customers, gain market share and ultimately to survive. But when you are cutting costs and squeezing resources in all areas how can you find the people, time and money for innovation? Experiments are not guaranteed to succeed so it can look wasteful to fund large innovation projects.Here are five tips to help you innovate on slender means:1. Tell people that you want their ideas. Tell your staff, tell your customers and tell your suppliers that you want ideas that will help streamline the business, improve service, cut costs or delight customers. If you do not have an effective suggestions scheme then set one up. Listen to all suggestions with an open mind and evaluate them constructively.2. Allocate a budget for innovation. … Continue reading
Which is more important for a business to engage in – strategic planning or strategic thinking?If you answered “both,” you win the prize.What’s the difference between the two? Typically, strategic planning involves a formal process whereby company leaders and senior managers gather for a day or two and peer into the future to chart a course of action for the organization. This process usually results in a written plan that guides the company for the next one to three years. Strategic thinking occurs when the entire organization begins to act in concert with the strategic plan. It involves teaching people at all levels of the organization to anticipate opportunities and threats while managing the day-to-day tasks that fall within their scope of responsibilities. In most companies, front-line employees are trained to function in the moment rather than prepare for the future. Yet, just like the long-term success of the business, … Continue reading
Apple Is Pushing The Limits Of “Interactivity” And Going 3Dby Idris Mootee Apple is going to push the limits of “interactivity” and planning to go 3D. Using a camera to detect a user’s position and overlay it onto an any on-screen object, giving the impression of a “reflection” and creating a more immerse experience. Apple’s latest technology would address that through the use of a camera or appropriate “sensing mechanism.” Apple is filing a patent on this innovation. The technology is capable of defining the visual properties of different types of surfaces and decide on how well it would reflect light. Using this, images of the user and their environment could be recreated on the screen with effects added. “Using the detected position of the user, the electronic device may use any suitable approach to transform the perspective of three-dimensional objects displayed on the display,” the application reads. “For example, … Continue reading
Thought Leadership…What is a thought leader, and what does thought leadership mean in today’s business world? As much as some people wish it wasn’t so, a thought leader is not someone who simply restates someone else’s views and positions. Furthermore, beyond uniqueness of thought, a true thought leader’s positions also challenge established norms and conventions. Moreover, the true litmus test for a thought leader is when their unique ideas are implemented in the marketplace, they tend to create disruptive innovation, and often change the way we view the world. In today’s post I’ll examine the subject of thought leadership in an attempt to separate fact from fictionIt is certainly much easier to look back in time at world leaders, Nobel laureates, religious scholars, philosophers, and captains of industry to identify historical thought leaders than it is to identify today’s visionaries. This is due to the fact that thought leadership was … Continue reading
