Organization

Put life into the innovation process

A well-thought-out innovation process is the key advantage for successful innovation management. Whether this be a stage-gate process or agile approach, with a mapped-out path – from idea to market success – you increase the rate of innovation.

The challenge

Innovation pressure

Innovation need not be a product of chance. With a structured approach, the chances of innovation projects and product developments being successful increase.

You must identify the weak points in your development processes.
Every process can be optimized. The rate of innovation increases as a result.
Whether it be a stage-gate process or an agile approach, if the process does not fit the structure, the flop rate is high.

The solution

Clear processes

The path to innovation is taken over well-conceived and implemented innovation processes.

We analyze the starting point and identify weak spots together with you.
With a clearly defined target process, we start developing your innovation process.
One suggestion on its own will not suffice for us. We accompany you from the pilot phase to roll-out.

The result

Innovation rate

A good innovation process describes the 'how' and guides you to the important thing: the 'what' – the innovation.

Your customized innovation process increases the rate of innovation over the long term.
Logical process steps ensure clear structures and an innovation process that is implemented.
Analyzed systematically, documented in detail and accompanied by us through to roll-out.

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Create something new

Why innovation is no product of chance

Churning out innovations – what more could a company wish for? Without a structured approach, this aspiration is rarely fulfilled.

Only an innovation process creates a clear framework for developing new products, services, or business models. Structured and systematic – this is the path to innovation. The process does not look the same in every company. A company's organization, structures, or even the culture have an influence on the process. The innovation process must be accepted by the people involved in the company. Only then is it implemented in practice, leading step by step to successful innovations.

Process and structure

How is an innovation process implemented in practice?

The innovation process is first embedded through the innovation structure in the organization. In addition to the process, the organizational structure is therefore the second part of a functioning innovation process. The innovation structure provides the innovation process with responsibilities. If structural organization and process organization are implemented comprehensibly, acceptance of the process increases, as does the rate of innovation.

Why should you work with us?

You make your company more innovative. We improve your structure and process organization systematically and holistically.

You break up outdated structures. Whether it is open or closed innovation, an agile or stage-gate process – with us, your innovation process will become implemented practice.

You create successful innovation. For 20 years, we have been innovation partners, improving processes and structures with a well-trained eye.

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This is how we do it …

Three steps to an accepted innovation process

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We concentrate on how your organization gets from idea to innovation as best as possible.
With a modern innovation process – whether that be a stage-gate process or agile approach – we increase your innovative strength and eliminate bottlenecks.
As an innovation partner, we support your company in pilot projects and check if the process is working in practice prior to roll-out.

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Innovation as a process – from an idea to market success

Who in your company decides which idea has potential, how you get from idea conception to a prototype, or when to work with third-party experts (open innovation)? These fundamental decisions are not made from scratch for every innovation project. An innovation process maps out the route to successful innovation.

As in many fields, the same thing applies here: There is no one perfect process, but rather an apposite innovation process for your organization. This could be a conventional stage-gate process, an agile approach (e.g. scrum), or a hybrid solution. Participants' responsibilities and scope for action need to be clarified for the individual steps.

When it comes to new processes in particular, supporting the roll-out with detailed documentation and an implementation plan is required. The positive effect becomes apparent later on in increasing rates of innovation and an improved culture of innovation.

Here is a tip if you already have an innovation process in use: it is worthwhile regularly analyzing existing processes. This way, potential and gaps can be identified, and strategic improvements can be made.

Innovation process increase innovation rates and improve the culture of innovation.

The methods

The lead user method

The driving force behind innovation is often advanced users with a sense for customer requirements and the markets of tomorrow. We use these attributes in the lead user approach: experts in our global lead user network enhance your innovation projects with a wealth of experience and active collaboration.

Service design

Customer-focused services leave a lasting impression. With the service design approach, we develop an understanding for customer expectations and needs together with you. With this knowledge, we design the interaction along the customer journey to be more intuitive. Consequently, you excite customers and trust in your brand grows.

Design thinking

Design thinking solves problems systematically and accelerates the innovation process. The customer-focused approach is suitable for the development of better products, services, and business models. In an iterative and agile design process, we analyze the problem, identify solutions, and test the result together with you.

Agile project management

With innovation projects, the result is mostly uncertain and requires agility, flexibility, and quick results. Agile project management simplifies the customer-focused development of high-quality innovations, especially in product development. Work in agile teams is efficient, and the results are quickly visible.

The innovation contest

The innovation contest allows new ideas to emerge in your company. An internal competition for ideas makes the creativity of your employees visible and unveils the unexpected potential of staff. You fill your ideas pipeline efficiently and with structure, while promoting a positive culture of innovation at the same time.

Innovation studio

In the Innovation Studio, we work together on the next big innovation from your company. When doing so, we take on the risks in the early phase of your innovation project. This way you reduce development costs and increase innovation success.

Innovationsprozess als Erfolgsfaktor einführen

Grundsätzlich geht es bei Innovationsprozessen in Unternehmen darum, einen klaren Rahmen zu schaffen, der festlegt, wie Ideen im Unternehmen eingebracht, wie sie weiterverfolgt und wie sie auf den Markt gebracht werden.

Innovationsprozess als Erfolgsfaktor einführen

Innovation als Prozess – Von der Idee zum Markterfolg

Wer entscheidet bei Ihnen im Unternehmen welche Idee Potenzial hat, wie sie von der Ideengenerierung zu einem Prototypen gelangen, welche Methoden wann zum Einsatz kommen oder wann Sie z.B. mit externen Expert:innen (Open Innovation) zusammenarbeiten. Diese Grundsatzentscheidungen werden nicht bei jedem Innovationsvorhaben von Neuem getroffen. Innovationsprozess geben eine detaillierte Abbildung des Soll-Prozesses.

Wie in so vielen Bereichen gilt auch hier: Es gibt nicht den einen perfekten Prozess, sonden den passgenauen Innovationsprozess für Ihre Organisation. Dabei kann es sich um einen klassischen Stage-Gate-Prozess handeln, einen agilen Ansatz (z.B. Scrum) oder eine hybride Lösung. In den einzelnen Schritten gibt es Zuständigkeiten und Handlungsspieleräume für die Beteiligten klarzustellen.

Ein Tipp, falls Sie bereits nach einem Innovationsprozess arbeiten: Die Analyse bestehender Prozesse lohnt sich. Potenziale und Lücken lassen sich so identifizieren und gezielte Verbesserungen vornehmen.

“Many issues are taken for granted by us internally and are no longer questioned. A look from the outside often helps to detach oneself from old patterns of thinking.”

„In order to survive in a competitive environment, a company must significantly differentiate itself from its competitors. Innovation is the key criterion here. A successful innovation process must be systematic, future-oriented and, above all, user-integrated. The Lead User method is one of the answers to these requirements.“