“Innovation for Differentiation.”
Benchmarking is the first step in our program. We need to compare your innovation efforts to the innovation efforts of your competitors. Often your immediate competitors are known, but what about your future competitors. Many companies like Microsoft and Google, to name a couple, have been innovating and patenting in areas that have little or nothing to do with traditional software. Who are your future competitors next year or five years from now?
Understanding comes from our Benchmarking, though it may not be that simple. Understanding "the Why" behind our competitor's efforts may help us learn a strategy they have. We may also find we missed a big area that they have identified. When we understand how the pieces of the puzzle fits together we start to see the hidden picture.
Innovate Here we take what we've learned from our previous two sections and apply the components of the Innovation Foundation Pyramid to create value. When we innovate we create in areas where others may have never gone. This is one of the most difficult times for any B.U.I.L.D. program. Creating new always causes friction with the old. Only with the right people, clear Customer Acuity, good technical capability and focus will we get the results we need. Rayalta has developed the focused innovation creation workshop to help ensure your success.
Lead Often overlooked, leadership helps make the difference in an innovation effort. Almost always people and processes are resistant to change. Innovation is always about change. Innovation is always resisted. Sometimes the people who make their living in the status quo will even try to kill innovation outright. Good leadership can overcome this.
Deploy To get the most value from innovation it must be deployed; the innovation must be used. This step of the program ensures you receive the best return on your investment.