The Emerging Model of Fast Innovation - Accelerating Innovation from Strategy through Execution

Right to market is way more important than time-to-market, but being fast is still critical. Organizations have sometimes focused on rushing "flawed" products in order to meet a specific time-to-market window and other times organizations have missed the market window entirely by trying to get the product just right. Sometimes it all works out just as planned. Calibrating an organization's strategy to its own development pace is crucial for the successful execution of the strategy, but too often that calibration is ignored. Can your organization move fast enough to execute the strategy in time?

Conversely, does your organization's strategy give your team the tools that it needs in order to execute quickly?

The answers to these questions really separate the best from the rest. There is brand new one day workshop on the emerging model of fast innovation and how organizations can improve their strategy and execution.

Technology Scouting to Find Externally Sourced Innovations

If your organization is actively seeking innovative technologies and opportunities, we encourage you to reserve your place now for our top-rated workshop Technology Scouting to Accelerate Innovation: Implementing an External Sourcing Program to be held June 4-5, 2012 in Cambridge MA. Taught by Dr. Jay Paap, this is the definitive course on how to systematically find, screen and implement externally-sourced ideas. 

Voice of the Customer Research Technique that Works (Free Download)

Visiting customers can be a very effective way to gain insights that can help differentiate your product in the marketplace by discovering unmet customer needs that your next release can help address. However, it is important to conduct customer visits properly. Dr. Ed McQuarrie author of Customer Visits offers 16 tips to make your customer visits as effective as possible in this free download.

User Generated Metrics for Technology Scouting

An April 2009 Technology Scouting (TS) workshop, including representatives from such companies as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Frito-Lay, Eastman Chemical, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., brainstormed a list of metrics for Technology Scouting. The exercise supported the observation that metrics are emerging as an increasingly important part of corporate venturing (or open innovation) programs in general and scouting programs in particular. In addition to listing input, output and throughput measures for corporate venturing, the article also compares these metrics to an approach to metrics presented by Nokia at another conference. To read more click here. [requires brief site registration or FastTrack Membership]

Are You Actively Monitoring More than 5 Metrics?

Nokia's Approach to Technology Scouting

Nokia's "venture capital-like approach" to scouting innovations for new business opportunities includes scanning for opportunities, screening and consolidating the best possibilities, and then validating each of them on both the technology and business sides. Read more here. [requires FastTrack Membership].

Top Ten Observations on Technology Sourcing and Open Innovation

Despite the current economic climate, the push for open innovation and growth shows no sign of letting up. In fact, if anything, it is becoming more important than ever. Companies such as P&G, IBM, Nokia, Kraft Foods, Corning and others are expanding their technology and opportunity scouting efforts. To read more click here. [requires brief site registration or FastTrack Membership]

Right-Timing Product Design Decisions....

In the best of times, developing new products is far from an exact science.  Small decisions can make a big difference in the success of a new product, but often important decisions are made on instinct because there is not enough information available at the time that the decision is made. Introducing "planned" flexibility into the process can help organizations make better decisions when more information is available. Read more here. [requires brief site registration or FastTrack Membership]

Lean Product Development, Spreading Like Wildfire

Pfizer has chosen to chart a path to lean implementation that is neither top-down nor bottom-up. Instead, it looks for ways to start small “fires” in the organization, observe the results, and then use internal networks to fan the flames. These internal networks also secure senior leadership buy-in in order to develop an integrated strategy. To learn more click here. [requires brief site registration or FastTrack Membership]

Is It a Buyer's Market for Intellectual Property?

We all know the real estate boom is over, but what's the market for Intellectual Property and patents these days? Is now an opportune time to buy?

If Ocean Tomo's auction is an indicator -- and we believe it is -- then the answer is a qualified yes. Supply is greater, prices are down. The qualified part has to do with risk, but then risk is a constant. Read our Quick Insight analysis for more information [requires site membership]