A New Front End of Innovation?
The front end of innovation process has always been “fuzzy”. There are no clear definitions and more often than not corporate innovation units work hard to improve this important phase of innovation as they are not fully satisfied with their current processes.
Right now, there is so much change going on that impacts the design and implementation of front end of innovation processes. Specifically, I see three things that have a significant impact. They are:
External contributions: Open innovation and crowd-sourcing initiatives bring more diversity and opportunities to an innovation process. This is a good thing, but be careful as this also makes the innovation process much more complex. If this is not addressed in the very early stages it will have a significant, negative impact later on.
Social media tools and services: Many companies are just beginning to understand open innovation and yet they have to look into another thing that is very different from their traditional ways of working. Nevertheless, corporate innovation units need to embrace social media tools and services as they already play a big role when it comes to the front end of innovation. Check this post: Social Media for Innovation Brings More Questions Than Answers
Idea management systems: Positive development! Service providers have really stepped up in recent years and the systems are now very powerful and yet easy to use. This goes for the front end (what idea contributors see whether they are employees or external) as well as for the back end (what hosts/administrators see). This means that corporate innovation units can minimize time spend on IT systems allowing them to focus on what really matters; identifying and developing the right ideas.
Overall, I think we are headed towards a new kind of front end of innovation process that will be even more changing and challenging. Perhaps this is just another sign on how business is changing in general.
Let me know what you think.
I share your view on a new FFE is forming but from a different, but complimentary aspect. We need more discipline within 'fuzzy', we need to capitalise on the tools and enablers you rightly suggest are altering the front end. I have suggested you break the innovation process into two distinct parts as laid out here in one article on this http://bit.ly/nxHas8
What do you need to capture within the left side of the innovation process (more discovery and inital validation phase) through the enablers that Stefan mentions here?
Firstly, this is where innovation and your strategy need to get good alignment of the external knowledge gathering and internal alignment need.
The connecting points come from the deeper set of insights gained, knowing where to go as sources of knowledge is becoming more critical.
Once you have some raw concepts or ideas they will need some testing against.
You really do need to make the necessary connections by consistently going back to matching goals for a preliminary assessment of if this so it can be managed
Many organizations are looking beyond raw thinking and seeking out half finished, fully tested concepts to push through there pipeline and structure for scale and impact.
Doing the assessment of risks and returns- it is at this point you transform possibility into business opportunity and move across to the other (more internal) side of the innovation process
Yes we are heading or even already arriving at a new kind of front end, more disciplined, more open, more receptive but by having access to more powerful tools, technology, external knowledge and enablers we are allowing for greater potential for innovation to enter the innovation process to provide better solutions
I agree Stefan. Change was and is required. Organisations have had long enough to test out new ways of working and intermediaires have had good opportunity to develop infrastructures that support crowdsourcing, idea management and Intellectual Property.
We are entering a phase where the learning can be put to good use and more appropriate structures evolved.
And one issue that persistently crops up is 'how to engender trust' between 'David and Goliath's. Meaning individuals and micro businesses engaging safely with industry.
As I have said many a time, until safe-disclosure and more balanced and ethical risk and reward systems are put in place, innovation will be restricted not opened up.
The very reason Creative Barcode was introduced – which is now gaining traction worldwide and providing a much needed comfort blanket to support open innovation activities.
We are holding a debate on this very subject (engendering trust) on November 29th at an Open Innovation event at the British Library.
If it is of interest details of the programme can be viewed at http://www.creativebarcode.com/events