Oct 30, 2009
Ideas in the workplace: a new approach towards organizing the fuzzy front end of the innovation process (Boeddrich, 2004)
Ideas in the workplace: a new approach towards organizing the fuzzy front end of the innovation process (Boeddrich, 2004)
All innovations come from ideas. Ideas come from the thought processes of people. Companies that can generate lots of ideas will be successful. Having lots of ideas also leads to better utilzation of human capital, and improves the climate of the company.
Ideas often need to be formalized into proposals for them to be evaluated/taken seriously.
The innovation process can be thought of as four steps, divided into two phases:
Fuzzy Front End – Concept finding (use of intellectual resources):
1. Ideas (generation, collection, adoption, clustering, screening, selection, improvement)
generating a sustainable flow of ideas leading to
2. Decisions of Innovation Projects
Multi Project Management (consumption of tangible resources):
3. Innovation Projects (development of innovation elements, marketing readiness)
4. Results (products, technologies, processes, collaboration, ways of using resources) – Market launch
While companies often focus on the second phase because it is easier to quantify and define, they need to invest more in the ‘fuzzy front end’ of innovation.
TWO ROUTES TO INNOVATION (taken separately, both are doomed)
1. ‘Fantasy Route’
“the fuzzy front end needs to remain fuzzy, idea generation cannot be managed, creativity can only emerge from relatively structureless, chaotic envrionments”
2. ‘Technocratic Route’
“innovation can be generated by computers which store all relevant information, knowledge and experience”
A SUSTAINABLE FLOW OF IDEAS
Innovations are successful if:
- Ideas are linked with strategic goals early on.
- Ideas will lead to the development of better products with obvious consumer value.
- The concept identification phase (before the project decision) is structured and systematic.E
Empirically, companies do not pay enough attention to the above three points
If the ‘fuzzy front end’ is not structured, systematic and methodical,
- Strategic adjustment of innovation becomes hard to acheive in a timely manner, if at all.
- Ideas are discarded too early. Others continue to be discussed past their use-by date.
- Resources (physical and emotional) are wasted.
- Time is wasted.
- The supply of ideas to the innovation process is unclear.
- Optimization of the innovation process is difficult. Learning (especially with regard to procedures) does not progress.
KEY: The capacity to identify ideas from a wide range of sources, coupled with fixed evaluation and development rules.
ORGANIZING THE FLOW OF IDEAS (General and Company-Specific Requirements)
General:
- Strategic guidelines for innovation
- Wide mouthed idea collection system
- Systematic idea clustering
- Cross-functional decision makers
- Pre-defined and transparent selection and implementation criteria
- Funneled, or stage-gated selection process
- Simplicity
Company-Specific:
- Defined company-specific idea categories
- Commitment to evaluation and selection methods
- Commitment to the owner of the idea-management process
- Commitment to those who promote innovation within the company
- Defined creative scope
- Management influence at the fuzzy front end
- Tailor-made idea management system
- Identification and participation of stakeholders in the fuzzy front end
SUCCESSFUL IDEA MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE (A study of Wella AG)
A Computer assisted idea management system.
Advantages:
- Motivation increase
- Idea management transparency
- Quick evaluation
- Idea retention
- Less conflict as idea workflow is automated
- Patent conflict reduced
IDEAS AS SPRINGBOARDS TO ORGANIZING THE FUZZY FRONT END
- Ideas are worthless without realization.
- Ideas become more valuable the more they are used (there needs to be processes for putting ideas back into peoples’ brains)
- Ideas in the workplace are fuzzy elements of problem-solving knowledge (creative techniques should not be forced to yield direct solutions to present problems)
- Ideas in the workplace are mass-produced (no company has ‘no ideas’, they just don’t have the idea recognition systems, or managers who can percieve employee ideas)
- Ideas are the intellectual products of employees (they are valuable, if ignored emloyees will lose interest in their work)
- Ideas do not emerge in the workplace (need a system for gathering ideas which is time/place independent)
HUMAN IDEA TYPES MODEL FOR SENSITIVE LEADERSHIP IN IDEA MANAGEMENT
The first obstacles to creativity emerge in the mind of the individual.
There are FOUR ARCHETYPES, of which everyone is a mix.
- Emotional Perceiver – good listener, hesitant to publish own ideas
- Reserved Scientist – Likes to acheive results and requests leadership. Strong focus on relevant topics. Prefers linear-analytical problem-solving. Doesn’t like be criticized so hesitates to publish own ideas.
- Open Communicator – Likes to be in the spotlight. Thrives in ad-hoc, improvised situations. Great convincer. Always communicating his ideas.
- Dominant Entrepreneur – Integrates top ideas while focusing on company goals and objectives. Sometimes domineering and a good delegator. Accepts both creative and linear problem-solving.
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