Vision & Execution’s Weblog

That’s an interesting question in a Web 2.0 world, and it was recently posted as an inquiry on LinkedIn. The question becomes should your core competency be innovation, commercialization of innovation, or both?

Historically innovation has been presumed to be a core competency while commercialization has been much easier to outsource. When you think about the most successful companies, were they successful because they invented a novel solution or because they executed well on an idea whose time had come, or both? The challenge is having the vision and market savvy to identify the idea whose time has come ahead of the curve but not ahead of customer readiness to adopt.

Some large and notable companies are slashing their R&D budgets in favor of Open Innovation platforms such as those below sourcing “big” ideas from outside of the company.

• NineSigma
  leverages a singularly focused approach of posting well-defined tech briefs (needs) to it global network of solvers.
• Yet2 is a global marketplace that lists both “technology needs” and “technologies available”. Yet2′s software engine drives many of the corporate open innovation marketplaces (DuPont, P&G, etc.).
• TekScout
  connects companies (TekScouts) and scientists (TekExperts). The company cites its relationships with over 2000 academic institutions around the world in addition to the TekExperts who join the site directly.
• Innocentive offers a rewards-based approach to open innovation. Problem solvers post technical challenges to network of 140,000 technical solvers. Winning solutions are rewarded via cash awards. Although usually small, the potential reward is up to $1,000,000.

The rise in user communities and social media has enabled many companies to outsource piece parts of the NPD process.

• You can test theories about what will become a trend or track others’ trend projections with edopter.
• Monitor Google Trends and Google Insight for Search for search queries that suggest trends.
• Trendspotting service Trendwatching.com tracks consumer trends.
• SpringWise.com’s network of spotters scan the globe for new business ideas that you can mine.
• Fellowforce’s WebForce 2.1 provides an online suggestion box and customer challenge platform to facilitate co-creation with customers.
• Kluster facilitates internal brainstorming with its group decision making platform. Kluster has an interesting approach to prioritizing ideas as part of its solution.
• redesignme lets customers redesign the look and feel of your products — part customer QA and part customer co-creation.

See Not Invented Here is a Good Thing for more ideas.

While there are many good tools and resources that allow many parts or phases of the product development process to be outsourced, at the end of the day someone needs to translate the input into new business opportunities. It is an art as well as science to discern what new ideas are big marketable ideas. Hopefully you’ll be leveraging these tools soon to advance your business priorities.

Patrina Mack, Managing Partner, Vision & Execution

Web-enabled Open Innovation or “NPD 2.0” is changing all phases of product development with numerous solutions to tackle different aspects of the product development lifecycle.

No longer is the acronym “NIH” a derogatory remark associated with externally developed projects. The collaborative web has enabled unprecedented levels of interaction with customers and outside experts. Companies from Procter & Gamble to Legos to Dell Computers to GlaxoSmithKline are opening up their new product development process to enable co-creation with customers, open innovation with experts, and utilize marketplaces to reach talent on an as needed basis.

To learn more about NPD 2.0, attend the 32nd International PDMA Conference in Orlando, FL from September 15th to the 17th. The conference covers all aspects of new product development and innovation, and the insights the experts will share at my panel on NPD 2.0 will be just a part of the value you and your organization will get from attending. To get an early bird discount, register before August 22nd, and use my Speaker Code SR08IC for an additional 20% off discount.

Consider how you can apply NPD 2.0 to take your business to the next level: the following list shows just some of the new Web 2.0 applications that are out there to help you increase your company’s effectiveness at innovation.

Phase 0 – Vision

Check edopter to test your theories about what will become a trend or to track others’ trend projections. Or, test your ideas at IdeaBlob and possibly win funding. The August winner was an organic snacks vending machine for schools. You can let your customers redesign your products at redesignme which is part customer QA and part customer co-creation.

Phase 1 – Define

WebForce 2.1 from Fellowforce provides an online suggestion box and customer challenge platform to facilitate co-creation with customers. Salesforce.com’s Idea Platform is a similar solution in use by Dell and Starbucks. You can help facilitate internal brainstorming with Kluster’s group decision making platform. Kluster has an interesting approach to prioritizing ideas as part of its solution.

Phase 2 – Develop

Now you can look outside your own R&D organization to tackle those thorny development issues stumping your team. One alternative to the cost and time associated with establishing a relationship with an outsourcing organization is to present your challenge to external developers. Sites such as Innocentive, TekScout, and IdeaCrossing provide access to registered and sometimes vetted problem solvers. There are also firms such as Shapeways where folks can present their 3D designs.

Phase 3 – Testing

The testing phase has historically been given too little attention and customers are often subjected to buggy, unstable solutions. uTest has assembled a community of software QA professionals and can assemble virtual teams to test your web-based software. For mobile applications a specialized testing solution, Mob4Hire, tests mobile applications globally.

Phase 4 – Launch

If you’re ready to bring your product to market and are still not sure what to call it, try NameThis to test your naming ideas for the winner. Or if you’re fresh out of creative ideas to develop your marketing materials, try outsourcing your projects to CrowdSpring where designers compete with ideas.

Phase 5 – Sustaining

With the advent of the citizen reporter how does any company track what is being said about their brand or product? Companies like Scout Labs enable real time tracking and engaging with customer posts as well as the ability to request real-time customer feedback.

Take advantage of the hot topics and innovative community at this year’s International PDMA Conference (conference.pdma.org). The details of my panel on NPD 2.0 are below. Register for an early bird discount before August 22nd and an additional 20% off speaker discount using my speaker code SR08IC.

Regards,
Patrina