Refining the Rapid Prototyping Framework

Blueprint with virtual 3D representation of sports car design sketched on top.

Streamlining the Development Process

With rapid prototyping, innovation teams can in essence validate their product concepts without investing extensive resources in a project. It also promotes and enhances collaboration with multi-disciplinary teams, fostering creativity and boosting communication. Technologies such as 3D printing and computer aided design (CAD) can now create prototypes within hours, significantly speeding up the development process. Customization, personalization and user experience projects can also be implemented faster.

In Savio’s “Why Rapid Product Prototyping is Essential for Innovation and Speed to Market,” the rapid prototyping service examines the benefits of this process. According to Savio, advantages to the new product development and innovation process include:

  • Rapid iteration and design refinement. Traditional development methods require extensive time and resources to create physical prototypes, often resulting in delays and cost overruns. Rapid prototyping speeds up this process by eliminating the need for manual fabrication and enabling quicker design changes.
  • Faster decision-making. By providing tangible prototypes for evaluation, companies can gather feedback from stakeholders, end-users, or potential customers, and make informed decisions based on concrete evidence. This iterative feedback loop helps avoid costly mistakes and ensures the final product meets the needs and expectations of its intended audience.
  • A culture of innovation. By making it easier to explore ideas and experiment with different designs, materials, and functionalities, companies can push the boundaries of what’s possible and discover new possibilities. Rapid prototyping encourages creative thinking, risk-taking, and a focus on continuous improvement.
  • Reduce time-to-market for new products. With the ability to quickly create and test prototypes, companies can identify and address potential issues early in the development process, leading to faster product launches and a competitive edge in the market.
  • Collaboration among cross-functional teams. By providing a physical representation of ideas and concepts, prototypes serve as a common ground for discussions and decision-making, bridging the gap between different departments and ensuring everyone is aligned towards the same goal.

The Power of Prototyping

FEI 2025 will hold a session, “Engaging Deliberate Rapid Prototyping.” Explore this dynamic approach to innovation, emphasizing the power of collaborative, cross-functional teams. We’ll delve into strategies for aligning diverse perspectives from product innovation, development, insights, and marketing to accelerate the prototyping process. Discussion will center on early-stage alignment; strategic stakeholder engagement; “last question first” methodology; “quick win” focus; data-informed decision-making; and expanding influence.

The session will be presented by Tammy Butterworth, Product Innovation Director at Welch’s; Paige Palmieri, Innovation Sr. Scientist at Welch’s; Heidi Hitchen, Senior Manager, Consumer Insights at Welch’s; Sarah Princehorn, Transformational Innovation Manager at Welch’s; Christian Lavoie, Senior Manager, Consumer & Market Insights at Welch’s; and Brian Leslie, Interim Head of Transformational Innovation at Welch’s.

FEI 2025 will be held May 19-21, 2025, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport Boston. Click here for more registration information.

Embracing Rapid Prototyping

Savio recommends starting the rapid prototyping process early in the development phase. Balance such traits as quality and speed. That’s not to say there aren’t some challenges to implementing these programs into your innovation plan. According to Savio, common challenges could include:

  • Cost: Rapid prototyping can be expensive, especially for complex designs or when using certain materials. Careful cost-benefit analysis and budgeting are necessary to ensure the investment is justified.
  • Time constraints: Rapid prototyping requires time and resources. Companies need to allocate dedicated resources, manage expectations, and plan for the additional time required for prototyping and testing.
  • Technical expertise: Successfully implementing rapid prototyping often requires specialized knowledge and skills. Companies may need to invest in training or seek external expertise to maximize the benefits.
  • Integration with existing processes: Introducing rapid prototyping into existing development processes can be challenging. Companies need to ensure the smooth integration of prototyping activities without disrupting the overall workflow.

Still, despite these constraints, rapid prototyping is only expected to grow in importance for the innovation and new product development process in such fields as automotive, healthcare, architecture and fashion. Already, technology such as 3D printing is making rapid prototyping systems more accessible. In the future, Savio points to growing trends such as new materials, integration with artificial intelligence, on-demand manufacturing and bio-fabrication which will further enhance these systems.

As Savio notes, “As technology continues to advance and the demand for innovation intensifies, rapid prototyping will remain a cornerstone of product development. The ability to quickly and cost-effectively create physical prototypes that can be tested, refined, and validated is invaluable in today’s competitive landscape… Companies that embrace rapid prototyping as a key component of their product development process will be better positioned to seize opportunities, drive innovation, and succeed in the face of ever-evolving customer demands.”

Video courtesy of Formlabs

FEI25 Honors to Recognize Six Innovation Luminaries

A shining star on top of a trophy.

FEI 2025 will be held May 19-21, 2025, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport Boston. Click here for more registration information.

Pioneers in Innovation

FEI25 is recognizing six Innovation Luminaries for their diverse innovation-oriented careers, publications and achievements:

Linda A. Hill: Linda A. Hill, a Harvard professor, is an innovation and leadership authority. Her work emphasizes “collective genius,” advocating for collaborative environments over individual brilliance. Her book, Collective Genius, promotes diverse perspectives for breakthrough solutions. Being the Boss offers practical leadership guidance, focusing on self, network, and team management. Hill’s insights have redefined leadership’s role in driving innovation, shifting focus from control to collaboration.

Michael L. Tushman: Michael Tushman, a Harvard professor, is known for organizational ambidexterity. His work, including Winning Through Innovation, emphasizes balancing exploitation and exploration for sustained advantage. His research explores how organizations respond to technological change, introducing “technological discontinuities.” Tushman’s insights provide strategies for managing tensions between efficiency and innovation, aiding organizations in navigating change.

Rita McGrath: Rita McGrath, a Columbia professor, is a strategy and innovation expert. Her book, The End of Competitive Advantage, advocates for transient advantages and continuous adaptation. Seeing Around Corners aids in anticipating strategic shifts. Discovery Driven Growth introduces iterative planning. McGrath’s research emphasizes organizational agility and strategic leadership, fostering cultures of experimentation and resilience.

Steve Blank: Steve Blank is a Lean Startup pioneer. His book, The Four Steps to the Epiphany, introduced Customer Development, emphasizing customer interaction. Influenced by his work, The Lean Startup popularized validated learning. Blank has educated numerous entrepreneurs, promoting customer-centricity and agility. His methodologies have transformed startup approaches, reducing risks through iterative processes.

Alex Osterwalder: Alex Osterwalder developed the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas. His work transforms business model innovation and strategic management. His books, including Business Model Generation, are influential. Osterwalder advocates for modernizing R&D, emphasizing agile, integrated models. His practical tools aid organizations in aligning innovation with business goals.

Panos Panay: Panos Panay is a music industry innovator. He founded Sonicbids, revolutionizing musician-promoter connections. He co-founded the Open Music Initiative, promoting industry collaboration. As SVP at Berklee, he expanded global reach. Panay’s work democratizes the music industry, fostering accessibility and inclusivity.

Celebrating Innovation Advancement

According to FEI, an Innovation Luminary is defined as an individual who has significantly advanced the field of innovation through their:

  • Pioneering ideas: They’ve developed new concepts, frameworks, or methodologies that have shaped how we think about and approach innovation.
  • Influential work: Their research, writing, teaching, or practical application of innovation has had a widespread impact on businesses, organizations, or society.
  • Thought leadership: They are recognized as experts and thought leaders in the field, often sought after for their insights and guidance.
  • Inspiring action: They inspire others to embrace innovation and drive positive change.

Essentially, an Innovation Luminary is someone who shines a light on the path to innovation, illuminating new possibilities and guiding others towards a more innovative future. They are the thought leaders, pioneers, and practitioners who are shaping the field and inspiring others to create, experiment, and transform.

Overall, the centrifugal qualities of an Innovation Luminary: deep expertise, impactful contributions, and the ability to inspire and guide others.

FEI 2025 will be held May 19-21, 2025, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport Boston. Click here for more registration information.

FEI Honors Committee

  • Tammy Butterworth, Product Innovation Director, Welch’s
  • Christian Saclier, VP Design Innovation, PepsiCo
  • Mike Hatrick, Vice President IP Strategy & Portfolio, Volvo Group
  • Katharine English, Head of Innovation Programs, Global Engineering Excellence, Google
  • Milan Ivosevic, Global VP of R&D and Innovation, CooperSurgical
  • Oksana Sobol, Senior Director, Insights Lead, The Clorox Co.
  • Miranda Helmer, VP, Product Development & Regulatory, Albertson’s

New FEI25 Brochure: Harvesting Innovation

Innovation at FEI 2025 isn’t just talked about—it happens in real time. This isn’t your typical conference with passive listening and endless slides. It’s an action-oriented, collaborative experience where you’ll gain practical skills and make powerful connections.

Get a firsthand look at what’s in store in our newly updated FEI25 brochure, packed with fresh insights, hands-on experiences, and exclusive speaker video clips. Download it now and start turning ideas into action.

Download the FEI25 Brochure

Harnessing Innovation Strategies for the Future

A central light pulsing with ripples or wavelengths moving outward,

Fueling Sustainability

It’s never been a more competitive time for growth in the consumer-packaged goods world, and companies continue to look at cost savings and efficiencies while at the same time driving the consumer product pipeline.

The rubber meets the road at a key inflection point for Gail Martino, formerly Senior Manager, Unilever. Martino is currently VP Partnerships, 387Labs. Already, sustainability could be seen as a key innovation focus, but Martino feels this will only grow in the future.

Martino points to other future trends as well:

• AI-Driven Personalization: Leveraging AI to offer tailored consumer experiences.

• Sustainable Product Lines: Expanding offerings that prioritize environmental responsibility.

• Advanced Biotechnology: Utilizing biotech to create innovative, sustainable products.

“By staying at the forefront of these trends, consumer packaged goods companies will aim to continue delivering value to consumers while promoting sustainability,” says Martino.

Customizing the Right AI Tool

In the future, Kate Carruthers, Director, Info Sphere Education, also points to more customized and personalized AI platforms and experiences, on both an individual and corporate innovation basis. Carruthers, who was previously Chief Data & Insights Officer, UNSW Planning & Performance, UNSW Sydney, feels we are still in the early stages of AI adoption—but on the cusp of more custom models.

“I really can foresee that innovators are going to start to use AI to generate ideas. We used to lock people in a room to do brainstorming. AI can do that brainstorming for you, so that need to lock people in the room and ask them to brainstorm on sticky notes—that will literally go away,” says Carruthers. “What innovators will do is to ask a generative AI model what innovations can we do? That will be how they’ll start it.”

Carruthers continues, “There’ll be the growth of these large language models, such as ChatGPT and DeepSeek. What’s going to happen though is I suspect we’re going to have a lot of smaller custom bespoke models that just do one thing. So ChatGPT tries to do everything for everybody and it’s really big and costs a lot to run. There’ll be a custom model that organizations will have that understands their business, can look across their structured and unstructured data and understand their operations, the business, the financials, the product stuff. It’ll have that and then it’ll be able to tap into things like OpenAI, but you’d be able to ask it for innovation ideas because a lot of what we do as innovators is develop the next product. We don’t always need to innovate a brand new product. We just need to do a product variation a lot of the time.”

She adds, “I suspect that organizations will develop their own custom models of AI that will be able to start recommending fresh and refreshed ideas and strategies. In this future, you’ll have your own custom models, your own business, or your own industry because you’ll also want to look at what your competitors are doing. That’s kind of the future.”

The future may be arriving sooner than anyone thinks. Inevitably, the innovation journey will evolve as change management tools and strategies become more refined.

“You’ve got your innovation journey, you’ve got change, and then under that, you’ve got your AI toolset,” says Carruthers. “One of the things they’re going to need is to have an idea of which AI tool is best for which kind of application. I think that’s the missing piece that a lot of innovative organizations will need to get their heads around fairly quickly.”

Joining the Innovation Culture Club

There are many formulas to successful innovation. There are any number of frameworks, methodologies and ecosystems that may bring an idea to fruition. It can depend on the environment and specific circumstances of that particular innovator or company. Yet, what brings it all together?

“If you look over the last twenty years or so, it seems every couple of years, along comes another method or another concept of how to innovate,” observes Mike Hatrick, Vice President IP Strategy & Portfolio at Volvo Group. “Whether it’s the kind of Clayton Christensen philosophy or the Henry Chesbrough open innovation or lean startup and so on. We could list them all off. All of them are valid, in terms of practices and methods. But I’m starting to come to a realization that those are fine, and you pick the tools or the methods that are appropriate, and there will be more in future years. But at the end of the day, it’s the culture in terms of innovation leadership, defining an innovation strategy in terms of what you want, which is a big part of the route to market.”

Hatrick adds, “This leads me to think about the attitude to risk taking. And risk taking comes in many different forms, but I think those are skills that we don’t really write concepts around or methods as much. It might come back a bit to the core of that. It’s like that BCG research, where they said only three percent of organizations that they surveyed were innovation ready. But they showed that for those organizations that were innovation ready, they had seventy five percent higher output in terms of value from new products.” (Editor’s Note: See the blog, “Is Your Company Innovation Ready?”)

What can be gleaned from this line of thought, other than there is a significant gap of companies that are not innovation ready? “I think a lot of people are trying to use the tools without really having the culture around it to reap the benefits of what the tools create. We still need to breed that innovative culture and develop the leadership for innovation,” says Hatrick.

Expanding in the Global Arena

On the mind of Professor Pradip Shukla, Director of APIDA Heritage & Achievement, The Shah Family Endowed Chair in Innovativeness, Chapman University, is the thought of the global arena when it comes to innovation. This is in terms of new product development, and innovation efforts, but also could be seen in the composition of teams and the future of the workplace.

“The U.S. for a long period of time led the world in patents and intellectual property and development, but I think now we’re moving to a more global arena,” says Shukla. “There are a lot of developments with India. They have a large demographic of younger individuals who are about 18 to 35, and many of them are skilled in computers, and they’re skilled in college with the English language. What we’re going to see is more cross-country collaborations with businesses, institutions, and universities. It’s going to be a good thing because, again, the products are sold on a global basis.”

He adds, “Suppliers are coming from all over the world. You will have the expansion of teams, not just domestically and within your own office and not just remotely where some individuals are working at home in the U.S. But now you’re going to have collaborations with teams of individuals halfway across the world. That continues to be a major new development on the horizon.”

Focusing on Human-Centricity

Despite such inroads that AI technology is making, for Emil Georgiev, Vice President – Customer Experience Design, IKS Health, there is an aspect of innovation that shouldn’t be overlooked: human-centricity. This could lead to more emphasis on human understanding and a reliance on more consumer insights in the future.

“The future of innovation? It’s very critical because companies want to be differentiated, and that can come from multiple sources. The most obvious one is just the creation of new technology and being on a front row of the technological domain,” says Georgiev.

He adds, “But there is a significant amount of innovation that comes from understanding human beings. When it comes down to innovation around the human being, that’s where a significant portion of innovation will require understanding of psychology, behaviors and insights. Because one way or another, much of the end utilization of all technologies lead to a human being. You need to bring some of those components into your innovation teams that has to do with psychology, behavior, understanding, insights of the human being as well.”

It All Comes Back to the Consumer

For Imran Afzal, Founder, Worth The Squeeze Ltd., being ahead of the pack in terms of innovation strategy is really about going back to basics: focusing on the consumer.

Afzal says, “I’m almost reluctant to say this, but you really have to ask yourself, are you solving a need that the customer has? Either one that’s been articulated or one that they don’t even know of. There’s lots of case studies out there that show that sometimes customers don’t know what it is that they want. But having a sort of fingertip feel for what consumer needs are, what they’re looking for, what they want, what’s implicit I think is the foundation of any good innovation strategy. It must begin with understanding the customer. I would begin there.”

Video courtesy of Rohrbeck Heger

Beyond the Resume: Crafting a Winning Quality of Hire Strategy

Poring over resumes at an office desk (graphic).

Welcome to the exciting world of Quality of Hire (QoH).

Quality of Hire is the people analytics’ Holy Grail – everyone’s searching for it, but no one’s quite sure if they’ve found the real deal. QoH is meant to measure how well new employees contribute to your organization’s success. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, hold onto your ergonomic office chairs, because it’s anything but straightforward.

The Imperfect Science of Measuring Human Value

I’m sorry to disappoint, but there’s no universal QoH formula. The value a new hire brings is as varied as toppings on a pizza. While some companies prioritize performance metrics, others emphasize cultural fit. These elements, much like deciding whether pineapple belongs on pizza, are subjective and spark heated debates around HR conference tables.

Adding to this complexity, the data needed to measure QoH is typically scattered across different systems. HR holds one piece, operations another, and marketing insists they’ve got the secret sauce. Bringing it all together can feel like herding cats – if those cats were carrying fragments of your data and refusing to cooperate.

Even when you’ve nailed down your metrics and corralled your data, QoH takes time to reveal itself. It’s not instant gratification; it’s more like planting a tree and patiently waiting for shade. But don’t throw in the towel just yet! While a perfect QoH measure may be elusive, a well-thought-out approximation can be your secret weapon in the talent wars.

Cooking Up Your QoH Strategy

How do you create a QoH measure that doesn’t leave a bad taste in your mouth? Start by defining what success looks like for your organization. Are you after short-term performance boosts or long-term culture builders? Are you just evaluating the performance of the talent acquisition team or the soup-to-nuts process all the way through onboarding and a 90-day performance review? Once you’ve nailed that down, you can start mixing your metrics.

Here are some key ingredients in the QoH recipe:

Performance MetricsThe foundation of QoH. Are your new hires meeting targets or just meeting the minimum requirements?
Engagement and Cultural FitThe flavor enhancers. Do they harmonize with your company’s culture or do they stick out like a sore thumb at the office party?
Retention RatesThe proof of the pudding. If your hires are sticking around, you might be onto something. But beware – high retention doesn’t always equate to high quality. Sometimes it just means your exit signs are hard to find.
Time to ProductivityHow quickly can your new hire transition from “newbie” to “got this covered”? This metric is particularly important for roles where you need quick impact.
Manager SatisfactionAn important garnish, but remember that manager opinions can be as subjective as food critics at a buffet. Their satisfaction might be influenced by factors unrelated to the new hire’s actual quality.

The Tech Twist: AI and Data Analytics

Let’s add some high-tech seasoning to our QoH dish. Artificial intelligence and data analytics are revolutionizing how we approach hiring quality. These tools can process vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and correlations that human recruiters might miss.

For instance, machine learning algorithms can analyze historical hiring data to predict which candidates are likely to succeed long-term. You might discover that candidates who use certain phrases in interviews or have specific combinations of experiences tend to perform better in your company. AI can also flag potential issues early on, such as when a new hire’s performance patterns match those of previous employees who left prematurely.

Moreover, these tools can enhance the onboarding process by tailoring training programs based on a new hire’s background and the specific requirements of their role. They can even predict when a new hire might need additional support or is ready for new challenges.

But remember, AI isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it solution. It requires regular fine-tuning and human oversight to ensure it’s providing valuable insights and not perpetuating biases. Use it as part of a feedback loop that continually refines your hiring processes based on evolving data and changing business needs.

Putting It All Together: Your QoH Action Plan

Are you ready to elevate your QoH game? Here’s your executive cheat sheet:

  1. Define Success: What does a ‘quality hire’ look like in your company? Be specific and align it with your overall business goals.
  2. Choose Your Metrics: Select indicators that best reflect your definition of success. Don’t try to measure everything – focus on what truly matters for your organization.
  3. Leverage Technology: Invest in tools that can help you collect and analyze data. While gut feeling has its place, data-driven decisions lead to better outcomes.
  4. Create Feedback Loops: Implement regular check-ins with new hires and their managers. This could include 30/60/90-day reviews, peer feedback surveys, or even informal catch-ups. These touchpoints provide invaluable insights into a new hire’s progress and integration.
  5. Break Down Data Silos: Foster collaboration between departments. When HR, recruiting, and operations share data freely, you get a more comprehensive picture of each hire’s performance and contributions. This holistic view makes QoH assessments more accurate and actionable.
  6. Stay Flexible: As your business evolves, so should your QoH strategy. Be prepared to adjust your approach and update your tech tools to ensure your QoH process remains relevant and effective.

Measuring Quality of Hire isn’t about achieving perfection – it’s about continual improvement. Success in hiring isn’t just about finding talent– it’s about refining your approach so that each hire builds on the lessons of the last. It’s a journey of refinement and adaptation.

So keep your metrics close… and your new hires closer.

For more columns from Michael Bagalman’s Data Science for Decision Makers series, click here.

Putting Together the Right Recipe for Innovation Strategy

A variety of baking ingredients and eggs out on the table.

The Role of Imagination

Of course, when bringing up the role of AI in both the insights and innovation communities, there is both concern and optimism on the impact it will have. Both industries are leveraging this tool and are searching out just what the appropriate use cases and studies show. To be sure, an integration of both AI tools and human intelligence/human supervision is forecasted to fuel creativity in the future for both insights and innovation.

Still, the influence that AI is having could also fuel debate and questions about what innovation needs to thrive.

“The one fear I have about innovation with AI is that it is becoming a little commoditized in a sense, until our machines do true reasoning. I don’t personally believe we are at human reasoning quite yet,” says Arvind Balasundaram, Executive Director, Commercial Insights & Analytics for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

He adds, “I do worry that AI will just kind of make things repetitive in certain ways. I admire the human ability to do thought experimentation. A lot of our innovation over history has been because we have the ability to get out of a trained kind of structure, a perceived type of structure, and imagine something different. The role of imagination is, I think, crucial in innovation.”

For both the insights and innovation professions, Balasundaram sees the opportunity to provide deep insights—human insights that have true discernment.

“As I like to say, it’s important not just to look at things, but to actually have the ability to see something in them,” says Balasundaram. “That is what creates innovation. If you’re able to see something differently than somebody else who’s looking at the same object, whether it’s art, whether it’s science, whatever it is, that is the scene of innovation. Human behavior works the same way. My fear is that the role of imagination, which I see as a very human enterprise, might get commoditized, and that would worry me a little bit. That’s the one thing I would say keeps me up at night sometimes.”

The AI Advantage on Innovation Strategy

Still, many proponents of AI point to the many advantages of its use in innovation endeavors. For some companies it has had a remarkable, transformative effect on innovation strategy down the line, from accelerating research to enhancing decision-making.

“AI has transformed innovation strategy,” says Gail Martino, formerly Senior Manager, Unilever. Martino is currently VP Partnerships, 387Labs.

“AI enables rapid analysis of vast datasets, expediting the discovery of new materials and product formulations,” observes Martino. “Data-driven insights allow for more informed decisions, optimizing product development and marketing strategies. This shift reflects a broader organizational mindset that embraces technology to meet evolving consumer expectations.”

While Martino is bullish on AI’s uses in insights and innovation, it’s not to say there aren’t other concerns for corporate enterprises as they battle for competitive growth. For example, she points to the ever-growing need for balancing cost savings and efficiency.

“With rising operational costs, companies are focused on balancing innovation with efficiency and cost control. As the market becomes increasingly saturated, companies must continuously innovate to differentiate themselves and their brand offerings,” says Martino.

Be the (Innovation) Recipe Maker

The innovation community has looked at the strategy lens from both a human-inspired imagination perspective and from the tech viewpoint of leveraging AI tools to gain a competitive edge. But just how can an innovator get ahead of the pack? What is something that they can do to give themselves an advantage? The answers can be complex depending on who you ask.

“Where do you think the pack is?” asks Mohan Nair, CEO, Emerge Inc., who points to the community experimenting with AI, and trying to do more interdisciplinary collaboration, as two key trends. But earning a right to be at the executive table is another game entirely.

“Collaboration is great as long as it doesn’t mean subjugation,” asserts Nair. “Operating leaders love to have innovators follow them and help them. But that’s a way of just chaining you to the status quo. Earning the right to be at the table, to truly collaborate, is not something you just go and ask for. It’s something you have to have proven. If you haven’t proven that and you’ve been given this job, you really must think about what you’re going to do here because you’ve just been given a job to follow the operating leaders while you’re being told to lead them.”

Nair continues, “But I’m not talking about structure. I’m talking about the structure of your own personal capacity and looking at how you can be better. For example, I have never seen a great chef blame the ingredients for failure. Maybe they just had a bad day and didn’t get the meal right. They are the recipe makers. I think great innovators, and if you aspire to be one, you really must become recipe makers. You must know how to take the ingredients of the organization and create the ultimate output that no one has ever seen. If you don’t do that and you don’t aspire for that, then you’re just using innovation as a transition job for the next operating job you want. The minute you are sold on that, you have given up the responsibility of innovating.”

That’s not to say that collaboration is a negative, cautions Nair. “People want to say that innovators should collaborate. I think you should collaborate. You should participate. You should be a great corporate citizen. But you’re being assigned the job of challenging the status quo in the future, not today. You’re challenging the future of the status quo. And you’re saying the arrow bends somewhere, that you are the tip of that arrow, and you must make that work for you.”

“That responsibility is something I take very sacred as an innovator,” says Nair.

Video courtesy of EY Global

Taking the Transformation Journey

A curving train track, heading off into the distance.

Setting the Transformation Game Plan

Transforming a business, brand or an innovation is a challenging and multifaceted journey. Taking that step to the next level involves several phases as you enter new terrain. Comprehensively planning, preparing, and executing a transformation journey entails these steps, whether you are thinking in terms of as an individual or as a corporate entity. One must also take into account a changing world of various economic and societal disruptions.

As noted by Trexcelerator, in its article “Five Key Phases of a Successful Business Transformation Journey,” “Transformation journeys typically follow five distinct phases: envision, explore, prepare, execute, and accelerate.” If conducted thoroughly, the company notes, where all relevant aspects are considered and integrated in each step of the journey, it will minimize the risk of failure, accelerate the engagement and transition of the journey, and increase the measure of success. Trexcelerator further outlines the key phases:

  1. Envision – defining the purpose of your transformation. Vision statements are used to help enterprises communicate their fundamental purpose and goals to stakeholders. By creating an appealing image of an aspirational future, compelling vision statements inspire action and provide guidance and direction.
  2. Explore – laying out the transformation strategy. Once you know where you are headed, it is important to explore the building blocks of your transformation initiative. Consider all areas of action within the context of their dynamic environments. Moreover, uncover and evaluate the mutual interdependencies among the various building blocks.
  3. Prepare – elaborating the transformation approach and roadmap. Strategy without execution is hallucination. And execution without preparation is hyperactivity. The preparation phase is the transformation journey’s key component that ensures that the desired changes are implemented effectively and efficiently—or not.
  4. Execute – integrating strategy with reality. As soon as you’ve concluded your preparation and have defined your transformation roadmap, you are ready to go. Now change management will become the name of the game: educating and enabling your organization will be central to implementing and enforcing the necessary changes.
  5. Accelerate – iterate, learn, pivot, and repeat. So, you’ve got your transformation journey well-planned and successfully kicked-off? Good. Now make sure that you’re not losing ground or get stuck. Modern organizational models embrace change and account for it by implementing continuous inspect and adapt cycles. It is important that you are not doing so on operational levels only. Set a visible example by transparently inspecting and adapting at the top level of management. Make sure to regularly review all relevant areas of action and integrate the entire C-level leadership team in doing so.

Join The Transformation Journey

At FEI25, Christian Saclier, VP Design Innovation at PepsiCo, will hold a session on the “Evolution of The New: A Transformation Journey.”

At FEI 2024, Saclier painted a vivid picture of PepsiCo’s innovation landscape—one characterized by cross-functional collaboration, a commitment to sustainability, and an embrace of technological advancements. His insights emphasized that innovation is a journey requiring agility, creativity, and a deep understanding of consumer needs while building on the already strong interdisciplinary capability muscle. With AI and technology as powerful allies, Saclier envisioned a future where companies like PepsiCo can achieve transformation, fostering growth and positive impact through portfolio evolution on a global scale.

The FEI 2025 session is the next step in that message, sharing how transformation is now being achieved and The New is being realized. Become an expert in identifying, unpacking and communicating The New, while embarking and engaging stakeholders on every step of the journey at the onset, throughout the process, through to fruition.

FEI 2025 will be held May 19-21, 2025, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport Boston. Click here for more registration information.

Staying On Track With a Structured Approach

Like many innovation transformation formulas, there is not just one way of doing things on the path towards The New. There could be many roadmaps to successful growth. Certainly, there are structured frameworks and methodologies to keep the ship steering straight, and to guide innovation team efforts. But to realize The New, it also takes embracing change.

As Trexcelerator notes, “Modern organizational models embrace change and account for it by implementing continuous inspect and adapt cycles… Does the integration of principles and practices ensure that all relevant areas of action are addressed and developed comprehensively? Navigating your transformation journey with a structured, coordinated approach will help ensure you and your business transition successfully.”

FEI25 Honors Event to Celebrate Innovation Luminaries

A shining star on top of a trophy.

Spotlighting A Quarter Century of Innovation

An Innovation Luminary is defined as an individual who has significantly advanced the field of innovation through their:

  • Pioneering ideas: They’ve developed new concepts, frameworks, or methodologies that have shaped how we think about and approach innovation.
  • Influential work: Their research, writing, teaching, or practical application of innovation has had a widespread impact on businesses, organizations, or society.
  • Thought leadership: They are recognized as experts and thought leaders in the field, often sought after for their insights and guidance.
  • Inspiring action: They inspire others to embrace innovation and drive positive change.

Essentially, an Innovation Luminary is someone who shines a light on the path to innovation, illuminating new possibilities and guiding others towards a more innovative future. They are the thought leaders, pioneers, and practitioners who are shaping the field and inspiring others to create, experiment, and transform.

Overall, the centrifugal qualities of an Innovation Luminary: deep expertise, impactful contributions, and the ability to inspire and guide others.

FEI 2025 will be held May 19-21, 2025, Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport Boston. Click here for more registration information.

FEI Honors Committee

  • Tammy Butterworth, Product Innovation Director, Welch’s
  • Christian Saclier, VP Design Innovation, PepsiCo
  • Mike Hatrick, Vice President IP Strategy & Portfolio, Volvo Group
  • Katharine English, Head of Innovation Programs, Global Engineering Excellence, Google
  • Milan Ivosevic, Global VP of R&D and Innovation, CooperSurgical
  • Oksana Sobol, Senior Director, Insights Lead, The Clorox Co.
  • Miranda Helmer, VP, Product Development & Regulatory, Albertson’s

New FEI25 Brochure: Harvesting Innovation

Innovation at FEI 2025 isn’t just talked about—it happens in real time. This isn’t your typical conference with passive listening and endless slides. It’s an action-oriented, collaborative experience where you’ll gain practical skills and make powerful connections.

Get a firsthand look at what’s in store in our newly updated FEI25 brochure, packed with fresh insights, hands-on experiences, and exclusive speaker video clips. Download it now and start turning ideas into action.

Download the FEI25 Brochure

Connecting the Company to Innovation Strategy

Data or circuit-like connections moving off into the distance.

The Tip of the Innovation Iceberg

One factor that comes into play is the need for leadership support and stakeholder engagement when developing an innovation strategy. Some in the community have referred to this as having an “innovation champion” within the corporate hierarchy that supports the innovation efforts. Or, perhaps it could be engaging with multiple executives within different departments.

“First, you must have the top-down support that you wanted. Then you must ensure that you have teams of people or share of mind that’s going to focus on the future versus the day to day,” advises Miranda Helmer, Vice President, Product Development & Regulatory at Albertson’s.

“Without those two factors, you’re not giving it the right space and importance in order to get the innovation output,” says Helmer. “I’d say it’s like the tip of the iceberg because you must have those things. And then the people working on the innovation must have the right behaviors and skill sets. That’s where the rogue mindset starts to come into play. Do I have the right people that are curious or people that could develop the curiosity? Do I have resilient people that are going to push the boundaries? Typically, that’s the waterfall approach that I like to follow, and then you have the right innovation process. This is where AI is starting to be a disruptor as it causes us to innovate on innovation.”

Taking Responsibility for the Innovation Journey

Typically, critical thinking of the end-to-end innovation process, from idea generation to product development and delivery, is also a key component for innovation strategy to be enabled. This is also a team sport as one cannot deal with this type of corporate complexity alone, yet one also must take responsibility for the framework and the process as it moves along the pipeline. To be sure, innovation strategy is a complex undertaking.

“Imagine a case where a company’s growth depends on an innovation involving complex cross-disciplinary technologies, and perhaps even a new business model. The innovation ball game suddenly becomes exponentially perplexing. Additionally, if success is measured by time to market and the subsequent commercial success, the level of rigor, diligence, and acceptance of what is ready to move from an innovation stage to product development exponentially increases,” observes Milan Ivosevic, Global VP of R&D and Innovation, CooperSurgical.

He continues, “Arguably, our likelihood for success drastically improves when the assigned teams and leaders have accountability for the entire end-to-end journey (idea to successful product). Partial assignments for just a front end of innovation, discovery, or technology development while expecting to pass a baton for someone else to carry it over the finish line, leaves too many vulnerabilities and decreases our chances to get it right the first time. This is particularly applicable when aiming to deliver transformational results in a complex large-scale enterprise environment involving sophisticated cross-disciplinary technologies under an aggressive time to market pressure.”

Critical thinking throughout the process, then, becomes a significant key to the innovation strategy and further steps, as noted by Ivosevic in his “Innovation Principles” series for All Things Innovation.

He further writes, “The key notion is that concepts and principles have a holistic and timeless character. They do not necessarily provide instant answers but rather stimulate critical thinking around fundamental trade-offs. When such conceptual principles are organized in a logical, pragmatic, and interrelated manner, they help raise the right questions at the right stage of a solution inception. Even though no one can guarantee victory in a novel, innovative entrepreneurial pursuit, systematically and iteratively answering such questions could maximize our chances for success and help discover potential flaws before significant time and resources are spent.”

Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork

Ultimately, in terms of communication and engagement when it comes to innovation strategy, the philosophy known as the democratization of innovation becomes a primary concern in corporations. In other words, the days of a silo mentality in an isolated innovation lab are not as conducive to innovation as they once were in the past.

“I’ve worked at a lot of companies that had separate innovation labs, and the innovation strategy, therefore, was not known by everyone. The innovation strategy was much more of a let’s throw it against the wall, see what sticks, and run with that,” says Leslie Grandy, Lead Executive in Residence, University of Washington – Michael G. Foster School of Business. “And so, consequently, it had been sort of set up to fail as a result because the people who actually bring it to market were the people who weren’t aware of the innovation strategy. They weren’t in the lab. They’re the ones that that are perceived as the doers.”

She continues, “If they have a creative contribution to make to it when it jumps out of the lab into the mainstream, it’s often perceived as being detrimental to the innovation idea because it may morph the idea in some way. Then the innovation lab feels it is not what we said we should do. And then the executives get all excited about the thing the lab said we should do. Now you’ve got the whole organization kind of caught in that chasm of reality of what it takes to do the project. To me, innovation strategy that is run through an innovation lab is not really an innovation strategy.”

This is where, perhaps, a more holistic approach that engages teams in the organization becomes a significant driver of the innovation strategy.

Grandy adds, “Unless everyone in the organization understands where the innovation focuses on, what the goal of the innovation is, then you’re unlikely to succeed. Typically, those things go hand in hand. You don’t know the strategy if it’s all kept in the lab. The other part of it too is that there must be a belief in the organization that they have capacity to innovate outside of what might be considered a product or a new service. Some of the best innovations I had were with legal and finance teams, with people who figured out how to create a new business model and get disruptive. The real innovation was that we had a business we could grow through all of that. We had people who could actually innovate around our product innovation.”

Focusing on Team Inclusivity

As many in the innovation community agree, Grandy feels that a more diverse, cross-collaborative team can get the job done more effectively.

“That’s why I feel like the innovation strategy should be so inclusive,” says Grandy. “When I think of diversity, inclusion and innovation, I think of it completely differently than the way we’ve usually talked about it. I was an assistant director in the film industry, for example. Fortunately, I found somebody who appreciated what that meant, and that’s launched my career. I had a woman who was my head of program management, who actually was a child advocate in juvenile court. Those things really show a personal value system, but also a diversity of thought for innovation to happen. It’s the mindset that you get from those untraditional pathways of employees that gives you diverse solutions.”

She adds, “The inclusiveness is to get that solution from anywhere. Get it from your accounting person. Get it from your finance leader. Get it from your lawyer. Whatever person it is, they are in the mix, and they bring something to the mix and get more excited if they’re part of the innovation development and strategy.”

Certainly, not everybody has confidence in their creative capacity to solve problems in an innovative or inventive way.

“They might not know they can or they haven’t exercised that muscle, so they don’t really believe they can,” says Grandy. “You must expand their self-view to believe they can contribute. You must give them the opportunity to practice that muscle and not always get it right, but believe they’re in the conversation. You must get people more proactively to join the conversation by building up creative confidence within the organization.”

Video courtesy of GetSmarter

Guiding Innovation Strategy

A map with antique compass/navigation tool on top.

This guide, created with the support of Gemini, aims to discuss the foundations of innovation strategy, as well as its benefits and challenges.

Defining Innovation Strategy

An innovation strategy outlines an organization’s approach to developing and implementing new ideas, products, services, or processes to create value and achieve a competitive advantage. It provides a framework for decision-making related to innovation, including:

  • Focus areas: Identifying the specific areas where innovation efforts will be concentrated (e.g., product development, process improvement, market expansion).
  • Goals and objectives: Defining clear, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for innovation initiatives.
  • Resource allocation: Determining how resources (financial, human, technological) will be allocated to support innovation activities.
  • Process and methodologies: Establishing the processes and methodologies that will be used to generate, evaluate, and implement new ideas.
  • Metrics and measurement: Defining the metrics that will be used to track the progress and success of innovation efforts.
  • Culture and leadership: Fostering a culture that supports innovation and provides leadership buy-in and support.

Types of Innovation

Innovation can be categorized in various ways, including:

  • Incremental Innovation: Making small improvements to existing products, services, or processes. This type of innovation is low-risk and focuses on optimizing existing offerings.
  • Disruptive Innovation: Creating new products or services that disrupt existing markets and create new ones. This type of innovation is high-risk but has the potential to generate significant growth.
  • Sustaining Innovation: Developing new products or services that meet the needs of existing customers and help maintain market share. This type of innovation focuses on improving existing offerings to stay ahead of competitors.
  • Radical Innovation: Creating entirely new products, services, or processes that fundamentally change the way things are done. This type of innovation is high-risk and can create entirely new markets.
  • Open Innovation: Collaborating with external partners (e.g., customers, suppliers, research institutions) to generate and develop new ideas. This type of innovation leverages external expertise and resources.
  • Closed Innovation: Relying solely on internal resources and expertise to generate and develop new ideas. This type of innovation is more traditional and less collaborative.

Benefits of a Well-Defined Innovation Strategy

A robust innovation strategy offers numerous benefits:

  • Increased competitiveness: Enables organizations to differentiate themselves from competitors and gain a competitive edge.
  • Improved financial performance: Drives revenue growth, profitability, and market share.
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: Leads to the development of products and services that better meet customer needs.
  • Increased efficiency: Streamlines processes and reduces costs.
  • Attracting and retaining talent: Fosters a culture of innovation that attracts and retains top talent.
  • Faster time to market: Enables organizations to bring new products and services to market more quickly.
  • Improved brand reputation: Enhances brand image and strengthens customer loyalty.
  • Long-term sustainability: Ensures the organization’s long-term viability and success.

Challenges of Implementing an Innovation Strategy

Implementing an innovation strategy can be challenging:

  • Resistance to change: Employees may be resistant to new ideas and ways of working.
  • Lack of resources: Innovation initiatives may require significant financial and human resources.
  • Uncertainty and risk: Innovation involves a degree of uncertainty and risk.
  • Measuring ROI: It can be difficult to measure the return on investment of innovation initiatives.
  • Siloed thinking: Lack of collaboration between departments can hinder innovation efforts.
  • Short-term focus: Pressure to deliver short-term results can stifle long-term innovation.
  • Lack of leadership support: Innovation requires strong leadership buy-in and support.

Applications and Use Cases of Innovation Strategy

Innovation strategy can be applied across various industries and functions:

  • Product Development: Developing new and improved products that meet customer needs.
  • Service Innovation: Creating new and improved services that enhance the customer experience.
  • Process Innovation: Improving internal processes to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
  • Marketing Innovation: Developing new and innovative marketing campaigns to reach target audiences.
  • Business Model Innovation: Changing the way a business operates to create new value and capture new markets.
  • Social Innovation: Developing innovative solutions to address social challenges.

Developing an Effective Innovation Strategy

Developing an effective innovation strategy involves several key steps:

  1. Define clear goals and objectives: What are you trying to achieve with innovation?
  2. Assess your current situation: What are your strengths and weaknesses in relation to innovation?
  3. Identify your target audience: Who are you innovating for?
  4. Choose your innovation focus areas: Where will you concentrate your innovation efforts?
  5. Select your innovation methodologies: How will you generate and develop new ideas?
  6. Allocate resources: How will you fund and staff your innovation initiatives?
  7. Build a culture of innovation: How will you foster a culture that supports innovation?
  8. Measure and track your progress: How will you know if your innovation strategy is working?
  9. Adapt and iterate: Be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed.

More Resources on Innovation Strategy

  • “A New Approach to Strategic Innovation,” from Harvard Business Review. Companies typically treat their innovation projects as a portfolio, aiming for a mix of projects that collectively meet their strategic objectives. The problem, say the authors, is that portfolio objectives have become standardized, and innovation projects are often only weakly related to a company’s distinctive strategy. This article introduces a new tool to help leaders better align their innovation investments.
  • “What is innovation strategy?,” from Board of Innovation. Board of Innovation has been developing action plans for innovation alongside some of the largest organizations in the world for more than a decade. Over time, we’ve sharpened our approach into an intensive program, innovation strategy sprint. This customizable session looks different each time it is run, but the resulting output almost always includes key elements which we’ve determined are essential for an innovation strategy to succeed.
  • “Our Latest Thinking on Innovation Strategy and Delivery,” from BCG. Innovative companies take a holistic approach not just to product development but also to the way they do business, inside and out. Innovation strategies require forward-thinking ideation, agile collaboration, and seamless execution. Explore BCG’s thought leadership on innovation and product development to rethink your innovation strategy and delivery.

Top Innovation Podcasts

  • “Innovation podcasts,” from Board of Innovation. BOI has hand-picked their favorite thought-provoking podcasts that focus on innovation to keep you stimulated in your downtime.
  • “Inside the Strategy Room,” from Player FM. Talks with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. The podcast also examines the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises.

Video Resources on Innovation Strategy

  • “How to Make Innovation & Change Happen,” from Jeremy Gutsche, Innovation Keynote Speaker. Innovation keynote speaker Jeremy Gutsche features a speech on innovation and change, based on his book: Create the Future: Tactics for Disruptive Thinking, which explores how to innovate new ideas, how to create a culture of innovation and how to make innovation and change happen.
  • “3 Ways to Approach an Innovation Strategy,” from Mercer. Do you have a company culture that supports and allows innovation amongst employees? To successfully embed innovation in your company culture and allow employees to thrive and innovate, Konrad Dieters explains the changes that companies must make to imbue their company culture with the ability to innovate. 

More On This Topic from All Things Innovation

Innovation Strategy

One of the featured categories on All Things Innovation, Innovation Strategy features a range of helpful information for innovation leadership professionals. This includes innovation strategy, ambidexterity, managing innovation talent, talent composition, disruptive innovation, innovation ideation, innovation frameworks, innovation culture, and more. This area further looks at design and human-centric innovation, breakthrough innovation, agile innovation, transformational innovation, and more foundational knowledge for the innovation expert and novice alike.

Innovation Community Resources on Strategy & Transformation

Inspired by FEI 2024’s Strategy & Transformation track, which collectively highlighted the imperative of aligning strategy for transformation in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, All Things Innovation brings you a bonus edition featuring additional research, insights and resources.

Thriving In a Competitive Environment

Innovation strategy is essential for organizations that want to thrive in today’s dynamic and competitive environment. By developing a well-defined innovation strategy, organizations can focus their efforts, allocate resources effectively, and increase their chances of success. While implementing an innovation strategy can be challenging, the benefits are significant, including increased competitiveness, improved financial performance, and enhanced customer satisfaction. By embracing innovation and fostering a culture that supports it, organizations can position themselves for long-term success.

Editor’s Note on Sources: The content generated is based on a combination of Gemini’s knowledge and training, along with information it’s been trained on from a massive dataset of text and code. This includes academic papers, articles, books, and other reliable sources on innovation strategy.

Video courtesy of Strategyn