Archiv der Kategorie: Business Innovation

Innovation by recombination – what Doodle God can teach us

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[Deutsche Fassung]

Doodle God icon

Doodle God icon

In the time of apps and smartphones, games and other more or less useful programmes are mushrooming. Some of them meet new requirements, others are a make-over of existing applications. According to Wikipedia, Doodle God is a re-make of a DOS-based game named “Alchemy”. The idea of the game is quite simple. By combining certain things or abilities, players can discover new things or create a whole new universe. The game starts with the four traditional elements: earth, water, fire and air. By combining them, players were initially able to create up to 115 elements in 14 categories; the latest version of the game already includes more than 300 objects and inventions.

By now, you are certainly wondering what a computer game has to do with innovation.

However, if we take a look at the discussions about innovation we find that they quickly go into different directions: whether innovations are indeed of a technical nature, whether they meet new customer requirements, how innovation should be structured or steered, what the difference between revolutionary and evolutionary innovations is or how innovations can be repeated. Weiterlesen →

Innovation management – possibilities and limits (part 3/3)

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[Deutsche Fassung]

The third part of the series on the panel discussion about “Innovation Management – Possibilities and Limits”, which took place at this year’s Strategy Circle Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (Strategy Circle for Mechanical and Plant Engineering), will once again focus on administrative aspects of innovation management within the company and on problems that may arise from cooperating with third parties in the area of innovation (part 1 and part 2 of the series). Weiterlesen →

Innovation management – possibilities and limits (part 2/3)

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[Deutsche Fassung]

The second part of the series on the panel discussion about “Innovation Management – Possibilities and Limits”, which took place at this year’s Strategy Circle Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (Strategy Circle for Mechanical and Plant Engineering), will focus on administrative aspects of innovation management within the company and on problems that may arise from cooperating with competitors in the area of innovation (for part 1 of the series click here).

Companies need networks for successful innovation

In view of customers’ manifold demands, market trends, technological developments and the wealth of information available today, we must ask the question whether companies can successfully conduct innovation on their own in today’s environment. Do they need an external network? And if so, what are the opportunities and risks of such a network? Weiterlesen →

Innovation management – possibilities and limits (part 1/3)

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[Deutsche Fassung]

In June 2013, I participated in a panel discussion on “Innovation management – possibilities and limits ” in the framework of the two-day Strategy Circle Maschinen- und Anlagenbau (Strategy Circle for Mechanical and Plant Engineering). This three-part series aims to shed more light on the issues discussed in that setting. Part 1 will focus on generic issues in the field of innovation, while part 2 and 3 will deal with administrative aspects of innovation management within the company and with problems that may arise from cooperation with third parties. Weiterlesen →

Production: Traditions may fall by the wayside during the search for new inventions

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[Deutsche Fassung]

A series of major fairs is about to start, and new ideas abound everywhere from the IAA to IT or technology fairs. In the past, design-to-cost was the main issue. Under given framework conditions, engineers had to develop and construct new products while keeping costs as low as possible. They had to adhere to the maxim: “Construct your product in such a way that, while respecting the existing conditions, you do not exceed the target costs.”

Looking for the latest trend

Now, everyone is looking for a new trend, a new “key driver” for the next product revolution. What might that be? Perhaps an answer to the question of how to efficiently get relevant information from the available mass of data? Of how to use fewer resources by making smaller products which offer (at least) a comparable range of functions? Or of how to keep carbon emissions as low as possible during the production or use of certain products (for example electric cars)? Weiterlesen →

Innovation lifecycle: networks are key for success

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[Deutsche Fassung]

Have you ever wondered how good ideas come into being? Most people think that a few geniuses sit quietly in their labs and construction offices and are suddenly struck by inspira-tion. In reality, however, these eureka moments are rare. In fact, most inventions are developed with the help of a network. In his book “Where Good Ideas Come From” (which I will present in more detail in other blog entries), Steven Johnson shows that some environments tend to nip new ideas in the bud, while others foster them.

Weiterlesen →