The buzz: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” (Steve Jobs). If you think Design Thinking (DT) innovation method demands many days or weeks of intense work beyond your high-level managers’ availability, here’s a news flash. Short-cycle DT, developed in a PhD study by SAP and Aalborg University, is a logical, time-efficient DT derivation suited to leaders who can devote just one or two days. This new problem-solving method can benefit your business beyond just R&D and...

The buzz: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower” (Steve Jobs). If you think Design Thinking (DT) innovation method demands many days or weeks of intense work beyond your high-level managers’ availability, here’s a news flash.

The buzz: “Change before you have to” -Jack Welch. A disruptive innovation model creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products and alliances -C. Christensen. The model tends to be produced by outsiders and entrepreneurs, because enterprises need resources for profitable, competitive sustaining innovations. But they still need to change. The experts speak. Prof. Rajeev Srinivasan: “The...

The buzz: “Change before you have to” -Jack Welch. A disruptive innovation model creates a new market and value network and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market-leading firms, products and alliances -C.

The buzz: 'Surround yourself with partners who are better than you are' -D. Ogilvy. Is your company treating your ecosystem as vendors to squeeze and channels to push, not as agile partners to co-innovate with you? Reality check: Small and medium organizations in your ecosystem can bring a different kind of value to innovation than you get from start-ups and big companies. What are the challenges and opportunities of expanding your innovation capabilities to your partner network? The experts...

The buzz: 'Surround yourself with partners who are better than you are' -D. Ogilvy.

The buzz: “Change before you have to.” -J. Welch B2B sales experts, managers and pundits typically credit their organization's success to individual sellers' skill sets. Not anymore! According to RAIN Group’s 2012 study of top-performing sellers, an innovation-based sales strategy is what helps increase win rates, drive long-term customer loyalty, build collaborative buyer-seller relationships. Does your company know this? The experts speak.Ago Cluytens, RAIN Group: “I know of no more...

The buzz: “Change before you have to.” -J. Welch B2B sales experts, managers and pundits typically credit their organization's success to individual sellers' skill sets.

The buzz: You say to-ma-to, I say to-mah-to. Confused about intrapreneurship vs entrepreneurship? We’ll set the record straight. The first behaves like the second while employed in a large organization. Is this a good thing? Yes. Smart enterprises are implementing people-centric Intrapreneurship approaches that integrate entrepreneur-style risk-taking, motivational techniques and rewards to develop radical innovations in-house. How can your organization adopt their best practices? The...

The buzz: You say to-ma-to, I say to-mah-to. Confused about intrapreneurship vs entrepreneurship? We’ll set the record straight. The first behaves like the second while employed in a large organization. Is this a good thing? Yes.

The buzz: Paradox? Despite studies showing a positive correlation between diversity and innovation, the Silicon Valley 'cradle of tech innovation' is dominated by a 'brogrammer' culture where 20-something 'white guys work in a testosterone-fueled environment to create the next tech revolution,' says SAP's Janaki Kumar. This sends a contradictory message to leaders that diversity, while good in theory, is not worth investing in. Learn why diversity by design is worth building and nurturing...

The buzz: En garde! The most successful companies anticipate—and often invent—the future before their established competitors do. The secret weapon of Fortune 500s? They conduct competitive “war gaming” exercises to generate defensive strategies as well as innovative offensive growth strategies that proactively anticipate new services, products, business models. How can you harness this creative tool for your competitive advantage? The experts speak. Bryan W. Mattimore, Growth Engine Company:...

The buzz: En garde! The most successful companies anticipate—and often invent—the future before their established competitors do.

The buzz: Getting fresh. Corporations are increasingly seeking to engage entrepreneurs, both from within and outside the organization, by launching initiatives for intrapreneurship, innovation accelerators, incubators and start-up focus programs. While the common purpose of these efforts is to create viable, sustainable new business opportunities, the models of engagement, the challenges and the opportunities vary greatly. What will work best for your company? The experts speak. Hans...

The buzz: Getting fresh. Corporations are increasingly seeking to engage entrepreneurs, both from within and outside the organization, by launching initiatives for intrapreneurship, innovation accelerators, incubators and start-up focus programs.

The buzz: Fun! Design Thinking is based on the concept of deriving the needs of your users, then designing a solution to meet those needs. But how will you engage your Design Thinking participants to boost their creativity, and then engage your target audience to actually use your new solution? Gamification! It teaches us different user engagement styles, while Design Thinking tells us which styles will fit a particular user. How to team-up Gamification and Design Thinking to generate...

The buzz: Fun! Design Thinking is based on the concept of deriving the needs of your users, then designing a solution to meet those needs.

The buzz: Who’s driving your bus? Be it Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0, innovation in general, or simply ensuring your company’s sustainable growth, your networking approach outside your organization must become your company’s inside DNA. How? Your employees must be engaged and committed. And that requires your Head of HR to become a driving force of company strategy, next in line to the CFO in the C-Suite. The experts speak. Jörg Thienemann , Detect Value GmbH: “Software innovation,...

The buzz: Who’s driving your bus? Be it Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0, innovation in general, or simply ensuring your company’s sustainable growth, your networking approach outside your organization must become your company’s inside DNA.

The buzz: Evolving. Well into our tech-driven fourth industrial revolution, complexity and speed are the new game-changers. Complexity, from the Internet of Things, Big Data analytics, wearable devices, to real-time business, requires a network-focused digital business model. Speed of innovation cuts the longevity of your business model from decades to years. Ready to be agile and quick at managing business models as well as processes? The experts speak. Peter Mittemeyer, SAP: “Time travels...

The buzz: Evolving. Well into our tech-driven fourth industrial revolution, complexity and speed are the new game-changers.

The buzz: Red badge! What is “courage” in our innovation culture? Courage is one of the most essential factors in the innovation process. It enables you to be open for new ideas and possibilities, not afraid to fall on your face or get lost in your own isolation. Failing can wake you up to new ways and paths to successful innovation. But without it, you probably wouldn’t have recognized that. As André Gide said, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose the sight of...

The buzz: Red badge! What is “courage” in our innovation culture? Courage is one of the most essential factors in the innovation process.