It’s vitally important that any investment in innovation packs a punch and maximises the return on the investment in today’s market. Are traditional innovation systems up to it?
Ideation and concept development are traditionally carried out in one of two ways. Firstly, the Osborn method, typically seen as being more right brain and is used in one form or another by most UK innovation agencies. It’s viewed as being more creative but perhaps rather hit and miss, its where the term ‘blue sky thinking’ came from. The second system, the Deming methodology, is more favoured by The Innovation People and US agencies, is seen as more left brain and is preferred by the product development / engineers within a company because it is more systematic. However, is there now a third way, forced by the COVID lock-down working arrangements but which had been slowly developing in the background for some time? A third way that utilises technology to really go to greater depths of consumer understanding but also giving the power of accurate prediction.
To recap on traditional methods. Alex Osborn created his system in the 1950s, it’s designed to take participants (often fairly traditional clients) to extreme places where they often feel uncomfortable. They don’t participate, concepts are skewed by more creative, effusive members of the team. Often based on random thinking/ stimulus and the premise that “there is no such thing as a bad idea”, these sessions are often unstructured, alarming for some participants and very good at creating bad ideas! We have all been there! Once back at the office and viewing the concepts in the cold light of day, it becomes swiftly apparent that most of the output (frequently indecipherable scribbles on flip charts) bears no resemblance to the project objective nor to the business need. The money spent would have been better spent on a roulette table at Las Vegas!
Ideation is about business, it’s not about having a wild, self-indulgent time finding yourself and hugging trees. Only to then realise that the great world changing idea, which was created and seen as category beating, was not so great and grounded. Indeed, as you prepare to stand up in front of the board and share it with the CEO you really wish for any natural disaster in the locality to hit that boardroom! Quite a challenge if you happen to work in Slough……..!
Edward Deming was the father of Six Sigma, Lean Production, Four Corner Manufacturing and many other process-driven methodologies, including innovation processes. These laid a template for modern production techniques. Highly revered in Japan, across Asia and in the USA, he is less recognised in Europe. His methodology created results through a more methodical process and typically achieves much higher success rates in concept testing research. His system truly combined the inspiration of creativity with the power and efficiency of engineering. I.e. truly making the art of innovation become a reliable science.
Most new innovations that have worked in the market have their origins in left-brained people, yet typically they hate innovation sessions. However, when left-brain orientated participants engage, feel involved and confident of what is expected, they perform miracles. Deming’s innovation principles utilise the process he helped create of Six sigma, “think, act, check, do”. Essentially it is an engineering system, it appeals to people who are more process orientated. Giving those individuals a structure that helps their creative side come through, as well as providing a platform from which more creative orientated minds can shine.
There is merit in both systems. However, their efficacy can be maximised when combined with social listening and real-time insight. Consider what could have been achieved in all the innovation and product development sessions if there had been the possibility to ask a worldwide set of consumers to work with you, in real-time, as you ideated, developed and tested? Consider the turnaround time savings, the avoidance of blind alleys, stronger more robust concepts from the start and the cost savings that are achievable in the much faster speed-to-market process?
In the current climate where budgets are tight, where efficiency and maximising the potential for success from any innovation process is so important to the future of a company, any new way to make that possibility a reality must be taken seriously?