BUS652 Study Guide

2a. Propose actions to take in each stage of the ideation process

• What does Design Thinking involve?
• What phases might a person go through if going through an ideation process?
• How do problem-solving skills relate to design thinking processes?

The Stanford School Design thinking process addresses six stages of design, which include empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, testing, and sharing. This model allows you to see problems and opportunities and can help you learn how to brainstorm and solve problems. 

Another way to think of the ideation process is to separate it into three phases: the inspiration, the ideation, and the implementation phases. The inspiration phase encourages getting to know the people you are designing for and understanding their needs. The ideation phase involves coming up with ways to prototype potential solutions based on what you learned. The implementation phase is where you bring your solution to life. During the ideation phase, it is often helpful to consider feasibility (can we do this?), viability (should we do this?), and desirability (do our customers want this?).

Another way to look at the design phase is to consider an adaptive or innovative model. An adaptive model seeks solutions for problems in ways that are tested and known to be effective. The innovative problem-solving model uses techniques unknown to the market and tends to search outside the box for solutions to problems. 

Problem-solving skills are necessary as well. These can include resourcefulness, critical thinking skills, and the ability to analyze data. There are several types of problem-solvers, which include self-regulating problem-solvers, theorist problem-solvers, and petitioner problem-solvers. 

When we look at ideation from a creative perspective, we may want to use the creative problem-solving process, which includes clarity, ideation, development, implementation, and evaluation. 

Some organizations take a lean problem-solving problem approach in their ideation and problem-solving processes. This includes clarifying the problem, analyzing the problem, setting targets, identifying root causes of issues, developing countermeasures, implementing countermeasures, monitoring results, and standardizing the processes that are successful.

To review, see:

• Six Stages of Ideation Design

 

2b. Describe the elements of the innovation process

• What are the forms of product innovation?
• How can Systematic Inventive Thinking be applied to solve problems?
• How might companies use open innovation?

Understanding the difference between invention and innovation is important during the ideation process. Invention involves discovering something new, while innovation means using a new idea or method. There are different degrees of innovation, including incremental and disruptive. Incremental innovation is the release of a new model of something, which makes small improvements to the old model. Disruptive innovation is launching a new business model, concept, product, or service that creates a new market segment. An example is streaming music, which was a completely new way of listening to music. 

Product innovation can come in three different forms, which influence the development of a new product, an improvement on an existing product, and a new feature to an existing product. With service innovation, enhancement of the utility of the service, performance of the service, and value of the offering are important. Process innovation includes changing the equipment and technology used to make production more efficient. Technological innovation focuses on improving products and services through technology like AI, data science, and automation.

Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) is a backward approach to innovation that applies the idea of subtraction, task unification, multiplication, division, and attribute dependency to develop innovative products and services.

The Innovation Ambition Matrix is a model that helps companies decide how to fund different growth methods. It focuses on core innovation, adjacent innovations, and transformative innovations.

Innovation, however, often causes resistance to change. Often, employees and stakeholders can be resistant to change. Some reasons for resistance can include poor timing, lack of rewards, and fear of the unknown.

Open innovation is a business management model for innovation that promotes collaboration with people and organizations outside of the company. It can help break silos in organizations and help companies think differently while building alliances. 

To review, see:

• Innovation 101

 

2c. Compare and contrast methods to ensure innovation in an organization, such as analysis of risks and innovation leadership

• How does an innovative culture contribute to innovation?
• What is the leader’s role in building an innovative culture?
• How do you define sustainable innovation?

An innovative culture is a work environment that fosters and rewards employee creativity instead of focusing on deadlines and revenue. Key characteristics of an innovative culture include a unique strategy, autonomy, trust, accepting failures, and leadership.

Leaders can build innovative work cultures by encouraging the sharing of ideas, building trust, investing in training, and investing resources in research and development. Some organizations fail at innovation due to fears of taking risks, lack of market orientation, and poor organizational structure and processes. 

When leaders look at sustainable innovation, it means looking at ways to sustain continuous innovation and improvement for company growth and competitive advantage. As a result, many companies focus on green design, eco-design, sustainable product design, and many other ways to assist a company with innovation and sustainability.

To review, see:

• Be an Innovation Leader

 

Unit 2 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms you will need to know to successfully complete the final exam.

• desirability
• disruptive innovation
• feasibility
• ideation phase
• ideation process
• implementation phase
• incremental innovation
• Innovation Ambition Matrix
• inspiration phase
• process innovation
• service innovation
• Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT)
• technological innovation
• viability