new concept ideation

New Concept Ideation - Lecture 2 1

New Concept Ideation -

Lecture 2

Systematic processes

for generating

innovative concepts

© 2009 ~ Mark Polczynski


An Integrated Strategic Technology Planningand Development Environment

Scenario Planning

IntellectualProperty

Generation

TechnologyRoadmappi

ng

Voiceof the

Customer

NewConceptIdeation


Generate high impact ideas

for high-impact problems/opportunities

Convert best ideas into

high impact projects

Profitable

Growth

Ideation

Convert best projects into

high impact products

Idea Prioritization

Stage Gate Project

Management

Identify high impact

problems/opportunities

Voice of the Customer

Lean Systems

Where Ideation fits

in the Big Picture


Ideation

Input Ideas:• Many• Crazy• Stupid• Bad• Random

Output Ideas:• Few• New• Different• Good• Out-of-the-box

Stage Gate Project

Management

“Ideation” is a formal,

structured process

Output ideas ready to startdevelopment

projects.

What is Ideation?


Note: This first gate could be part of ideation process


High-Level View of Ideation Process

1. Planning

2. Preparation

3. Ideation Event

4. Post-Processing

Stage Gate Process

Project Proposals

How will we conduct event?

Who is doing what with what?

Do it!

Make outputs “actionable”

Turn ideasinto reality


Four Goals of an Ideation Process:

To stimulate large improvements in -

1. Quality and volume of new ideas,- More good ideas per minute.

2. Idea-to-project hit-rate,- More good ideas end up in products.

3. Cross-linking of ideas to create new opportunities,- Generate many new ideas in parallel – feed off each other.

4. Visibility of plans, activities, results, and methods,- People can see that you are making good progress!

Need systematic idea generation and

prioritization processes.

Need systematic idea generation and

prioritization processes.


WARNING!

• Ideation process is FUN!

• Work = Fun

• But it can look like you are NOT working.

• Fun = Work

• But this really works!

• We will try to prove this in this course.



1. Planning

2. Preparation

3. Ideation Event

4. Post-Processing

Stage Gate Process

Project Proposals

How will we conduct event?

Who is doing what with what?

Do it!

Make outputs “actionable”

Turn ideasinto reality

We usually focus on the

Ideation Event,

And forget about planning

and follow-through


StakeholderActivity Sponsor Organizer Customer Facilitator Ideators1. Plan 1.1 Sponsor comes forward Hi

1.2 ID problem/solution domain Hi1.3 ID organizer Hi Hi1.4 ID customer Hi Lo Hi1.5 Define focus/theme Lo Hi Hi1.6 Define outputs Lo Hi Hi1.7 ID facilitator Hi Hi Hi

2. Prepare 2.1 Determine approach Hi Lo Hi2.2 ID ideators Lo Hi Lo2.3 Determine venue Hi Hi Lo2.4 Select tools/techniques Lo Hi2.5 Prepare materials Hi Hi Hi2.6 Review materials Hi

3. Event Generate ideas Hi Hi Hi Hi4. Process 4.1 Group/consolidate ideas Hi Hi Optional Optional

4.2 ID/prioritize "winners" Hi Hi Optional Optional4.3 Select projects Optional Lo Hi Optional Optional4.4 Define projects Hi4.5 Hand-off to project team Hi


Who are the Primary Ideation Process “Stakeholders”?

• Sponsor: The individual requesting the generation of new concepts using the ideation process. Can be the person with the problem that needs to be solved.

• Organizer: The person responsible for insuring that all steps in the ideation process are executed in an appropriate manner.

• Facilitator: The person responsible for guiding the ideation event.

• Ideators: The individuals that participate in the ideation event.

• Customer: Representatives from groups responsible for planning and executing projects that result from the ideation process.

Note: A particular individual may play more than one role in this process.


1. Plan

1.1: Sponsor comes forward –Sponsor is the person that defines the problem to be solved by ideation.

1.2: Identify problem/solution domain – The sponsor creates a clear picture of what problem needs to be solved, and the range of “valid” solutions that the sponsor can accept.

1.3: Identify organizer – The sponsor selects an organizer responsible for “making everything happen”.

1.4: Identify customer – The sponsor identifies the unit and people within their organization that would be responsible for actually receiving the output of ideation and executing associated projects. The sponsor includes potential customers in this step.

1.5: Define focus/theme – The customer and organizer define the focus/theme for ideation. This provides the customer with the opportunity to refine the problem/solution domain defined in 1.2 by the sponsor.

1.6: Define outputs – The customer and organizer define the deliverables of the ideation event and the overall ideation process. The customer and organizer determine who will receive the outputs and specifically what will be done with the outputs.

1.7: Identify facilitator – The organizer creates a “bid package” from Steps 1.5 and 1.6 and obtains proposals from potential facilitators. The customer and organizer select the best proposal.


2. Prepare

2.1 Determine approach - Facilitator and organizer determine the general approach to be used for the ideation event.

2.2: Identify ideators – Customer identifies and contacts individuals that will attend the ideation event.

2.3: Determine venue – Customer and organizer secure appropriate facility.

2.4. Select tools/techniques – With input from the organizer, the facilitator selects appropriate tools, techniques, exercises, and activities to be used at the ideation session.

2.5: Prepare materials – With assistance from the customer and organizer, the facilitator generates materials to be used by ideators for pre-ideation preparation and ideation session visuals.

2.6: Review materials - Ideators receive and review pre-ideation materials.


4. Post-Process

4.1: Group/consolidate ideas – Customer and organizer are responsible for grouping and consolidating ideas generated. This may be incorporated into the ideation event. Facilitator and ideators may be involved.

4.2: Identify/prioritize “winners” – Customer and organizer are responsible for identifying and prioritizing “winning” ideas. This may be incorporated into the ideation event. Facilitator and ideators may be involved.

4.3: Select projects Customer and organizer are responsible for selecting projects that will be executed. This may be incorporated into the ideation event. Facilitator and ideators may be involved.

4.4: Define projects The customer is responsible for generating project proposals.

4.5: Hand-off to project team The customer is responsible for getting project proposals funded and staffed.



1. Planning

2. Preparation

3. Ideation Event

4. Post-Processing

Stage Gate Processes

Project Proposals

Return to this


3. Ideation Event

• Event (like a meeting):

• Defined start and stop points,

• 1 hour to 3 days,

• 5 to 100 people.

• Purpose: Discover radically new problems and/or

invent new solutions.

• Objective: Efficiency - Increase rate of viable concepts per minute

vs. non-structured (brainstorming) approaches.

• Crazy• Stupid• Bad• Random


What Actually IS “Ideation”?

Process: Systematic sequence of actions (vs. brainstorming).

- Clearly-defined event goals (Why are we doing this?),

- Measurable event objectives (What will we walk away with?),

- Specific event inputs and outputs (document deliverables),

- “Standard” process actions, inputs, and outputs are adaptable to

accommodate different or changing event goals and objectives.


What Actually IS “Ideation”?

Implementation:

- Employs well-defined boundary conditions to keep event focused,

- Utilizes appropriate tools to enhance quality and productivity of event,

- Typically employs well-trained, experienced facilitator,

- Typically employs multidisciplinary participants –

Engineering, marketing, production, patent attorneys…


Who are the “Ideators”?

• Multi-Disciplinary Staff: Who is going to design, build, sell all this stuff?

• Customers: Who is going to use this stuff?

• Suppliers: How can they help us solve our problems?

• Patent Attorneys: Who is going to protect the IP generated?

Like voice-of-the-customer (QFD), this process can help buildstrong ties and loyalties with customers and suppliers.

Can really boost your image/reputation!


Three Steps in the Ideation Event

1. Facilitator introduces:

A. Goal – Specific needs/problems we will be addressing,

B. Objectives – What we expect out of the event,

C. Support information – Support goals and objectives.

D. Participants – Participants introduce themselves.



2. Facilitator applies various techniques:

A. Facilitator describes technique to be applied in the

session.

B. Participants generate ideas.

C. Ideas are summarized.

D. Ideas are grouped/consolidated.

E. Participants “vote” on ideas.



3. After all sessions have been run:

A. Ideas from all sessions are grouped/consolidated,

B. Participants “vote” to select top ideas to propose as

projects.

C. Individuals that will prepare the projects.


New Concept Ideation Process:Purpose

• Generate breakthrough solutions:

• Not interested in incremental (small) changes,

• Looking for totally unexpected solutions,

• Drives research into new technology areas(what must we work on?).

•Generate/discover new customer needs:

• Not just directed at known/existing customer needs,

• Discover = Find things that no-one has recognized as a need.

• Generate = Invent new needs, reveal new possibilities.

• Stimulates creation of new markets.

• Crazy• Stupid• Bad• Random


New Concept Ideation Process:Desired Strengths

• Improves effectiveness of unstructured “brainstorming”:

• More good ideas per minute per person,

• Captures what was said by who (for IP protection).

• Liberates inventors from artificial/inappropriate constraints:

• Eliminates assumptions about what’s “in the box”,

• Gives participants permission to think “outside the box”• Inclusive - provides equal opportunity for all

ideas/inventors:

• No person can dominate idea generation,

• No person can dominate idea selection.

• Highly democratic.


New Concept Ideation Process:Potential Weaknesses

• Can lack focus: Technology roadmapping• Can get way out of the box, or into some totally different

box,• Tendency is to want to capture everything,• “Lottery ticked innovation” – you may be a winner!

• Can miss the customer value proposition: V-O-C• Great idea, but who cares,• Why are we doing this ideation session? For who?• Can we really make money on this?

• Needs a destination for ideas: IP Generation• File cabinets full of posters.• What do we do now?• Where did I put that idea?


Weaknesses of Ideation are eliminated by other processes,

Ideation eliminates weaknesses of other processes.

IntellectualProperty

Generation

TechnologyRoadmappi

ng

Voiceof the

Customer

NewConceptIdeation

Scenario Planning


Short-Term Benefits of an Ideation Event:

• Discover/invent new, distinguishable and potentially sustainable solutions to customer problems.

• Discover/invent unrecognized or new customer needs.

• Spread and confirm ideas generated elsewhere.

• Generate enthusiasm -> buy-in -> ownership of new ideas.


Long-Term Benefits of an Ideation Event

• Enhance networking among technologists.

• Establish a pan-organization (vs. location-centric) technical community (in large companies).

• Improve employee satisfaction:

• Involvement (having an impact on the Big Picture),

• Security (focus beyond current problems).

• Get low-value ideas off the list once-and-for-all!


Here’s a good book that describes various ideation techniques:

99% Inspiration:Tips, Tales & Techniques for Liberating Your Business Creativity

by Bryan W. Mattimore

Unfortunately, the book is out of print, but used copies are available.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author-exact=Bryan%20W.%20Mattimore&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank/103-2849667-8277461

new concept ideation - lecture 21 new concept ideation - lecture 2 systematic processes for...

Documents

ideation event4

volume of new ideas

new opportunities

generation of new concepts

good ideas

high impact ideas

ideationinput ideas