Building an Innovation Framework

the client challenge

The external environment for our client was changing, and business unit (BU) leadership identified innovation as a critical factor to achieving five-year strategic goals. However, the company culture and business model to date did not support innovation; a new culture and framework was needed to make innovation work for the BU.

the approach

Discover

-Working with BU leadership, we established a cross-functional “innovation workstream” and conducted workshops with this group in an effort to clearly define the status of innovation culture at the company, the barriers to innovation, and the opportunities for improvement.

-In addition to conducting innovation-focused workshops, we conducted one-on-one interviews with 18 individuals from across the BU, supporting functions and manufacturing sites, as well as conducted focus groups in three office locations. Our focus was to determine the innovation current state, what employees across functions and levels wanted relating to innovation, the barriers that needed to be overcome to improve innovation/innovation culture, and the core capabilities required. We additionally uncovered some successful innovation initiatives taking place in specific offices/geographies.

Develop

-We summarized our research (workshops, qualitative interviews, and focus groups) in a detailed research report and used those learnings to develop an innovation framework for the BU to follow over the next five years.

Deploy

-We created roadshow slides for the innovation workstream lead to present to executives to secure buy-in and budget to activate the innovation framework.

-We conducted innovation workshops with managers to provide them with the necessary information and skills to successfully implement the innovation framework and make the new innovation culture a reality.

the result

The BU leadership team gained a cross-function, cross-office understanding of the reality of innovation at their company, and how to evolve to the innovative company they need to be to achieve business goals.