Where innovation happens part II: innovation across groups/business functions

About this Publication

Overview

In his book How Breakthroughs Happen, Andrew Hargadon notes that often innovations are the combination of several different technologies or capabilities, and while the capabilities and technologies exist, the links in the "network" to bring them together into something new are often poorly-aligned. Either with the aid of a centralized unit of innovation or with an alternative approach, this Quick Insight aims to demonstrate how different project groups or business functions can work effectively together towards a common strategic goal.

Implications

For effective innovation across different project groups or business functions it is essential for collaborative projects to run to time, schedule, and to have teams working to the same corporate strategic goal.

In particular, this Quick Insight shows how:

• a corporate innovation team can act as a facilitator and coach for part of the innovation process
• a corporate innovation team can provide a common, consistent innovation process and toolset to encourage the product groups or lines of business
• to collaborate and work together more effectively
• management teams can establish common milestones and goals to eliminate any barriers to co-operation that exist.

Originality

With thought leader Jeffrey Phillips’ views on the problems with innovation across productgroups/business functions and his recommended solutions, this Quick Insight focuses on the theory of why and how a central innovation
unit can assist cross-functional innovation. In addition, it offers alternative insights into to how this can be achieved including DuPont Teijin Film’s approach.

Structure

• The "Focus on…aligning teams to common strategic goals".
  
• The core article "Innovation locations part II: innovation across product groups/business functions" by Jeffrey Phillips of OVO outlines why and how businesses should be introducing centralized units of innovation with respect to creating strong cross-functional working relationships, organizational loyalty and a common approach to innovation.
  
• The box item describes the experiences of Dave Wall at DuPont Teijin Films in reducing the barriers to co-operation across global business teams.

Table of Content

Key Insights