Which are the most innovative companies in the world? The Innovation Survey by Boston Consulting Group attempts to provide an answer. Ten companies are named the leading innovators: Apple, Google, Toyota, GE, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, 3M, Walt Disney, IBM and Sony. What can we learn from these innovation leaders in respect of their global innovation management?
To launch innovations faster and still successfully. That is the objective of Fast Innovation. For this the customer must be understood in depth. Kimberly-Clark, the Innovation Machine Procter & Gamble, Pepsi Co. and General Mills demonstrate which innovative methods help in discovering consumer insights faster. In their innovation management they make use of a Virtual Store.
Can the organizational structure of a company contribute to the acceleration of the innovation management in the spirit of Fast Innovation? The innovation machines Toyota, Procter & Gamble, GE, 3M, IBM, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, DuPont, Honeywell and Whirlpool answer this question in the affirmative. In addition to an effective and efficient innovation process they have adopted an organizational structure of innovation that enables them to launch innovations faster.
On Thursday, the innovation machine Apple announced the iPhone 2.0 Software Upgrade for its iPone. By virtue of this upgrade, Apple wants, as completely as possible, to equip the modern mobile user with applications that he is used to from his home or office. The innovation machine Google pursues a similar objective with its Android platform that Google presented on November 5 last year. Noty only the innovation machine Apple and the innovation machine Google have identified this customer need but also the innovation machine Nokia, Microsoft, Research in Motion (RIM), Garmin, and, of course, the telcos. Every company is sharpening its innovation strategy. In which innovation arena should the company compete, from which one should it abstain? Fast innovation is required in innovation management, i.e. the new innovation arena is to be rapidly occupied and dominated through innovations. Open innovation with the help of external development partners is an important accelerator for that.
On January 10 the veil was lifted not only on one secret: Tata Motors, as expected, presented its disruptive innovation of the “One Lakh People´s Car“. The car goes by the name Nano (like Apple´s iPod Nano). At the same time large German automobile suppliers such as Bosch and Continental reveiled to what an extent they are involved in the disruptive innovation Tata Nano via their Indian subsidiaries. On this occasion India once more presents itself as an innovation centre. But what about Volkswagen´s innovation strategy ?
India´s car manufacturer Tata Motors is about to revolutionize the global car market with its disruptive innovation strategy. At the Delhi Motor Show, which will start on January 10, Tata Motors will present its disruptive innovation named „People´s Car (Volkswagen !)“ or „One-Lakh-Car“. As of autumn 2008 this innovation is planned to be produced in India. One Lakh is equivalent to 100.000 IndianRupees. The „People´s Car (Volkswagen)“ therefore corresponds to a “Two-Thousand-Euro-Car“.
