8.3.2 Identify opportunities

To identify and define opportunities (6.1) the organization should consider (P) the following inputs:

i) an understanding of the organization and its context (4.1); 

ii) the innovation intent (6.2);

iii) the scope (4.3) of the innovation initiative (8.2);

iv) learnings and experiences (7.1.4; 7.2) from previous (7.1.3) innovation initiatives (8.2).

The organization should:

a) acquire (D) insights and knowledge (7.1.4) about stated (7.5) and unstated needs and expectations (4.2);

b) acquire (D) insights and knowledge (7.1.4) about relevant trends (9.1.2) and challenges (6.1), e.g. related to competitors (4.2), technologies (7.1.6), intellectual property (7.8), and markets (4.1; 4.2);

c) identify (D) and define (P) opportunities or areas of opportunity (6.1), e.g. the impact (9) to be achieved (6.2), the value (7.1.5) that can be realized, or problem (10.2) statements (7.5);

d) prioritize (C) the opportunities (6.1).

Knowledge (7.1.4) acquisition can include losses (10.2) and benefits (7.1.5) of current and potential (6.1) users, customers, citizens, and other interested parties (4.2) of the organization, market (4.1; 4.2), or society (4.1).

Tools and methods (7.6) can include basic research, scanning, prospective analyses (9.1.2), benchmarking (4.2; 9.1.2), internal (4.1.3) and external (4.1.2) searches, interviews (7.5), ethnography, crowdsourcing (4.2), focus groups (4.2; 7.1.2), foresight activities, user (4.2; 7.1.2) scenarios, risk analysis (6.1), dynamic system (4.4) models, etc.

These activities can result in the following outputs:

— understanding (7.3) of the potential (6.1) value (7.1.5) to be realized and other potential (6.1) impacts (9);

— identified, defined, and prioritized opportunities (6.1), areas of opportunity (6.1) or problem (10.2) statements (7.5);

— understanding (7.3) of state of the art (4.1), including intellectual property rights (7.5; 7.8).

8.3.3 Create concepts

To create concepts the organization should consider (P) identified and defined opportunities (6.1; 8.3.2) as inputs.

The organization should:

a) generate (D) new ideas, potential solutions (8.3.5; 8.3.6), or combinations of existing ones (8.3.5; 8.3.6), from internal (4.1.3) and external (4.1.2) sources, using creative problem solving (10.2), ideation, or other methods;

b) investigate (P), document (D) (7.5), and evaluate (C) (9.1.2) ideas and potential solutions (8.3.5; 8.3.6), e.g. with regard to degree of novelty, risk (6.1), feasibility, viability, desirability, sustainability, and intellectual property rights (7.5; 7.8);

c) select (C) the preferred ideas and potential (6.1) solutions (8.3.5; 8.3.6) based on established criteria;

d) develop (D) concepts (8.3.5) from ideas and potential (6.1) solutions (8.3.5; 8.3.6), including value (7.1.5) propositions;

e) develop (D) alternatives for how value (7.1.5) can be realized, e.g. hypothetical (6.1) business, operational (8), or marketing models.

These activities can result in the following outputs:

— concepts with preliminary value (7.1.5) realization models that can be validated;

— understanding (7.3) of the critical uncertainties or assumptions (6.1) for each concept to be validated (8.3.4);

— initial assessment of risks (6.1), degree of novelty, and its implications (6.1) for further development in terms of processes (4.4; 8), structures (6.3), etc.

8.3.4 Validate concepts

To validate concepts, the organization should consider (P) created concepts (8.3.3) as inputs.

The organization should:

a) start validation (C) early with an initial version of the concept (8.3.3);

b) consider (P) one or more approaches to validation, e.g. tests (9), experiments, pilots, and studies (9.1.2);

c) address (D) the concept (8.3.3), starting with the most critical uncertainties (6.1), hypotheses (6.1), or assumptions (6.1), to learn (7.1.4), get feedback (7.4), and create new knowledge (7.1.4) to reduce uncertainty (6.1) related to:

1) interaction (7.4) with users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.2);

2) support (7), including resources (7.1);

3) technical (7.1.6), legal (4.1; 7.5), marketing (4.1), time (7.1.3) to market (4.1), financial (7.1.5), and organizational aspects (6.3);

d) adjust (A) and improve (A) the concept (8.3.3) based on lessons learned (7.1.4), feedback (7.4), and new knowledge (7.1.4);

e) evaluate (C) (9.1.2) the feasibility of the concept (8.3.3) and if remaining uncertainties (6.1), hypotheses (6.1) or assumptions (6.1) need to be addressed (P);

f) consider (P) further validation, if necessary.

These activities can result in the following outputs:

— validated concepts or proof of concepts with acceptable levels of uncertainty (6.1) for further development (8.3.5);

— relationships (7.4) with users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.2);

— new knowledge (7.1.4).

8.3.5 Develop solutions

To develop solutions, the organization should consider (P) validated concepts (8.3.4) as inputs.

The organization should:

a) develop (D) the concept (8.3.3) into a working solution, including the value (7.1.5) realization model;

b) consider (P) whether to develop the solution internally (4.1.3) or through acquisition, licensing (7.1.5; 7.5), partnering (4.2; 7.6), outsourcing (4.3), etc.;

c) identify (P) and address (D) risks (6.1) associated with deployment, e.g. user acceptance (4.2), legal requirements (4.1; 7.5), scalability, budget (7.1.5) cycle, and timing (7.1.3);

d) check (C) the state of art (4.1) to avoid (6.1) infringement (10.2) of existing intellectual property rights (7.5; 7.8);

e) determine (P) whether the solution can, and needs to, be protected (7.8);

f) develop (D) and establish (P) the necessary deployment capabilities (9), e.g. promotion, production, supply, partnerships (4.2; 7.6), and ecosystems (4.1).

These activities can result in the following outputs:

— developed solutions with value (7.1.5) realization models, including value (7.1.5) propositions;

— plans (6) with established activities (8), resources (7.1), relationships (7.4; 7.6), and timing (7.1.3) for a full or phased deployment of the solutions (8.3.6);

— fulfilment of deployment needs (4.2) and requirements (7.5), including intellectual property rights (7.5; 7.8) considerations.

8.3.6 Deploy solutions

To deploy solutions, the organization should consider (P) developed solutions (8.3.5) as inputs.

The organization should:

a) make the solution available (D) to users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.2), e.g. by launching, implementing, or delivering the solution;

b) promote (D) and support (D) (7) the solution, e.g. sales, marketing, communication (7.4), awareness creation (7.3), and engagement (7.3) with users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.2);

c) monitor (C) (9.1) adoption rates and feedback (7.4) from users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.2);

d) monitor (C) (9.1) the impact (9) in terms of realization or redistribution of value (7.1.5);

e) identify (D) new implications for intellectual property (7.8);

f) capture (D) new knowledge (7.1.4) from the deployment to improve solutions (8.3.5), develop relationships (7.4; 7.6), and trigger new opportunities (6.1; 8.3.2).

These activities can result in the following outputs:

— realized value, financial (7.1.5) or non-financial;

— impact (9) in the form of adoption and new behaviours (4.4.2) of users, customers, partners (7.6), and other interested parties (4.4.2);

— insights (6.1; 8.3.2) and new knowledge (7.1.4) to improve (10) solutions (8.3.5).