Assignment:
200 word response identifying what you actually learned from their post and how you see it impacting organizations.
Innovation plays a large role in the world we live in today. There are new advancements made every day from medicine, to technology. It is important for companies to continue to innovate their brands so that they can evolve with the ever-changing society. Innovation is described as the following: “Innovation is not invention, Innovations have to earn their keep, very little is truly new in innovation, think beyond products, knowing where to innovate is as important as knowing how to innovate, tackle the hardest problems first, refuse incomplete answers, it doesn’t count until its in the market, turn complexity into simplicity” (Keely, Walters & Quinn, 2013). Understanding and using the ten types of innovation can assist companies profoundly to grow their businesses to levels they may have never thought of. It is important to understand all ten as using just one may cause a company or business to fail. Many of the ten types of innovation closely correlate with each other. They also may clash with each other as well. The two types of innovations that will be compared and contrasted are Network and Product Performance.
Networking your company is working with innovators from other similar or maybe different companies to collaborate or develop new products that would interest customers. This has been demonstrated by several companies that create limited time products in result of collaborating with each other. This is made possible by one company taking a product they have produced and combining with another product another company has produced. For example, a local Burger joint in the Kalamazoo area called “Nonla Burger” often collaborates with other restaurants to create an interesting and limited time burger or sandwich. These unique sandwiches are shared on Facebook in order to quickly gain customers attention. Many customers enjoy trying new things, and when they see their two favorite restaurants collaborating with each other, it gains customer attention.
Product performance is defined as, “products that are uniquely styled or focused on particular niches and audiences in ways that others can’t match” (Keely et. Al, 2013). Having a strong product performance can provide customers a peace of mind when buying a specific brand that may cost slightly more than the lower end product. For example, as explained in Ten types of innovation: The discipline of building breakthroughs, the brand OXO was mentioned as being a company producing high quality kitchen utensils. OXO is highly known for their well-functioning kitchen tools that make dinner time less of a hassle.
Networking and Product performance share many similarities with each other. In order for two companies to network and collaborate with each other to create a unique product, they must ensure that the product is created to the highest standard. For example, if a burger joint such as Nonla Burger pairs up with a local BBQ joint to create a mouthwatering sandwich, it is important that they use the freshest and tastiest ingredients. It is important to ensure that each collaborating company captivates their customers attention by networking with their community by posting to Facebook to make communities aware of limited time offerings. The more a business actively involves the community, the more likely the business will be talked about in society.
In my opinion, product performance is more effective out of the two. If a business or company provides high quality products that are less likely to break within just a few uses, customers would then possibly have a higher interest in purchasing the top performance brand over a lower rated brand. For example, Dyson is known for their high-quality items such as their vacuums, hair dryers and fans. However, with quality comes price. Many customers may prefer to spend extra for a higher quality product so that they won’t have to replace the product often.
I was able to locate an interesting article that spoke about customer interest in Green products such as home cleaning products, personal care products and paper products. Green products perfectly correlate with the definition of product performance stated previously, they are “uniquely styled or focused on particular niches and audiences in ways others can’t match.” According to the article, “Almost 80 percent of EcoPulse respondents agreed that green products “sometimes or always” cost more than traditional products” (Iannuzzi, 2011). Although these products may cost more, they perform to reduce the pollution of paper and plastic, which results in a better, healthier environment.
I am a current employee with the State of Michigan. With that being said, it can be difficult to correlate the ten different types of innovation into my career as the Department of Health and Human Services has strict policies and guidelines that are already put in place. I think that Process and Product Performance are two important types of innovation that I use in my position. As an Assistance Payments Specialist, it is my job to ensure struggling families receive any benefits they may be entitled to through out government. It is important for me to follow the process of processing each application accurately, all while maintaining excellent customer service skills simultaneously.
The ten different types of innovation are extremely important in maintaining a successful business/company. With a strong understanding of these different categories, it is highly possible to continuously grow as a company.
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