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MindSumo Quick Solve Challenges Prime the Innovation Pump for a Global Technology Company
SITUATION
Seeking Innovative Answers to Key Questions
Innovation comes in big and small sizes. Moonshots—those products and services that disrupt the status quo and create new realities—are great, but small innovations are essential. How can this product be improved? What new market would be best for us to pursue? How can we market this service to create a new customer experience? How can we make a difference to a new demographic? Answers to questions like these are not likely to lead to a moonshot. They can, however, help achieve key business goals and growth initiatives.
GATE
A global consumer electronics corporation relies on innovation to maintain and grow its competitive position. But even the most innovative companies can be hampered by organizational limitations when generating ideas. Processes and procedures support productivity and mitigate risk. Structure, however, can minimize or even stifle innovation. Recognizing this reality, the company wanted a source of diverse and unfettered perspectives from outside the enterprise for its initiatives.
SOLUTION
Quick Solve for Fast Ideas
The central innovation team of a global technology corporation engaged MindSumo to work with several departments on a range of open innovation challenges focused on various aspects of its activities. Taking advantage of MindSumo’s “Quick Solve” (sprint) format, each challenge delivered high-level concepts across topics including:
- An idea for the printer of the future that aligns with the increasing use of digital tools and retains value and usefulness to consumers
- A new software product for the elderly/disabled that overcomes the barriers to most technology due to their different needs and abilities
- A new interactive use for projectors, seeking a new and non-traditional experience to provide that allows users to interact with others
- A companion app for projectors, seeking ideas for features and functionality to be included in a companion app for personal projectors
In addition, the company posed these Quick Solve challenge questions like these:
- How can we enhance our product services? Requesting new ideas for additional features for their flagship product line
- How can we revolutionize sensor technology? Looking for creative ideas and insights that can push the boundaries of sensor technology through new applications of existing technology
- What will the K-12 classroom of the future look like? Envisioning the future classroom as technologies like AI, voice/facial recognition, and others continue to evolve and become embedded in everyday usage
Each challenge included a set of ancillary questions for solvers’ response. For example, one challenge asked, “Which societal issue would you most like to address?” and another asked “How would you classify your technology awareness?”
A dedicated innovation project manager worked with the stakeholders for each challenge to create a technology-based campaign for open innovation solvers. This included:
- Assistance in the initial scoping of the challenge content
- Consultation and expert input on what elements would make the challenge most successful
- Management of the launch, distribution, and promotion of the challenge
- Oversight of the submission review, curation, and rating process
RESULTS
Innovation Funnel Filled
By pursuing Quick Solve challenges covering a wide range of topics, the company was able to “prime the pump” of its various innovation funnels. Each challenge produced a selection of ideas for review, assessment, and action. The time to action was accelerated through the challenges, which gave the company multiple opportunities to move more quickly into market-defining initiatives than would have been possible through internal efforts alone.
The innovation team and relevant departments also received useful input from the ancillary questions. For example, the question about societal issues produced these results:
Which societal issue would you most like to address?
Industry
Technology
Number of Employees
65,000+
Company Revenue
$5 billion+
Areas Served
Global
4
Separate departments worked to solve challenges through the innovation team
1,394
Total submissions across all challenges
84
Total "viable" concepts
THE TEAM
Keaton manages the MindSumo business segment of MBO and is in charge of business development and building client relationships with enterprises and innovators on the platform.
THE TEAM
Vice President, Product
Keaton manages the MindSumo business segment of MBO and is in charge of business development and building client relationships with enterprises and innovators on the platform.
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