Customer Focus Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Innovate. Integrate. Transform. Run.

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 2 of 3
Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 2 of 3

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 2 of 3

By Bill Wood|March 29th, 2010|

Previously, we looked at the three primary types of innovation most often practiced today. I discussed two polar opposites, which I call the Stoic approach and the Maelstrom approach. The Stoic is more like continuous improvement, whereas the Maelstrom is more like blue-sky, directionless brainstorming. The third method is somewhere in between and strives for the ideal future state. That third method relies heavily on an innovation narrative. Innovation at the Point of Customer Frustration Prev [...]

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 1 of 3
Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 1 of 3

Striving for a Customer Focused Approach to Innovation 1 of 3

By Bill Wood|March 26th, 2010|

If your company does any kind of innovation, how would you describe it? Stoic – slow, plodding, methodical, and generally consisting of small incremental improvements (minimalist). Stretch – evaluating current as well as future needs and wants of the customer with some structured framework for achieving a future state (striving). Maelstrom – creative “free-for-all,” sky’s the limit, and a “no holds barred” barrage of brainstorming and chaos (directionless). The Common Approach to Innovation, Ge [...]

Designing startup metrics to drive successful behavior
Designing startup metrics to drive successful behavior

Designing startup metrics to drive successful behavior

By Bill Wood|March 11th, 2010|

Great companies are almost always run by great management teams. And great management teams know that the only way to improve a process is to start by measuring it. Good metrics should also be actionable and drive successful behavior. In this post, I reveal how to figure out which metrics matter the most, and how to design them in such a way as to drive behavior that will lead to the results that you want. This post is applicable to any kind of business. In a follow-up post, I will use th [...]

From Collaboration to Innovation to Market – Toward a Working Model
From Collaboration to Innovation to Market – Toward a Working Model

From Collaboration to Innovation to Market – Toward a Working Model

By Bill Wood|March 9th, 2010|

Too often today, I see hype around various social interaction methods in the enterprise. Some companies even talk about internally adopting social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets may provide tremendous outlets for interacting with customers, gathering market intelligence, or promoting your brand. However, they can be more destructive than productive. Collaborative initiatives without a specific business purpose are disasters waitin [...]

Changing the Direction of SAP, ERP, and IT Applications to Focus on the Customer and Innovation
Changing the Direction of SAP, ERP, and IT Applications to Focus on the Customer and Innovation

Changing the Direction of SAP, ERP, and IT Applications to Focus on the Customer and Innovation

By Bill Wood|February 19th, 2010|

This is the third part of an ongoing series about where the application technology market is today, including ERP vendors such as SAP and Oracle, and where the market is headed. The series provides insight on how to get ahead of the current trends and ride the wave that is building rather than getting swept away with it. The current business trends and market forces for technology will reward the swift and adaptable who are able to address the key business areas that have been lacking in the te [...]

ERP III – Is the Integration of Collaboration the Future of Enterprise Applications
ERP III – Is the Integration of Collaboration the Future of Enterprise Applications

ERP III – Is the Integration of Collaboration the Future of Enterprise Applications

By Bill Wood|February 11th, 2010|

When I was at Grant Thornton in the late 1990's, and then later when the management consulting organization was sold to Hitachi, I worked on a comprehensive knowledge management model (which I will refer to later in this article). The model can be applied to integrating collaboration tools into any enterprise application. Carefully structured and planned integration of collaboration tools can produce great results. However, integration is a challenge. Many social media types aim to tie collabor [...]