THE PHASES OF THE INNOVATION PROCESS 4 PHASES TO MATURITY

 

The innovation process is a risky process that can "sink" a lot of money and/and, often even worse, miss out on market opportunities. For example, the first one on the market for a new, really new product with a new application usually wins 37% of the market, the second 25%, and the third 12.5%​- the ones that follow later end up under also running.

Therefore, a structured system is essential in implementing innovations, whereby a balance must be found between structure and creativity. It is important not to lose sight of the basic idea, separate what is essential (must have) and what is not crucial (nice to have). Several techniques - tools - how to handle it, hardly anyone uses a "Whole Sale Custom Packaging" system; every company varies according to its own needs.

There are 4 phases:

The idea creation phase, in which the product or business idea is born, defines the cornerstones, the target group, and the channels. Again, there are plenty of creative techniques for this phase. In the end, there is an idea evaluation, whereby - depending on the corporate culture - the benefit potential, the conquest of a dominant market position, technology leadership or quick implementation is in the foreground. The strategy plays an essential role in the evaluation - therefore, the management is called upon here.

The concept phase will be evaluated and designed in the solutions, both in terms of the product's manufacture as the marketing. Functional models or prototypes are created here, the first performance data are determined and clarified with those of the specification - the performance booklet becomes the binding specification. Markets, target groups, asking prices, marketing strategies are checked - in part by lead users. Usually, 65-70% of the time is used up here, around. 60% of the costs started. But: there is still a way back! This phase largely dominates the technology - technical director, production director, head of the customer service and the patent attorney.

Realization phase, the product is finally realized, tools are ordered, production lines are set up, tests are carried out. Prototypes tested in a field test phase, packaging and instructions for use created. There is no turning back. Marketing - which has to be integrated into every step in order not to lose customer proximity - it plays the customer's advocate in the whole process, so to speak - characterizes this process section in addition to production.

Market phase, the most critical phase because there is no innovation without market acceptance. This often fails for unusual reasons: You are too early with the invention: the customers do not yet feel the need for this innovation, or you are too late because a technological upheaval suddenly deprives the product of the market. Just as marketing plays an important, corrective role in the concept and implementation phase, the development department plays an essential role in this phase: The developers must be confronted with the frequently occurring application problems in the first customer applications to deal with the "teething problems" with the first upgrades. To be eliminated quickly.

Each of these phases has it is dynamic - the first two phases are characterized by creativity, the ideas cannot be "innovative" enough, Custom Packaging USA experiments are carried out in parallel. Finally, the implementation and market phases are process-oriented and structured with a focus.

Various process models are available for the management of the individual phases:

·         Stage gate process

·         Design thinking

·         Lean start-up

·         Scrum