Product Innovation Management Flashcards
(70 cards)
1
Q
What are the two types of sustainable innovation
A
- Radical: Realising a sustainable product to fill a gap
- Incremental: redesigning a product to be more sustainable
2
Q
Define sustainable innovation
A
Normal innovation + sustainability drivers.
the creation of a new market space, products and services, or processes driven by social, environmental or sustainability issues.
3
Q
What are three levels on which SI can be implemented
A
- Product
- Business
- System
4
Q
How can SI be implemented at the product level
2 points
A
- Incremental or radical
- Using LCAs as they are objective to find areas for improvement.
5
Q
How can SI be implemented at a business level
2 points
A
- New sustainable business models
- PSS and Sharing economy
6
Q
How can SI be implemented at a system level
A
System level SI involves a set of actions that shift an entire system - city, sector, economy - to a more sustainable path.
7
Q
What is innovation?
A
Theoretical conception + technical invention + commercial exploitation
8
Q
What are 4 drivers of SI
A
- Environmental and resource issues
- Legislation, sustainable consumption, and Production Policies
- Competition
- Social and ethical
9
Q
What are 5 steps to successful SI
A
- Treat compliance as an opportunity
- Make value chains sustainable
- Designing sustainable Products and services
- Developing new business models
- Creating next-practice platforms
10
Q
Describe the generic manufacturing business model
4 stages
A
- Stake holder model (who is the customer)
- Value model (what do they value)
- Process model (how do you create that value)
- Financial model (how do you monetise it)
11
Q
What are 7 attributes of a sustainable business model?
A
- Focus on lifecycle resource minimisation
- Closed loop
- Multi-functional products
- Distributed manufacture
- Meets needs not wants
- Reusable or upgradeable products
- Avoids ‘split-incentives’ such as built in redundancy.
12
Q
Name three advantages of a PSS
A
- The fulfillment of customer needs in a customised or integrated way which allows clients to focus on core activities. (e.g. outsourcing catering or recycling)
- Enhanced customer loyalty through the creation of unique relationships with clients
- Companies know what their customers want which allows them to innovate faster
13
Q
The 8 types of PSS can be split into what three categories
A
- Product orientated
- Use orientated
- Results orientated
14
Q
What is a product orientated PSS model
A
A business model mainly geared towards the sale of products with some extra services added (e.g. new car, PC)
15
Q
What is a use orientated PSS model
A
Product remains property of the company and is never sold, but is made available to the customer (e.g. lease cars, laundrette)
16
Q
What is a results orientated PSS model
A
Client and provider agree on a result, no pre-determined product involved (e.g. dry cleaner, postal service)
17
Q
How does SI differ from traditional product innovation?
A
SI differs as its main drivers and benefits of the product are geared towards sustainability.
The products are more commonly radical innovation as they prioritise a completely new set of drivers over the old market ones.
18
Q
What are 4 reasons we need system level SI
A
- Global problems require global solutions (C02)
- Many major systems are under stress (housing, water, food)
- The whole system has to be sustainable not just part of it.
- Many of the biggest polluting products are part of a larger system (cars, fuel, transport)
19
Q
What are the 6 stages of system level change
A
- Experience the need for change
- Diagnose the system
- Create pioneering practices
- Enable the tipping
- Sustain the transition
- Set the rules of the new mainstream
20
Q
Use shipping containers to demonstrate the 6 steps to system level change.
A
- Experience the need for change: ships loaded and unloaded crate by crate, dangerous and innefficient.
- Diagnose the system: Shipping recognised as a part of a wider system. Need easy and efficient loading not just for ships but for rail and trucks at end of journey.
- Create pioneering practices: Creation of a standard container that could be carried by ship, rail and truck
- Enable the tipping: Shared standards and patents to allow for wider industry adoption. US proved large-scale faesability during wars in korea and vietnam.
- Sustain the transition: Price of transport 25% cheaper than traditional methods. Increased speed and reduced costs sustained the transition.
- Set the rules for new mainstream: became a case of adapt or die. Maersk adopted the system and their sheer size and committment led to the mainstreaming of containerised shipping infrastructure.
21
Q
What is the standard for circular economy integration?
A
BS 8001 Framework for integrating the principles of circular economy in organisations.
22
Q
What are the 6 guiding principles of BS 8001
A
- Systems thinking
- Innovation
- Stewardship
- Collaboration
- Value optimisation
- Transparency
23
Q
Name 4 challenges to circular economy.
A
- Current guidance is overgeneralised and support is inadequate
- Consumption and ownership are still aspirational
- Reliance on fossil fuels for energy limits EOL options
- Lack of exisiting CE business demonstrators
24
Q
What are the two innovation paths
A
- Technological push
- Market Pull
25
What is the technological push innovation path
| 5 points
- Invent a new technology
- Guess suitable applications
- Contact people in industry to explore faesability
- Figure market size and demand - determine payback for each faesible path
- However, as an 'outsider' data is not easily available
26
What is market pull as an innovation path
| 5 points
- Identify and verify a market need
- Find a solution that reliefs potential customers pain-point
- Solve design issues
- Work out manufacturing issues (cost and reliability)
- Profit by an increased sales margin
27
Describe the technology and market linking matrix.
Two axes:
Top - emphasis on technical linking
Side: Emphasis on need linking
Technical Emphasis - Need emphasis
Low - Low: Weak linking (poor innovation potential)
High - Low: Technology push
Low - High: Market pull
High - High: Strong linking (Good innovation potential)
28
What are prerequisites for technical linking?
| 2 points
- Creative insight and talent: required to link a technical problem to scientific knowledge
- Unique expertise: view a soultion to the problem as both feasible and relevant for users.
29
What is a technology roadmap?
a flexible planing technique to support strategic and long-term planning by matching short-term and long-term goals with specific technology solutions.
30
What is technology roadmapping?
A **powerful technique to support technology management and planning**. Explores and communicates the dynamic **linkages** between **technological resources, organisational objectives and the changing environment**.
31
Why use TRM?
Allows a company or industry to make better investment decisions.
32
How does TRM allow for better investment decisions?
| 4 points
- Identify critical product needs that will drive technology selection and development decisions
- Determine the technology alternatives that can satisfy critical customer needs.
- Select the appropriate technology alternatives
- Generate and implement a plan to develop and deploy appropriate technology alternatives.
33
What are the three layers in a simple roadmap heirarchy
Top: Strategic roadmap
Middle: Product roadmap
Bottom: Technology roadmap
34
Describe the strategic roadmap layer
To deliver on strategic objectives a company must fill in the gaps in its product portfolio by developing new products and/or enhancing existing products.
35
Describe the product roadmap layer
A product roadmap will **define the timeline** to develop the new products needed for the strategic roadmap.
36
Describe the technology roadmap layer of the RM heirarchy
Defines **the timeline** to develop the new technologies that will be needed to realise the product roadmap.
37
What are three uses of TRM
- TRM can develop consensus about needs and the technologies required to meet them.
- TRM provides a mechanism to help experts forecast technology developments in targeted areas.
- TRM provides a framework to help plan and coordinate technology developments within a company or industry.
38
What is the benefit of TRM as a marketing tool
- Can demonstrate to customers that it understands their needs and has access to or is developing the technologies to meet them.
39
What are the three phases of TRM
1. Preliminary activity
2. Development of technology roadmap
3. Follow-up and use of the technology roadmap.
40
What steps are taken in the Preliminary activity phase of TRM
| 3 steps
- Satisfy essential conditions (Need, participation, use, justification)
- Provide leadership/sponsorship (led by implementer, commitment and resources)
- Define the scope and boundaries for the TRM (scope needs vision, context, time horizon, detail)
41
Why is the preliminary activity phase important in TRM
A roadmap is only as good as the process used to produce it. It needs to be fit for purpose and in itself needs planning and resources allocated to it.
42
What steps are taken in the development phase of TRM
| 7 steps
- Identify the product that will be the focus of the roadmap
- Identify the critical system requirements and their targets (critical system requirement (CSR) e.g. MPG and a target of 60mpg by 2050)
- Specify the major technology areas
- Specify the technology drivers and their targets (transform CSR into technology orientated drivers)
- Identify technology alternatives and their timelines.
- Recommend the technology alternatives that should be pursued
- Create the technology roadmap report.
43
What steps are required in the follow-up stage of TRM development
- Critique and validate the roadmap (peer review and critique)
- Develop an implementation plan
- Review and update.
44
What are the five possible layers for a TRM
Drivers
Customers
Products
Tech
Resources
45
What is technology scouting?
A method of identifying emerging technologies and channeling them into the organization to support innovation
46
How does technology scouting help in innovation?
| 3 points
It provides
- early awareness of new tech trends,
- stimulates innovation,
- helps source external solutions.
47
What is technology transfer?
The adoption of existing technologies or knowledge developed elsewhere to apply them in a new context
48
How does technology transfer support innovation?
| 2 points
- It reduces R&D effort
- brings proven solutions into the business quickly, often through licensing or partnerships
49
What is TRIZ?
A problem-solving tool that uses patterns from global patents to resolve technical contradictions
50
How is TRIZ used to innovate?
By identifying and solving contradictions in a system, it fosters creative and often radical product improvements.
51
Give an example of how TRIZ has been used
| Context, solution process, solution
Lunar Lander surface proximity system:
- essential component a light source
- Lunar module landing tests repeatedly led to bulb failure
Solution Process:
- Establish failure mode: glass breaking
- Break problem down into fundamental requirements i.e. glowing filament
Solution:
- On moon no air/oxygen to burn the filament
- Therefore glass bulb envelope not requried.
52
What is disruptive innovation?
A new product or service that starts in low-end or niche markets, underperforming on traditional metrics but offering new benefits like simplicity, affordability, or convenience. Over time, it improves to displace established players.
53
How is disruptive innovation different from sustaining innovation?
Sustaining innovation improves existing products for existing customers; disruptive innovation changes the basis of competition, often by targeting overlooked or underserved segments.
54
Why do incumbents struggle with disruptive innovation?
Because they’re focused on high-margin, demanding customers and lack the organizational flexibility to pursue small, unproven markets.
For example: Blockbuster ignored Netflix because streaming didn’t initially appeal to its core customer base.
55
How can firms manage disruptive innovation successfully?
| 5 ways
- Create autonomous units or spinouts
- Embed them in smaller markets
- Plan for early, cheap failure
- Avoid forcing into the mainstream too early
- Align with customers who need the tech
56
What role does “performance oversupply” play in disruption?
When products exceed market needs, users start valuing other features (e.g. price, ease of use), giving space for disruptors to compete on new terms
57
What is the danger of good management during disruption?
Sound strategies like listening to current customers, pursuing high ROI, and scaling aggressively work for sustaining innovation—but they lead firms to reject disruptive paths.
58
What does “match the size of the organization to the size of the market” mean?
Disruptive projects must exist within units small enough to value small wins and emerging markets—large firms often ignore these opportunities.
Example: Amazon created AWS as a side-project before cloud computing was “interesting” to traditional IT vendors.
59
What is frugal innovation?
FI aims to reach new customers with low-cost innovation.
FI re-engineers existing R&D to offer more agile and customer focussed innovation.
60
What are the core principles of frugal innovation
| 3 and example
- Targets the customers hidden aspiration or unvoiced problem
- Represents a move from linear innovation models to circular models of innovation
- Constitutes a collaborative approach to innovation
Example: Tata Nano aimed to be the world’s cheapest car for Indian consumers.
61
How is frugal innovation different from disruptive innovation?
Frugal innovation is about cost-effective design in constraint-heavy environments.
Disruptive innovation is about market displacement over time.
They can overlap, but frugal does not always disrupt.
62
Can frugal innovation be disruptive?
Yes—if it creates new markets or enters from below with products that improve and scale upward.
Example: Jio in India offered ultra-low-cost mobile data and forced incumbents to restructure their models.
63
What are the benefits of frugal innovation?
| 8
C – Customer-centric innovation
A – Avoids over-engineering
S – Speedy innovation
H – Helps reach new customer segments
S – Smaller production costs
P – Productivity from minimal assets + ease of use
A – Attracts and retains talent
R – Reduced innovation budgets
64
What is the role of frugal innovation in global business strategy?
| 2 points and example
It enables firms to:
Tap into emerging markets
Innovate under constraints that foster broader creativity
🟦 Example: GE’s handheld ECG machine for rural India, later scaled globally.
65
What risks exist in adopting frugal innovation?
| 2
Perceived quality issues
Resistance from brand-conscious consumers
66
What are the three stages of open innovation
1. An idea emerges (often outwith the capabilities of the person who came up with it)
2. Prototype to validate initial assumptions with basic functionality
3. Make-shift mechanisms are replaced with fine-tuned technical solutions and UI developed.
67
What is Jugaad innovation?
An innovative fix; an improved solution born from ingenuity and cleverness.
68
What are the 6 principles of Jugaad innovation?
- Frugality
- intuition
- Keep it simple
- Flexibility
- include the margin
- opportunity in adversity
69
What is the general aim of Jugaad innovation?
an unstructured process or mind-set that embodies ‘making do’ to come up with an innovative fix.
70
Provide an example of how TRIZ can be used in sustainable product innovation.
The Contradiction:
Need 1: Clothes need to be washed at high temperatures to remove stains and bacteria.
Need 2: Sustainable design requires low energy consumption, which means reducing water heating.
Use TRIZ principle 35 - parameter changes:
This principle suggests changing the physical state or operating conditions of an element to resolve a contradiction.
Inventive Solution:
Instead of increasing temperature, change the detergent formulation to activate at lower temperatures (e.g. enzyme-based detergents effective at 30°C).
