Generating of idea in the organization that I work
March 12, 2019I guess this is a general disease in most of big company who are producing machine and equipment: lack of Ideas that can create a big improvement! Traditionally, in this companies almost all of idea should be generated inside of house and in most of case the opinion from outside looks suspiciously!
I think I can use more or less the same method that Dr. Peter R. Magnusson use in his study (Exploring the Contributions of Involving Ordinary Users in Ideation of Technology-Based Services, 2009) to divide the resources that we use in our company for product development: Expert users (R&D), Semi expert users ( Marketing ) and the End users. According my experiences most of ideas initiating from inside of expert team? (Unfortunately we didn’t do any research about idea generation or idea management, thus I don’t have certain statistic about it).
For a product development we have an old method based on end user demand. Theoretically, we have a system that we can upload end user demand, but this is an internal system that only people who working in R&D and just some of marketing people can generate idea there! It means there is no open option for outside idea to come through the system freely, all of idea should be pass filter, Idea filtration is a logic act but not in the first step. I see, the company already kickback many idea without a careful notice to them, why? I think this is because of traditional think about idea generation and this come mostly from a core team of middle range manager and also most of R&D team who don’t like to involve other not only in their job but also to initiate their job! From my point of view, this culture should be changed!
In the first line I said I guess this culture is in most of similar company like us, as I don’t see any big improvement or turning point technology in heavy equipment industry neither in our machines nor in competitors ones! I’m one who active in the heavy machinery about 20 years and dealing directly with product development during last 10 years. I’m a part of marketing and visiting end user around the world. Our team working as eye to see, ear to hear and hand to touch and understand how our equipment working in the field, what is customer feedback, what is new and etc. We should be the main engine of idea generation (as semi expert), but gradually years after years our rule has been changed and we became as product promoter (just look at positive part of our product) and product defender (learn how to defend our weakness).
This should be changed as some new-comer companies coming in our yard (our company and some old competitors who rule heavy machinery industry for many years) and start to bring new technology. This is the red flag for us and we should ready to change and I think the first point is change the Idea, accept this matter that the place that Idea coming can be difference from the past. We should open the loop and let the outside minds help us.
Yes, this is a big change however I believe this is a big requirement, urgent need!