Innovation Beyond Boundaries: The Power of Challenge Driven Innovation

The traditional approach to innovation, through stage-gate management, is no longer capable of keeping up with the rapidly evolving business landscape we are witnessing today. 75% of organizations say that open innovation is critical to addressing complex business issues. As such, today's leaders need to explore innovative frameworks that enable them to tap into external sources of value. Accordingly, in this edition of Connected Innovation, we delve into our tested, used, and successful framework called 'Challenge Driven Innovation?' as an alternative to the conventional stage-gate model. Challenge Driven Innovation (CDI) redefines the way we approach innovation by breaking projects into modular "Challenges" that can be seamlessly shared to a network of problem-solvers from diverse backgrounds and experiences. To illustrate its real-world impact, we will provide the compelling example of Wazoku Crowd ’s collaboration with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration !?

The importance of innovating and the contribution of CDI?

71% of organizations plan to increase investment in open innovation in the next two years. This just goes to show that in today's rapidly evolving and highly competitive business landscape, the importance of innovation cannot be overstated. Innovation is the driving force behind progress, growth, and sustainability for organizations of all sizes, across various industries, and all over the world. Innovating is important for staying relevant in a constantly changing world, managing risk and uncertainty, collaborating globally…the list goes on. CDI emerges as a pivotal framework in aiding organizations on their innovation journey, amplifying its significance. The stages of CDI are broken down in the next section.?

The stages of CDI?

CDI represents a departure from the conventional stage-gate framework, offering a more dynamic and adaptable approach to innovation. While it might be tempting to draw parallels between CDI stages and traditional stages, it's crucial to recognize that CDI stages are not mere renamings but a transformative rethinking of the innovation process. These stages often overlap and iterate, ensuring that innovation is an ongoing, iterative journey. However, what truly distinguishes CDI from any other innovation process is the emphasis on collaboration and the deliberate inclusion of external resources to enhance the final product/concept/service.?

1. Idea Gathering: At the start of CDI, numerous opportunities are collected, aiming to select the most promising ones for further development. CDI encourages diverse idea sources, including external contributors.
2. Filtering: Here, the focus is on selecting projects aligning with capabilities and strategic goals, filtering out those that don't meet these criteria to optimize resource allocation.
3. Dissection: CDI transforms innovation by breaking complex projects into modular 'Challenges.' These Challenges are substantial, yet independently executable, promoting collaboration and diverse expertise.
4. Channel Distribution: Challenge modules are strategically placed into various channels, like research organizations, collaborations, and internal initiatives, diversifying the innovation ecosystem.
5. Evaluation/Confirmation: After Challenge modules' completion, the results are assessed against predefined criteria to ensure alignment with goals and quality standards.
6. Assembly and Integration: Refined Challenge modules are integrated into a functional whole, leveraging CDI's flexibility for a seamless process.
7. Launch: The innovation is finally introduced to the market, emphasizing speed and effectiveness, marking the culmination of the CDI journey and the start of a new cycle.

The proof is in the pudding: NASA?

NASA faced an enormous challenge in measuring strain on Kevlar and Vectran straps within the demanding temperature range of 25 to 125°C. Despite three years of dedicated efforts, their in-house research team struggled to devise a universally effective method for this critical task. Faced with a roadblock, NASA made the strategic decision to leverage the collective problem-solving capabilities of the global Wazoku Crowd .

The collaborative effort yielded impressive results. Among the contributors, one standout Solver lacked a formal background in materials science BUT brought a particularly unique perspective to the table. They conducted rigorous testing of samples under exceptionally stringent conditions, whilst working at a medical college. This unconventional approach led to a breakthrough solution.

Ultimately, NASA's decision to tap into external expertise, through the Wazoku Crowd, not only ended a three-year impasse, but also liberated their internal team to refocus on pressing priorities – demonstrating the power of CDI. There are many more success stories with NASA and the Wazoku Crowd, which you can check out here.?

In conclusion, in a landscape wherein 75% of organizations say that open innovation is critical to addressing complex business issues, CDI emerges as a dynamic framework to unleash the innovation potential of organizations all over the world. The success story of NASA's collaboration with the global Wazoku Crowd in overcoming a three-year roadblock underscores the power of CDI in harnessing external expertise and driving innovation beyond boundaries. You can read more about CDI right here.?