L08 A: Front End Transfers of Digital Innovations in a Hybrid Agile‐Stage‐Gate

Question 1

Front end

Answer 1

messy first phase of innovation process which starts with the discovery of an opportunity or raw idea and ends when the go decision is made to develop a new product, so that the actual development can start and significant resources are committed.

Question 2

Agile development

Answer 2

innovation process that values interactions and individuals, collaboration, response to change, and a working product.

–agile brings agility, adaptability, and speed to innovation projects:
Sprint planning meetings
Daily stand-up meetings
Demo presentations
Retrospective meetings

–Focus on micro-planning, so that development teams can execute projects in a focused, efficient manner, while still planning and building on the fly.

Question 3

Transferring new opportunity into firm’s new development function requires that research work:

Answer 3

1. Can be tangibly reviewed by an expert;
2. Is something that a customer can respond to;
3. Is an entity that management can actually see.

Question 4

Model of front end transfers of digital innovations in a hybrid agile-stage-gate setting (three different transfer practices):

Answer 4

1. Transfer management a champion within development is crucial, as they can appropriately steer Research in directions that better match Development’s activities and capabilities
   – Bridge void between two departments.
   – Leads to closer collaboration and better communication, and less internal resistance.
2. Transfer scope front end work on digital innovations makes it inherently difficult for Research to present tangible prototype as front end results or deliverable to Development. Instead deliverables remain abstract, including a preliminary market study, technical feasibility analysis, or business model (indicating that sprint is done) not in line with strict Transfer requirements from Development.
3. To match requirements, Research focuses on incremental innovations (better fits Development’s capabilities and short-term oriented activities increases likelihood of transfer acceptance).
   Synchronization rigidity in terms of process and resources (due to annual plans etc.) inhibits development of digital innovations and development of their front end transfers little flexibility and room to explore radical digital innovations with fluid scope.

Question 5

In the front end of digital innovation the benefits of an agile approach in terms of e.g. speed and flexibility, can be combined with the structure and control that the Stage-Gate model brings:

Answer 5

• Allows for trial-and-error and experimentation;
• Enables Research to create digital innovations in shorter timeframes;
• Evokes earlier feedback from other departments development of shared language that improves quality of front end work and facilitates front end transfers;
• Early involvement of internal and external customers provides Research flexibility to validate preconceptions of the right digital innovation trajectory and helps identifying commercial potential of new digital innovations;
• Research can limit wasted time and resources by terminating unfruitful digital innovation projects early on;
• Allows Development for iterative joint value creation with Research helps manage development portfolios more efficiently.

Question 6

Implementation of hybrid Agile-Stage-Gate model:

Answer 6

1. Adapt synchronization concepts (inhibitor);
2. Adaptation of the scope of the transfer (inhibitor) broaden perspective on scope of digital front end transfers;
3. Maintaining transfer management practices as facilitators for front end transfers of digital innovations.