Lecture 12: Microscale innovation

Question 1

Define microscope innovation

Answer 1

• Usually businesses/ institutions seek growth: WHY? (from previous lectures)
• Common challenge for them is to find
- New solutions to problems
- And/or new products/projects
- Ongoing profit from existing activities to keep business afloat => but competitors new product can destroy this, existing product don’t meet new demands, existing production limitations exposed
Come up with new ideas and select best one => problem definition, idea generation, decision selection

Question 2

Define problem definition

Answer 2

• Define problem you are trying to solve as clearly and unambiguously as you can => clarify what you are trying to do and what your not going to try
If more than one dimension to problem => useful to separate it into more than one problem i.e. supply device portability, supply method cost, providing constant replenished supply

Question 3

Define idea generation

Answer 3

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL
• Companies experiences indicates you need many ideas to find one successful solution e.g. DuPont = 300 ideas per solution

• Idea Procedure
- Brainstorm for ideas (as many as possible)
=> maximise creativity = broad team
=> do not constrain or judge = plenty of time, don’t intimidate
=> do not own = avoid personal favourites

- Sort, categorise, understand 
=> categorise into similarities i.e. focus on portability etc
=> helps clarify what ideas are really getting at 

- Eliminate (slim down to single figures)
=> done based on our broad quick understanding e.g. what expertise does the company have?
=> ideas which are scientifically wrong/unknown or expensive 

- Screen (more careful analysis and comparison based on problem definition)
=> careful analysis on small no of solutions 
=> clearer thinking/research, comparison, scoring

Question 4

Define decision selection

Answer 4

Scoring criteria

• Benchmark = set scoring scale by comparison => always at 5/10
  
  • Scoring = need to understand ideas well enough to give realistic scores
  • Alternatives
  - Decision matrix not complete truth = carry out sensitivity analysis and uncertainties etc.