The market is changing constantly and at an increasingly rapid pace. To keep up with the competition, B2B companies have to be creative and innovative. But how can a company be and remain innovative? And how do you do that in addition to your daily business?

There is innovation potential in every company. Keeping this in mind is the first and perhaps most important step in the process: only when management, the specialist departments and production are convinced of this can the company continue to develop in a future-oriented way. In this article you will learn what else is needed to drive innovation in your company and how to organise your processes effectively.

If the market changes changes, must change companies with change.

Innovations are more important than ever in the B2C and B2B sectors. New business models, a shortage of skilled workers, digitalisation and the changing behaviour of customers are forcing companies to adapt in numerous areas. One important area is, of course, their own service portfolio. Products in particular are becoming less and less differentiated between different providers. Here it is necessary to rethink and, if necessary, to rethink. But services can also be rethought: Can you offer your target groups something that none of your competitors can?

But where come the ideas?

The company's own employees are the source of most innovations. Depending on the department, they know what customers want and what they need; what is technically possible and what no one else is doing yet. In order to be able to develop something new that really fulfils all aspects, these people must be able to exchange ideas. Innovation needs structure. As mentioned above, it also needs a corporate culture that gives space to new ideas and supports them. If the company strictly adheres to existing structures, products and processes, there is a great danger that ideas with high potential will fall on deaf ears.

Counteract this stagnation by living a positive culture of mistakes, giving employees enough space for creativity and creating opportunities for exchange.

Which role does in this the Management?

A company can only be innovative if the management understands innovation as a permanent and essential work process and not as a job creation measure should there be less to do. The goal is not emergency solutions, but sustainable results. It is not just about efficiency, but about sustainability and investing in the right fields.

Management must therefore have the will to drive and promote innovation in the company. In doing so, it is important to get to grips with appropriate working methods. Find out about design thinking, speed labs and other approaches to agile working and, above all, take part in appropriate workshops yourself to really understand how work is done according to these methods. When putting together an innovation team, make sure to include employees from all relevant areas and from different positions.

Which Tasks does the Innovation team?

The innovation team develops ideas and tests them in iterative processes. At the beginning, it is of course necessary to approach the work as a team. Familiarise yourself with proven methods and see what works for your team. Not only the developments, but also the processes need to be constantly optimised.

In agile projects, new ideas are developed and implemented as prototypes. These are made available to selected customers or members of the target groups and tested by them. Based on the results, the product is further optimised and tested again.

It is important that the innovation team always has the company's goals in mind and follows a strategy that is geared towards achieving these goals. Timings also play a crucial role: the innovation team and management should exchange information on developments and findings at regular intervals. Especially in the initial phase, these consultations are crucial in order to support each other and remove possible obstacles.

What is a Innovation Funnel?

There are certainly many ideas, but the task of an innovation team is to find the ideas that can really succeed in the market. The right selection is essential: the innovation funnel shows you how best to proceed.

Search
The team analyses markets, the competition and its own target groups for their problems. A way to solve these problems is sought. Concrete proposals for solutions are formulated and first drafts are created. Promising drafts are transformed into prototypes. These prototypes are tested internally. Based on the results, it is decided whether the prototype will be further developed or whether realisation is not possible.

Incubate
Promising prototypes are prepared for practical testing by selected customers. The feedback is used for further optimisation. The intention of the product may also need to be questioned: Does the product really solve the problem it is supposed to solve? Are more functions possible?

Scaling
This involves preparing the launch of the product and transferring it to the core organisation. The goal is efficient production and distribution of the product. To achieve this, the product must also be introduced within the company so that marketing, sales and management know about it and can credibly communicate the advantages of the product.

Even in the innovation funnel, the company's goals must always be contrasted with the needs of the target groups and the market conditions and verified.

Conclusion

Innovation is not something that happens incidentally, but a process that has to be cultivated - by the management as well as by the employees.

Innovation succeeds when companies manage processes effectively and establish a corresponding culture. Each organisation must develop its own individual approach that includes all hierarchical levels, promotes initiative and commitment, and adequately challenges employees with their skills and strengths. In this way, decision-makers in the B2B environment exploit the innovation potential of their company and thus position it for the future.

Stefan Weder

Together with my team, I structure innovation and communication-relevant knowledge for B2B companies and use it to develop target group-focused business models and productions. In doing so, we enter new territory every day. We share what we discover and experience there in our blog - and are curious what you tell us.