Innovation and Commercialisation Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Innovation and Commercialisation

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Among the elements which play a determining role in terms of a company’s survival and steadfast development in the market, innovation is an indispensable one. It is only through the introduction of innovation that a company can truly explore the uncharted terrains of the business arena and come up with something truly groundbreaking. Innovation helps any given organization to make optimal use of its full potential and gain a competitive edge in its sector. Therefore, this report will focus on the specific case of "Wileyfox," the UK-based smartphone company, and look at the various aspects of innovation together with its importance, different forms, and approaches. The four directions of change that the company can take and the 4Ps of innovations will be elucidated in the subsequent sections of this report. Finally, the two distinct approaches of innovation, namely the “innovation funnel” and “frugal innovation”, and the steps of coming up with a novel and innovative product will also be included in the scope of this report.

1. Explanation of the difference between Invention and Innovation.

First of all, Invention means “The action of inventing something or the origination of something a practice or device” Invention is the physical creation of a new conception or can say idea. Whereas Innovation means an initial idea that has been transformed into real reality. The difference between Invention and Innovation can be seen as An Invention that uses technology to solve specific troubles and an invention is also known as a "technical teaching". The Invention can be a process or product, and Invention refers to the creation of a brand new product or device. On the other hand, an Innovation has become an exhortation in the business world and innovation introduces the theory of the use of an idea or method and Innovation is an act of making changes to the existing product or the procedure by introducing new customs or ideas (Carr E, 2019).

The two terms sound similar, but when someone digs deeper than they will get that there is a fine line of difference between “Invention and Innovation”. Invention mention the occurrence of an idea for a product that has not at all has been made before and the concept of an Invention is to create an original initiative or idea and its working in theory. Invention can be patented as it issues security to the inventor for cognitive property rights and it also identifies as a verified invention. Whereas Innovation implicit the implementation of ideas for product or process for the very fast moment and the concept of Innovation is about practical completion of new idea or plan. In Innovation a position of marketing technical and strategic skills required.

One of the most significant differences between Invention and Innovation is an idea or plan when proved effective or workable then it is called an Invention. Whereas an Innovation is when the plan or idea is not only be proved feasible but at the same time also need to be economically workable and accomplish a specific necessitate.

The key distinction between Invention and Innovation are classified below and they are:

1. The Invention requires scientific skills, whereas Innovation requires a comprehensive set of marketing strategies and technical strategies.
2. Invention is concerned with a single product, whereas Innovation focuses on the arrangement of numerous products and services too.
3. Invention is restricted to research and expansion or can say development section of the organization, whereas Innovation is extending all over the association or organization.
4. Invention has defined the act of creating or discovering a method or process that has not existed before and in fine terms, it is a novel scientific idea conceived through research and experimentation that turns into the tactile object. Whereas Innovation itself signifies its meaning, which is as the alteration of an idea into reality and in the ethical sense Innovation can be described as a change that adds value to the service and products and that fulfills the requirements of the customers (Leaf Group Media, 2021).

2. The Value and Importance of Innovation to Organizations and how this can be embedded within the Organizational Leadership and Culture.

Innovation is the core element in modern existence and innovation allows an organization to stay applicable in the competitive marketplace and at the same time Innovation also plays a vital role in the development of the organization and in economic growth. Well, Innovation is the preamble of something new and without Innovation there will not be anything new and without Innovation, there will be no development and Innovation is one of the most significant concerns of each organization and its role in the improvement and management of the market is immutable. The major point is that Innovation is different from creativeness (Damanpour, 2017).

Innovation was the topic of organization for long periods and it’s exclusively represented by new ideas and new devices but also by the process of uncovering new ways to do things. It says that “necessity is the mother of Innovation” and in today’s market that is high in the aspects of competition and evolvement in nature and it is very significant for the organization to understand the meaning and significance of Innovation. In the marketplace of Wileyfox Smartphone Company, Innovation is an important aspect as because it gives companies and organizations a circumference in incisive market fasters and provides a better relation to rising markets, which can go ahead to better opportunities (Tracey and Stott, 2017). Because innovations, as well as invention, are measured to have a direct link with each other that bang in bringing expansions for organizations.

It is rightly said that when an organization has an "innovative culture" it will grow faster and easier. The significance of Innovation is discussed below and these innovation steps will develop the innovation progress of Wileyfox Smartphone Company.

• spirited compensation in the market
• exceptional selling proposal
• continuous Improvement
• development and success

1. Spirited compensation in the market: As it is said before, today's marketplace is active and dynamic explosive in nature and the main reason behind this is the same are the ever-growing competitions from the new as well as the reputable players in the market and evolving tastes of the consumers and the shifting norms and policies of the administration. Thus, to successfully endure and flourish in the completive marketplace, the Wileyfox needs to come up with a product service offer that is high on the aspects of "Innovation".
2. Exceptional selling proposal: Well, every successful organization has a unique selling proposal and that is the logical factor and that works as an encouragement for contemporaries in the market and the exceptional selling proposal can be inwards and derived based on "Innovation".
3. Continuous Improvement: For Wileyfox, improvement is becoming a huge part and based on critical motives of the organization of the firm behind the same is to come up with the products and services that are high on Innovation and novelty. Because the foremost purpose of innovation is the foundation of new ideas and it deals with the process and methods.
4. Development and success: Well, the factors and attributes of innovative products and services that are meeting the requirements and demand of the peoples and experts and talented team of peoples through the research and expansion grow in leaps and bounds enjoying the pinnacle of success. Thus, Innovation plays an important role in the growth of a Wileyfox organization.

Embedding innovation into Wileyfox organization takes two parts to make innovation real at an organization and values, culture, and leadership work at the same time. In today's world organization needs more "innovators" and every organization is feeling the impact of globalization, migration and more things, so in that case, Innovation will bring added value and broaden the employment base. The features of Wileyfox organization including efficiency and the comportment in which it performs are embedded and in its culture. If the organization needs to have an innovative organizational culture and innovation has to go away from being espoused to being embedded in practices and assumptions about how things get done right through the organization (Sharifirad and Ataei, 2012).

 So, to achieve well under conditions of fast external and internal growth and alteration, innovation and change must become essential fundamentals of organizational culture (Naqshbandi and Kamel, 2017). A culture of innovation enables an organization to endlessly clutch upon opportunities to get better, not only products, services, but also how things are done, which is the culture itself. So it is clear that an innovative organization is not only rotating its ideas into innovation, but it is also constantly building upon the power of its “culture” (Wang and C.H, 2019).

3. The Different Forms of Innovation and the Four Directions of Change an Organization can take

Innovation could be a perplexing subject to discuss due to the fact that there are various kinds of inventions and everybody tends to use the word differently (Edwards-Schachter, 2018).

1. Incremental innovations

These are marginally better than previous versions of the product including only minor modifications to the product composition or process of service delivery. Without compromising the basic functionalities of a product, it can be reduced in size, simpler to use, or more appealing, and services could be made more effective through continuous improvement. The majority of innovations are incremental, gradual, and continuous enhancements to established ideas, goods, or services in an established market.

1. Innovation that is disruptive

Disruptive innovation is a term proposed by Clayton Christensen, a professor, researcher, and business consultant, in an HBR article and subsequently in his book The Innovator’s Dilemma (Christensen et al., 2018). Disruptive innovation is a concept that refers to an idea, product, or service that establishes a new value network, either by entering an established market or by developing a new market entirely.

At first, disruptive technologies perform poorly when conventional value indicators are used, but they have unique characteristics that are prized by a limited market segment. While these types of technologies are often effective at converting non-customers to customers, they do not often address the needs and demands of conventional clients, at least not yet. Disruptive innovation occurs when established business practices fail and necessitates the development of new capabilities. But even though the threats are substantial, the upside potential is enormous if everything goes according to plan.

• Architectural innovation

This (a.k.a. “recombinative” innovation) refers to the process of transferring an approach, technology, or technique from one area to another. This form of innovation is extremely prevalent; research indicates that approximately 40% of patents filed over the last two centuries fall in that category, with the percentage increasing each year (Schoemaker, Heaton and Teece, 2018.).

Various instances of architectural Innovation

The Uber app can be considered. Ride-sharing, geolocation, and independent contractors were not novel concepts. When they combined, though, they produced a game-changing breakthrough that acted as a shining illustration of the shared economy – even though the word ‘uberisation’ has become a verb.A less glamorous but still pertinent example: desktop vacuum cleaners. Desktop vacuum cleaners, a traditional household item repurposed for professional use, exemplify the idea of adapting a traditional product for modern needs.

Radical innovation

It is uncommon because it shares certain features with disruptive innovation but is distinguished by the use of innovative technologies and a novel business model. Radical innovation tackles global challenges and needs in entirely different ways than individuals are used to, and also addresses issues and requirements people were unaware they had, radically changing the industry, and even the overall financial system.

Explanation of the 4Ps of innovation and how this supports capability and management of innovation

“Product, Method, Place, and Paradigm”are the four Ps of innovation (Akgun et al., 2017).

Paradigm Innovation

The term “paradigm innovation” refers to the process of altering an inherent mental model through a transition. The iPhone is a more recent and pertinent example for this industry. The introduction of the iPhone and the subsequent growth of smartphones has had a profound effect on how people consume knowledge and communicate with brands.

Process Innovation

“Process innovation” is mostly internal to a business and focuses on changes to organizational processes. It has a significant effect on a business’s productivity and profitability, and there is a range of resources and mechanisms available to assist in stimulating this form of creativity, for instance, the Flow Process Chart. A great example of this is redeveloping a business’s support ticketing system in order to enhance customer service.

• Position Innovation

Innovation is about reshaping or offering a product or service in a different market or from a new angle. A recent example would be AirBNB, which began as a conference-focused company before expanding into the general travel and tourism industry.

Product Innovation

“Product innovation” is the most considered type of innovation; in reality, when most people think of innovation, they think of product-based innovation. It is also used to refer to the process of creating or developing new products or services. The Amazon Echo line is an illustrious example of a product-based breakthrough that fundamentally altered how many consumers engage with digital services.

Advice to the manager regarding the usage of incremental innovation

The vast majority of advancements are gradual in nature. When a series of small and almost insignificant changes culminate in a large-scale organizational transition, this is referred to as incremental innovation (Kobarg, Stumpf-Wollersheim and Welpe, 2019). Incremental innovation is also the most accessible type of innovation since it does not require large budgets, a big group, or a complete reorientation of the business’s strategy. The innovation manager of Wileyfox thus should follow the incremental form of innovation because-The incremental innovation has three distinct advantages:

1. Maintaining a competitive edge

Any next-generation product must compete; this is a requirement. Products of Wileyfox must adapt in order to continue competing with the previous generation.

2. Concepts are more easily sold

Since the manager of Wileyfox will be providing a familiar product to an established market, it makes it significantly easier to connect and sell big ideas.

3. Economic viability

Incremental production enables affordable growth. Without breaking the bank, products of Wileyfox can be improved.

Of course, there are drawbacks to smaller, more cautious design developments, the most significant of which is standing out in such an extremely crowded marketplace. There is the difficulty of developing a truly differentiated, improved offering. Additionally, brands are never isolated. The rivalry is also engaged in the same activity, for precisely the same reasons.

The true opportunity in this innovation phase is for design to begin with a need, not a solution. If the manager starts with a big idea, incremental developments will follow.

4. Approaches to Process Innovative Ideas

Among the various approaches that the Innovation Manager of Wileyfox can take for processing innovative ideas, “innovation funnel” and “frugal innovation” are of particular significance. This section will explore the nuances of both.

4.1 Innovation Funnel

The "innovation funnel" is a process for determining the viability of an ongoing stream of novel ideas and prototypes. Usually alluded to as a "funnel management method," it is a widely used technique by many companies for determining which ideas are truly feasible. The Innovation Manager of Wileyfox can make use of this method in order to process innovative ideas. Following that, it is possible to finalise policies and action plans (Anzola-Román et al., 2019).

The "innovation funnel" is founded on the notion that a significant number of revolutionary projects are researched and optimised, including those in their infancy. It can be viewed as a "physical funnel," with a multitude of diverse radical ideas spinning around at the peak and a much smaller number at the bottom. Just the most brilliant, realistic proposals will succeed, with the remainder being rejected (Abramov et al., 2019). Along with assessing viability, it's an ideal technique for prioritising objectives.

The innovation funnel's premise which must be taken into consideration by the Innovation Manager of Wileyfox is that it should involve a humongous amount of strategizing at the top, with more feasible concepts appearing at the bottom. It is updated on a regular basis by staff at all tiers of the organisation, as well as external suppliers and customers.

The phases of innovation funnel to be implemented by Wileyfox are as follows:

Stage 1: Evaluation of the Opportunity

This is the stage at which the organisation analyses consumer and market data, as well as other details, in order to determine if there are opportunities for a novel line of product (or the product).

Stage 2: Ideation founded upon Insights

In case an idea is generated that suits Wileyfox’s general R&D strategy of (Research and Development), the step after that is to determine how to the opportunity can be capitalised upon (Idreeset al., 2021).

Stage 3: Conceptualisation

At this stage, the most plausible designs are "mocked up" as testable prototypes. Numerous mock-ups for the same product are likely to be created as various enhancements and modifications are contemplated.

Stage 4: Assessment and benchmarking

This is the phase in which the designs are put to the test with the appropriate user classes. Additional opportunities for product tweaking and re-testing are generated as a result of the feedback.

Stage 5: Deciding if it is to be Ploughed on or cut loose

Only after testing has been completed and all input has been incorporated will it be clear whether the product is truly likely to fly (da Silva et al., 2017). At this point, the team of Wileyfox decides whether to invest additional money and resources in the product or to drop it entirely.

4.2 Frugal Innovation

Developing and developing economies such as India, China, Brazil, and many African nations are promoting frugal innovation - a modern paradigm of innovation that is completely antithetical to the expensive, rigid, and elitist Research & development driven approach to innovation that is predominant in the West (Weyrauch and Herstatt, 2017). The Innovation Manager of Wileyfox can make use of this highly effective and economic method to its advantage. In contrast to the organised and resource-intensive Western innovation paradigm, which aims to accomplish more with less, frugal innovation is the capacity to accomplish more with less - that is, to generate considerably more social capital while conserving finite financial and natural resources.

In case Wileyfox implements this framework, one of the critical moves for it would be to prioritise what is truly necessary.

Determining what is "necessary" extends beyond procuring products made of the least expensive materials. Whenever there are trade-offs, there are still consequences (Leliveld and Knorringa, 2018). When AT&T had the telecommunications monopoly in the United States, they supplied consumers with rugged, comparatively costly phones. The aim was to avoid the cost of service calls, which were not billed to consumers. (Many of the first phones made available after the company's dissolution had additional features but were significantly more fragile.)

Simplifying for frugal innovation needs a broader view. This could extend beyond hardware and utilities to society, money, and entirely new approaches to achieve the same result. Cost reduction can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including by eliminating functionality, comfort, and convenience; substituting automation for labour; using a "platform"; and promoting beneficial activities (Hossain, 2018).

As a phase, frugal innovation identifies alternative market models, reorganises supply chains, and redesigns goods to support consumers with severe affordability restrictions in a flexible and sustainable fashion. It entails bridging or exploiting cultural gaps and resource limits in order to build more inclusive markets.

Simply put, frugal innovation would offer Wileyfox’s Innovation Manager practical alternatives for the many that lack capital. The conventional wisdom is to invent at the top of the pyramid, where the greatest buying force is concentrated, with potential trickle down results. As a result, the majority of architecture in Western markets takes a 'top down' approach, beginning with the wealthiest clientele. Western practises depend on conventional (archaic) market and production structures, rely on plentiful capital (which are not sustainable), incur high product design and construction costs, and lead to high manufacturing costs, which make many research and technology advances unaffordable to the base of the pyramid (Hossain, 2020).

By comparison, frugal innovation, as practised in developing economies, intentionally begins at the bottom and works its way up to serve all consumers (Leliveld and Knorringa, 2018). Therefore, this is a novel type of innovation mechanism that would help Wileyfox to take advantage of structural voids and resource limitations, debunk reports of high R&D spending, and generate benefit from BOP customers.

5. Explanation of the Steps the Innovation Manager should go through to derive a New and Innovative Product

A significant difference in the existence of ideas and possibilities exists for any company like Wileyfox. Most commonly, many innovations are discovered by chance and are used in a haphazard way. It is therefore imperative that a systematic approach to their discovery and usage be employed to achieve optimal results. Innovation has always been regarded as an extremely difficult challenge because it’s hard to come up with creative solutions. Unlike traditional assets, new innovations and projects are associated with a very high level of uncertainty and must be structured accordingly.

Furthermore, Wileyfox’s innovation phase is a multidimensional process of inter-discipline collaboration and engagement, involving nearly all company participants. The innovation manager thus performs a leading role in deriving an innovative product.

• The first stage of deriving is the idea generation and mobilization.

The beginning of new theories should be both difficult and enticing to come up with creative ideas. Design consultancy IDEO is an organization’s most effective method of generating new ideas is to find the right balance between playful initiatives and an organization’s practical needs by the innovation manager (Blank, 2020).

When an idea is born, it is disseminated to a different place. Because most people are not both creators and advertisers, a new concept requires an ambassador. Timing is essential to the success of innovative ideas. If the innovation manager fails to address this step, it can trigger or even stifle creativity.

• The second stage of treatment is advocacy and screening.

This is the time to investigate the aspects of an idea. Advocacy and evaluation have to take place at that time to root out ideas that lack promise without encouraging stakeholders to dismiss ideas impulsively purely on the basis of their innovation. Numerous researchers found that the use of consistent and systematic assessment led to better results because workers felt more confident participating because they knew what they were being evaluated on. The experimental stage is designed to see if the concepts in question can be pursued successfully in a specific context for a specific length of time. With that knowledge, the innovation manager has to decide who the customer is and what the product or service will be used for. And if they were searching for anything better, the company could discover that the idea is not relevant to the market. However, these kinds of findings could begetter better and fresh ideas.

Washington Mutual Inc. was the latest corporation to exhibit how an organization’s innovation manager’s willingness to innovate is essential for effective growth. Instead of rolling out the design to all of its branches, the Seattle-based banking and insurance firm introduced it just to see how well it worked (Guertler, Kriz Sick, 2020). Finally, as customers seemed to react well to the bank took the concept a step further, extending it to other locations. There was no risk of failure because the corporation tried an idea on and abandoned it at the same time, without even realizing that it was a good one.

• Enormously effective

The primary goal of Wileyfox’s innovation manager should be to find out if its customers’ issues can be solved with the innovation, and if it does, it can attempt to calculate the benefits and costs of deploying it. Various researches stress that an invention must be monetized for it to be considered an innovation. In this way, the monetization stage is close to the lobbying stage in that it is critical in moving ideas forward from conception to their implementation.

• Processing and Acceptance

The implementation and diffusion phases for innovation managers are “one and the same” (Afuah, 2020). The final gain of acceptance and the process of diffusion: Diffusion is when an idea has been accepted companywide; implementation is a term that describes the processes, systems, and resources it requires. Such a good example of an effective application of diffusion is found in International Business Machines, which features what it calls “clients, business associates, and employees’ families in the early adoption of new ideas.” It helps later diffusion by allocating equity to everyone from the start.

Conclusion

In this report, a clear representation of the Innovation and Invention has been discussed and it can be said that Innovation and Invention are not the same things and both the concepts are different. In this report a brief description and key functioning steps have been classified and along with that the value and importance of an innovation in the organization have been also discussed, which is very important for the Wileyfox, organization and which will develop the Wileyfox innovation strategies to earn more growth and will help the organization to lead much success in future. The different forms of Innovation and the approaches that the innovation manger can precede and the steps that the manager should go through to have a organizational growth have been briefly talk over here. Thus, the capability of an organization to constantly innovate and convert itself is function of culture and embedded everywhere and in everyone. 

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