Comments on: Why Outsourcing Innovation is a Management Cop-Out http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/09/why-outsourcing-innovation-is-a-management-cop-out/ Learning how to create Market Breakthrough Products through targeted Open Innovation and Networking Sat, 12 Mar 2011 05:21:30 +0200 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Kevin Chandler http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/09/why-outsourcing-innovation-is-a-management-cop-out/#comment-95 Kevin Chandler Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:47:56 +0000 http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/?p=150#comment-95 What is often innovative stems from the transfer from one discipline or industry to another - and I base this on observation and patents where the basis (of a patent) is often common knowledge in one industry but is novel when applied in a different context. I suggest that what a company or coporation needs is a senior manager who has a passion for and is prepared to champion innovation or even just "doing it a better way". Few companies can cover the span of available technologies and so the use of outsourcing to complement internal product knowledge becomes very effective. The independent specialist and/or consultant is invaluable when working in conjunction with an internal team to break the paradigms. I don't believe it's always NIH but more about lack of awareness of the art of the possible. The company needs to be switched on about securing IP first and be prepared to invest a little in someone elses time (and cost) but is surely more cost effective than trying to secure the breadth of knowledge in-house. Thanks for letting me put my piece. What is often innovative stems from the transfer from one discipline or industry to another – and I base this on observation and patents where the basis (of a patent) is often common knowledge in one industry but is novel when applied in a different context.

I suggest that what a company or coporation needs is a senior manager who has a passion for and is prepared to champion innovation or even just “doing it a better way”.

Few companies can cover the span of available technologies and so the use of outsourcing to complement internal product knowledge becomes very effective. The independent specialist and/or consultant is invaluable when working in conjunction with an internal team to break the paradigms. I don’t believe it’s always NIH but more about lack of awareness of the art of the possible.

The company needs to be switched on about securing IP first and be prepared to invest a little in someone elses time (and cost) but is surely more cost effective than trying to secure the breadth of knowledge in-house.

Thanks for letting me put my piece.

]]> By: AutoCAD Designer http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/09/why-outsourcing-innovation-is-a-management-cop-out/#comment-86 AutoCAD Designer Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:57:15 +0000 http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/?p=150#comment-86 Maybe t is risky, but I would suggest that moving beyond outsourcing to achieve growth and agility. Maybe t is risky, but I would suggest that moving beyond outsourcing to achieve growth and agility.

]]> By: Jeffrey http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/09/why-outsourcing-innovation-is-a-management-cop-out/#comment-81 Jeffrey Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:22:57 +0000 http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/?p=150#comment-81 Hi. I actually agree with you that outsourcing innovation is risky, since I think innovation should be closely interlinked with strategy. In my past posts I have always advocate (and will continue to advocate for most firms) to innovate internally. It's clear, however, that a number of firms want to become more innovative but aren't willing to invest the internal resources necessary, and can't change their internal culture (there's your NIH) fast enough, so they by definition have to outsource some of the functions. While not the best solution in the long term, it may be the best answer in the short term. Thanks for reading and reacting. Hi. I actually agree with you that outsourcing innovation is risky, since I think innovation should be closely interlinked with strategy. In my past posts I have always advocate (and will continue to advocate for most firms) to innovate internally. It’s clear, however, that a number of firms want to become more innovative but aren’t willing to invest the internal resources necessary, and can’t change their internal culture (there’s your NIH) fast enough, so they by definition have to outsource some of the functions. While not the best solution in the long term, it may be the best answer in the short term. Thanks for reading and reacting.

]]> By: Jean-Marc Coulon http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2008/07/09/why-outsourcing-innovation-is-a-management-cop-out/#comment-79 Jean-Marc Coulon Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:56:46 +0000 http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/?p=150#comment-79 want to react because: - Innovation is sometime wrong word (creativity and ideation are not innovation) and is including the market introduction of the ideas, which of course cannot be outsourced.... - Ideation and creativity need attributes (flexibility, openmind, freedom, challenging,....) which are opposite to organization spirit and needs(stable, sustainable, repeatable,...) - So HR of big companies search people which will comply to the culture, while you need not complient people to find new solutions - That is why many companies buy young start-up as product innovation... they cannot do themselves the ideation phases - So outsourcing ideation and creativity is a need for many companies want to react because:
- Innovation is sometime wrong word (creativity and ideation are not innovation) and is including the market introduction of the ideas, which of course cannot be outsourced….
- Ideation and creativity need attributes (flexibility, openmind, freedom, challenging,….) which are opposite to organization spirit and needs(stable, sustainable, repeatable,…)
- So HR of big companies search people which will comply to the culture, while you need not complient people to find new solutions
- That is why many companies buy young start-up as product innovation… they cannot do themselves the ideation phases
- So outsourcing ideation and creativity is a need for many companies

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