Why innovate just now?

Changes in the marketplace are rapid and the shelf life of a product or service is getting shorter. Society has only become more ambiguous, volatile and complex due to the wide variety of interests, messaging and movements.

The challenge for companies is to set the course in order to secure its own future. As a company you cannot afford to do the same thing every year. This awareness is present in many companies and yet it is difficult to take the step towards renewal and innovation.

A common argument in the past was; ‘but it’s running well anyway and we are far too busy with the current business’. The current, uncertain, market only accentuates the importance of innovation. Therefore, in this blog we dwell on the importance of innovation and why it is important right now.

6 reasons to start innovating right now:

1. Setting the course
2. Innovation is mainly about learning
3. Competitive advantage
4. A longer life for your product
5. Challenging staff
6. Moving with the law

Are you also interested in turning your idea into reality? We are happy to assist you. Feel free to drink a cup of coffee with us to discuss the possibilities.

Stories from the media about possible recessions, rising unemployment and the contraction of the market are causing many companies to be afraid to make (large) expenditures. There is a fear of making decisions. The danger of this is that the negative story will be told more and more, creating its own reality.

A similar situation causes companies to focus on short-term problems and forget about long-term successes. The trick is to keep it balanced.

1. Setting the course

What is your vision of the future and where do you want to take your organization? If you have this clear you can take steps and give substance to it. We explicitly use the word ‘steps’ here, because we do not believe in a large multi-year plan. The world is too changeable for that. Above all, go on the road and define rough steps along the way. Evaluate along the way and adjust actions based on the insights obtained. Of course, when making adjustments, keep the end goal in mind. That way you will remain agile and learning.

We believe that renewals and innovations occur within clear frameworks. In other words, “space without frameworks gives emptiness”. These frameworks provide clarity and help validation at the end of, for example, a development process or organizational change.

2. Innovation is mainly about learning

You will continue to learn if you do not accept the current situation. This situation is mainly determined by the current circumstances and your habits. Therefore, the learning process starts with asking questions. This ensures that you get better and better insight and from there you can deepen further.

The knowledge you gain from asking questions is necessary for innovation. It ensures that you get a sharper idea of what you could change or renew. It is not yet about the solution, but about knowing what you want to change. You will also have to get clear what requirements and preconditions you want to set.

These steps cost no money. The only investment is time, energy and the ability to look at things differently. This is also the part you can’t outsource. Of course, it can help if an objective person (with no connection or history) thinks along.

3. Competitive advantage

Professor Victor Gilsing once said the following: ‘History shows that organizations that have invested during a crisis have come out of it stronger than those that did not.’ Here he makes a clear point. After all, to stand still is to go backwards. By innovating, even in times of crisis, you will be one step ahead of the competition. For that reason, it is interesting to start innovating today.

4. A longer life for your product

More and more products have an increasingly short life cycle. Technology develops so quickly that a product that is successful today may be an obsolete formula in a few years’ time. New developments follow each other in rapid succession. By continuing to upgrade your product, it can longer meet the needs and wishes of your customers.

5. Challenging staff

If your staff has to perform the same tasks day in and day out, they will quickly become bored and may even start looking for a challenge elsewhere. By giving your staff the task of thinking about innovating existing products or even challenging them to come up with something completely new, you will continue to challenge them. This will give your staff the feeling that they matter and that they can actually make a difference.

6. Moving with the law

Because of the many new technological developments that follow each other in rapid succession, the legislation is also updated regularly. Changing legislation can have a major impact on your services. Think, for example, of the installation sector. When the government decides that newly built houses can no longer have a gas connection, you as an entrepreneur will have to adapt to this.

Technically everything is possible

From Beeliners we help companies with the first steps towards a new product. In doing so, we develop a prototype in a very short time. This first prototype is mainly intended to demonstrate the functionality (proof of concept). The client immediately has something tangible in his hands to further validate (testing for suitability) and thus to do the first needs assessment.

Technically everything is possible for us. The trick is to make it workable within the set framework. With this we want to emphasize that when thinking of ideas and solutions you shouldn’t impose restrictions. Dare to dream in that area.

Above all, get to work!

Use the current situation primarily to engage in conversation with people. Above all, ask questions and look for depth. Inventing is something you can do alone and innovating is something you do together. It’s mainly about better understanding the (customer) demand or looking for solutions. Determine your course (if you had not already done so) and go for an experiment.

Free out of the box session!

Wondering what innovation can do for you, but finding it difficult to take the first steps, we would like to offer you a no-obligation “Out of the Box” session. Together with a small group we will take a look at your company and your field of expertise. Then we will map out areas of interest and opportunities. We like to think along with you how you can achieve your goals next.

Contact us for an introductory meeting.