The role and place of R&D in innovation.

• John Deere’s ability to sustain innovation over decades. How come?

  John Deere’s founders had a tremendous impact on the culture of this global manufacturer of agricultural equipment. What is even more amazing is the ability of following generations of management to sustain innovation. How does this happen? What are the management practices which contribute to continued success? Our most recent corporate profile (21 pages, dated October 3, 2011 and found under Profiles/Papers)  delves into the reasons why. We also look at Deere’s spectrum of innovation; a distinguishing characteristic of highly-innovative companies.

  Posted on Tuesday, November 1st, 2011 at 2:48 pm in Best Management Practices, Cultural Aspects of Innovation, Leadership, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: global business, innovation, innovative, research and development

• RIM’s (Research in Motion) Innovative Capacity in Reponse to a Crisis

  Co-Authors Paul White, P.Eng., FCMC, and Peter Farwell, F.C.A., CFA, examine RIM’s strategy and management practices in light of recent product development and management issues impacting RIM. Our conclusion, set out in a 36-page report, highlights the changes in strategy and the changes in management structure and performance that we believe will be essential to RIM’s future success. Download an Overview of Full Report. The full report is available, for fee, at: http/www.corporateinnovationonline.com under Profiles and Papers/Corporate Profiles – Innovation.

  Overall, we are not optimistic that RIM can survive in the current environment unless the real issues are addressed and quickly. So far there is little information from the company that the issues we have identified are being addressed and almost no information that the issues are understood let alone acted upon at this critical time. Stakeholders, particularly shareholders, deserve more than a ‘have-faith’ platitude.

  Posted on Friday, August 19th, 2011 at 2:44 pm in Best Management Practices, Cultural Aspects of Innovation, Idea management, Leadership, News, Rewards for Innovators, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: innovation, management practices, research in motion, strategy, tolerance, turnaround

• Argentina’s Innovative Capacity

  Three authors – two from Argentina and one from Canada – review and comment on national and corporate policies and practices which contribute to Argentina’s capacity to innovate in the 21st century. One is left with the impression that while there has been progress in the last few years, significant challenges remain. Unless addressed at the corporate and national levels, Argentina’s economic development will continue to lag behind expectation. Download Argentina Arriving.

  Posted on Monday, July 4th, 2011 at 5:52 pm in Best Management Practices, Cultural Aspects of Innovation, Economic development, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: Economic development, infrastructure, research and development

• Starbucks, the role of innovation

  Howard Schultz’s book, Onward, provides rare insight into the role innovation in the corporate world and the thinking of a founder. A short, 17-page, profile on this site, under Profiles and Papers/Profiles-Innovation, parses innovation at this inventive company. Starbucks Download. Comments are welcome.

  A brief – 2-page – document  Download Starbucks Innovation Profile Only provides an outline of the range of innovation at Starbucks. Use this example to profile your own ‘spectrum of innovation’.

  Posted on Thursday, May 12th, 2011 at 9:04 pm in Best Management Practices, Book Reviews, Cultural Aspects of Innovation, Idea management, Leadership, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: global business, research and development, Retail industry, Starbucks

• Linking academic research to commercial success.

  Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde seems to have gotten the right formula in this energy/wind turbine initiative. Download – The Linkage Between University Research and Commercial Success.

  Posted on Thursday, March 31st, 2011 at 3:29 pm in Best Management Practices, Economic development, Leadership, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: Economic development, innovation, research and development

• Massey-Ferguson Ltd., lack of innovation contributed to its demise.

  Our latest White Paper provides insight into the demise of Massey-Ferguson Ltd. (MF), once Canada’s largest industrial enterprise employing 68,000 people world-wide. Passing out of business in the 1990s, MF’ lacked innovativeness. Three ex-employees offer their insights into innovation during the critical period, 1960 to 1980, and conclude that the lack of innovativeness was a major contributor to MF’s demise. The then current management practices simply did not encourage innovation. Download the Massey Ferguson White Paper.

  Posted on Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 7:46 pm in Best Management Practices, Leadership, News, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: failure, innovation, Sick companies. Canada

• Huawei Technologies – one of 8 recipients of The Economist’s Annual Innovation Awards

  Huawei Technologies, China, is the recipient of this award for its ‘corporate use of innovation’. While noting that R&D is the most significant contributor to Huawei’s overwhelming success, it is difficult to believe company statements that over 50% of its staff are engaged in R&D as stated by the company and by a recent report by the Battelle Institute. Perhaps the definition of R&D is different in China than elsewhere. This interpretation might also be the reason why China’s investment in R&D has risen so rapidly in the last few years. While not much information is available on this dynamic company, we identify at least some of the management practices which have made it successful.  Huawei Report Economist Award. Click on the link for our free, brief (4-page) report.

  Posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2010 at 9:23 pm in Best Management Practices, Economic development, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: China, research and development

• The ultimate tinkerer – Dyson of vacum cleaner fame

  Evidently, Dyson, the inventor of the high-end vacum cleaner which has ‘cleaned up’ the market with the application of new cyclonic technology, built 5,271 prototypes, before he was fully satisfied. This is an example of professional tinkering which, in this case, has made a significant difference. Read the article in The New Yorker, September 20th, 2010, Annals of Invention. Fascinating article!

  Posted on Sunday, October 24th, 2010 at 7:27 pm in Cultural Aspects of Innovation, Economic development, Rewards for Innovators, The role and place of R&D in innovation..

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  Tags: development, research, tinkering