The document discusses managing innovation processes at different stages of research and development (R&D). It emphasizes using simple and flexible processes that foster creativity and collaboration. Effective intellectual property (IP) management is also important, with the IP team providing timely inputs at each stage of idea generation, solution selection, R&D optimization, and commercialization to facilitate the overall innovation process. If not managed well, the innovation process risks only incremental innovations and missed opportunities.

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Innovation Process Management
at Different Stages of R&D
Madhav Kulkarni
17-Jan-2015
GIPC, 2015

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Contents
• Innovation
• The Dilemma
• Innovation Process
• Elements in R&D
• Effective IP Management
• Systematic Innovation
• Summary
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Innovation
• Innovation is for Business Value
– Create
– Add
• timely, systematic & cost effective
• Business Value for competitive advantage
• Competitive advantage for Monetization
– Make money
– Save money
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Innovation
• Idea to Monetization involves
– Product/Service
– Process (internal)
– People
• Managing 3P essential for successful innovation & monetization
• The global innovation success average, across all geographies and
all industries, was only 4 percent (According to a Doblin Group report , Business Week)
• 2 Types of innovations
– Breakthrough Innovation
– Incremental Innovation (efficiency improvement, cost reduction, improved quality,
etc.)
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The Dilemma
• Big companies are poor innovators
– Fixed Business Models
• Less risk in following the same
– Process Driven (too much/many)
• Approvals (rise of bureaucracy)
• Complicated processes & complex IT interfaces
– Impatience
• To try something creative
• To failure
– If adventure is dangerous, try routine (Kodak, Nokia)
• INCREMENTAL INNOVATIONS
• Breakthrough innovations?
– Curiosity and creativity needs extreme of security (Google) or
insecurity (Startups)
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Innovation Process
• 3 main components (2 in R&D)
1. Idea
2. Invention/POC and
3. Monetization
• Various elements affecting Innovation Process
1. enabling and empowering management
2. empowered and integrated/cooperating departments/employees
3. e-documentation enabling search ability and leveraging earlier
successes/failures
4. problem/need identification
5. Ideation &selecting solution(s)
6. focused R&D
7. effective IP management
8. commercialization (manufacturing and sell for products/processes or
sell/licensing of technology)
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e-Documentation
• At all stages would positively influence all processes, including
innovation
• Lab Notebook
– My first use of electronic lab notebook: 1999
• Recording R&D work
• Ideas
• Invention Disclosure
• Patent Prosecution Documents
– Responses to office actions
– Maintenance
– Opposition/Litigation
• Securing and managing information flow at different stages
between different divisions is the real challenge
– Simple electronic workflows would do
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Search, Sharing, Avoid Duplication, Evaluation, Approval, Monitoring, Automation

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Problem/Need Identification
• Why innovate?
– Solve/cater to current or future Problem/Need
• Feedback from end-user
• Feedback from Industry (Customer)
• Trend identification from market and/or IP analysis
• Vision
• Define exact Defect/Need
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Ideation
• No bureaucracy/conservative approach/overpowering, please
– If managers know everything, other “brains” are not required
• Collect all needs/problems (more needs/problems, more opportunities)
– Prioritize needs to be catered/problems to be solved
• before killing, involve the person(s) who brought the need/problem
– These people might NOT be good in financials, so include people who are good at
finance (Value, NPV, etc.)
• Collect all ideas (more people, more ideas)
a. Use collaborative portal (internal/external)
• Keep access simple (avoid another login & password to access)
• Keep ideas organized in a simple way (avoid complex interface/system)
b. Create a team of cross-functional people to ideate
• Use tools like brainstorming, TRIZ, etc.
• Involve the person(s) who brought the need/problem
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Selecting solution(s)
• Evaluate/Screen ideas from both sources
– Do not have too many metrics/steps/criteria
• Time required, Feasibility
• Allow people to challenge the criteria
– Involve the person(s) who contributed to the need/problem and
idea(s)
– Provide transparent feedback for non-selected ideas
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Focused R&D
• Imagine (start with the end in mind)
• Lesser the processes & specifics
– more passionate and creative the people are
– Open up the problem and let them invent/improve
• Discover/Invent/POC
• Use Design of Experiment, LEAN, other tools
• Have ideation for troubleshooting problems in R&D
– Involve the person(s) in the progress who contributed to the need/problem
and idea(s)
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R&D and IP
• Collaboration of R&D, IP and Marketing teams is vital
• IP
– IP R&D
– IP Legal
• In case they are separate functions, collaboration between them is also
important
• IP R&D
– Exploration/Landscaping, Competitive Analysis, search and analysis for
various opinions by IP Legal
• IP Legal
– Patent Drafting, Filing, Prosecution
– Opinions on Novelty, FTO, Opposition, Invalidity
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Effective IP Management
• Ideation
– Providing prior art/landscape/blocked space before ideation
• Allow people to contemplate and think over the need and possible
solutions
• R&D
– Prior art searches for selected ideas/solutions
• Non-infringement
• Novelty
• Troubleshoot problems in R&D
• Patentability and/or non-infringement of working solution(s)
• Disclosure, Patent Application & Prosecution, Maintenance
– Automate steps/reminders
• Finding infringements/potential licensee
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Systematic Innovation
• Timely, Systematic (?) & Cost-effective
• Systematic innovation
– Balance between creativity and process discipline
– Systematic processes should provide platform to foster creativity
• The processes should be
– Simple (user friendly)
– Transparent (non-demotivating for people) and
– Flexible (fostering creativity)
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SUMMARY
• Have simple & elegant process(es)
• Use information technology (only) for
– Recording
– Knowledge sharing
– Smooth workflow
• Foster collaboration through information and credit sharing
• Define the defect (problem/need)
• Generate ideas and select potential solutions
• Optimize R&D stages (use DOE, Lean)
• Protect IP (wherever possible)
• Monetize
• IP team may effectively facilitate the whole innovation process
– Timely inputs at each stage
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If the innovation process at each stage is not managed well..
..incremental innovations, loss of opportunities and attrition is inevitable.
Happy Breakthrough Innovations!!!
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