The document provides guidance on how to properly frame business challenges for innovation teams. It explains that challenges should be clear, measurable problems focused on business or customer value. Vague requests need to be narrowed by zooming in on specific problems or zooming out to understand broader objectives. A business challenge template is proposed to align stakeholders and define goals, customers, resources, and metrics of success for the team. Exploration workshops are also suggested to help map problems, transfer knowledge, and ideate solutions. Framing challenges properly gives teams boundaries while allowing flexibility and a shared understanding of success.

1. How to frame business challenges for
Innovation teams
Paris, April 10th

2. Olivier Eudeline
Head of Innovation
Franck Debane
Innovation Thinker
Innovation
Agency

3. Innovation Team?
1. Cross functional teams with dedicated time
2. Autonomous to make their own decisions
3. Has access to customers to run experiments
4. Self-selected and motivated by the opportunity

4. Innovation Team, please!
I want a chat bot!
Please tell me what we should do can do with big data?
Can we bring AI/blockchain in?
Find an innovative solutions to double our sales
Please improve our customer experience
Please find the next disruptive business model!
How to increase our market share in the silver economy via Google Home?
Work on how to bring this new product to market

5. Problem for Mr Innovation
Unclear request
Poor internal alignment on what is needed
No frame from the sponsor => unclear impact from delivery
No definition of success

6. 1. Challenge is “please build this”
a. ex: I want a chatbot!
b. ex: we need an iphone app that allows users to exchange used furnitures = Project
2. Challenge is vague/broad
a. ex: big data / machine learning for our business
b. ex: as-a-service business model
3. Challenge is a Business Problem
a. ex: reduce cost of installation by 50%
b. ex: how can the purchasing department be more efficient
4. Challenge is Customer Problem
a. ex: how can we help your customer spend less
5. Challenge is #$%@!
a. ex: impossible too many constraints: technology/product defined without clear
segment
b. ex: increase our market share on 3 different products
c. Too many constraints or goals
Request come in different shapes

7. What the team needs to function
1. Why does this matter? What value will it bring to the business?
2. Clear objective and measurable business objective (AARRR)
3. Who is the customer, who are we trying to bring value to? (as a starting point)
4. What means do we have? Time, money and resources?
and a mandate!

8. Translate the request into something workable
Challenge is “please build this”
● Zoom out => ask about the business objective behind the tool
Challenge is vague/broad
● Zoom in => bring knowledge to generate concepts
Challenge is a Business Problem
● Business Focus => what’s the customer value?
Challenge is Customer Problem
● Customer Focus => what is the business value and metric?
Challenge is #$%@!
● Too many constrain / too many goals => Split it!

9. Tools to Frame Business Challenges
Business Challenge
Template
Exploration
workshop

10. Business Challenge Template
Align stakeholders on the
expected business outcomes
Define the goal and playing
field for the team
Business Challenge Template

11. What problem do we want to solve
What problem does the team need to solve?
Increase our market share in electricity business
What will be the ideal situation if the problem was solved?
More customer subscribing to our electricity offer.
Which metric can we measure that will tell us the problem is solved?
Acquisition and Activation. New customers subscribing.
© Franck Debane 2019 - All right reserved

12. What we know: context and situation
● Why is this important? (strategic alignment)
● Why is this a problem today?
Knowledge for the team:
Context the team needs to know before starting.
What has been tried before?
What does the team needs to know to save time?
What extra knowledge do we need?
© Franck Debane 2019 - All right reserved

13. Which customers
Who are the customers, user and partners and stakeholders to consider in this
problem?
Students: 18-25 years old moving places.
What constraints does the team needs to know?
Keeping the same price and rates. CAC should not increase.
© Franck Debane 2019 - All right reserved

14. What resources and support
What resources does the team have to test solutions for this problem?
5.000 euros, 3 months
Internal Designers
Who in the company can provide support for the team (access to resources or
information)
Web Marketing expert: Robert Blue
Social Media team
© Franck Debane 2019 - All right reserved

15. Business Challenge Template
What problem do we want to solve
What we know
Which customers
What resources and support
© Franck Debane 2019 - All right reserved

16. Exploration workshop
Problem mapping / Customer Journey
Knowledge Transfer
Ideation for solutions
Pitch or Canvas Prototyping
Vague/Broad =>

17. Framing the challenge for the team - why?
Align and embark sponsor and stakeholder into the project
Structure the expectations between the sponsor and the team
The team will refine the challenge, but you made it easy for them
Give boundaries and the flexibility for the team to pivot
A shared definition of success