About Commentator: Jack Hipple

Jack Hipple

Jack is principal, Innovation-TRIZ Associates, which provides training and consulting in breakthrough problem solving and organizational innovation. He is a chemical engineering graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with 30 years of industrial experience with Dow Chemical, Ansell Edmont and … Read More

The Innovation Constraint

Michael S. Slocum

Innovation has been practiced in an unintentional and non-focused manner for far too long. The focus on providing structure to a business was placed on other areas of interest. Various focal points have been targeted with great success … Read More

The Importance of Good Innovation Habits

James Todhunter

Over on the Innovate On Purpose blog, Jeffrey Phillips talks about making ideation productive.  He makes three key points.

First, enterprises should take on a proactive approach to innovation.  This is undeniably true.  The practice of waiting for the … Read More

Innovation at Ford – A Micro-Case Study

Cass Pursell

It’s instructive to take a few minutes every now and then to look back and remind ourselves of what fueled the growth of some of the greatest businesses of the last century. Henry Ford once said, “If I’d asked … Read More

Least Innovative Companies

Praveen Gupta

To solve a problem sometimes we look into successes and failures, do the component search and look for the root cause. While analyzing the Most Innovative Companies of BusinessWeek 2007 a thought came about looking into Least Innovative Companies. … Read More

Process for Innovation Conference

Katie Barry

Taking place August 21-22 in Chicago, the Process for Innovation conference will include global innovation leaders and practitioners. Companies including Unilever, Motorola, DaimlerChrysler and Procter & Gamble will be represented with sessions including “What Is Innovation? Develop A Clear … Read More

Most Innovative Companies

Praveen Gupta

Innovation is looking more and more like a ‘funny’ thing to do, instead of experiencing Eureka moments. Hearing someone’s new idea leads to the feeling of ‘WOW” that is funny! Innovation itself is appearing to be funnier because we … Read More

Think Innovation Is A Numbers Game? Think Again; Change The Rules.

James Todhunter

Here are a few common statements that signal serious problems in a company’s innovation program.

“We have all the ideas we need.”

“We just need to fill the pipeline with more ideas.”

“Open innovation is the answer to all … Read More

About Commentator: James Todhunter

James TodhunterJames Todhunter works on the front line of innovation and has over 30 years of experience in software technology and management. Jim is a seasoned innovator and inventor. Today, in his role as Chief Technology Officer for Invention Machine … Read More

Failing Upward

Cass Pursell

Learning to ice skate when I was seven, the tip of my skate caught a slight imperfection in the otherwise glassy frozen pond at Cascade Park in Jackson, Michigan. I hit the ice face first, my hands losing the … Read More

Survey Says…

Katie Barry

Thanks to all Real Innovation readers who took our survey last week! The survey has closed and the results are being tabulated. After a quick (and far from complete) look at your responses, you’ve provided some good suggestions and directions … Read More

Your Company Needs to be Durable and Great

Michael Cyger

I posted today on the iSixSigma Blogosphere entitled “Durable and Great.” It has to do with your company becoming both durable (good at execution) and great (good at innovation). The two need to go hand in hand. Read “Durable … Read More

Creating the Impetus for Design for Lean Six Sigma

Michael S. Slocum

Design for Lean Six Sigma (DfLSS) is a phase-gated integration of world-class methodologies that are utilized in a synergistic fashion to convert the voice of the customer (VOC) and/or the voice of society (VOS) into a commercialized product … Read More

Strategy, Discipline and Six Sigma Drive Innovation Effectiveness

Michael Cyger

Those that rate their efforts most effective say they rely on a clear strategy and systematic methodologies, according to a new survey of 1,000 business professionals released in the July/August 2007 issue of iSixSigma Magazine.

The result I expected … Read More

Innovation – Why?

Praveen Gupta

Why Innovation?

Recent buzz has started the launching of a new fad, innovation. Is it really new? Innovation has been with mankind forever, so what is new about it now? Why suddenly are we asking for innovation? In one … Read More

Reader Survey Time!

Katie Barry

Real Innovation began its first reader survey today. Those of you who subscribe to our weekly newsletter have already been sent a notice, but I’d like to encourage ALL Real Innovation visitors to take a few minutes and answer … Read More

Queueing Theory

Katie Barry

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal discusses the importance of queueing theory in innovation – in this case keeping product pipelines flowing in order to not be bogged down by ideas. The George Group (consultants) helped Avery Dennison Corp. … Read More

Chasing Innovation (Your Economic Life Depends on It)

Cass PursellWilliam is a guy I work with. Ever since he drunkenly proclaimed at happy hour that he has royalty in his family tree he’s been known around the office as Prince William.

He’s a bright guy – a business … Read More

Improvement and Innovation

Praveen Gupta

Improvement and Innovation

Recent BusinessWeek articles have been singing obituaries of Six Sigma, and giving birth to innovation. According to a recent article, the two could not co-exist because Six Sigma has been used for efficiency, and innovation for … Read More

Innovation and Six Sigma

Katie Barry

Or should it be innovation OR Six Sigma? Innovation with a hint of Six Sigma? Innovation and Six Sigma separate but equal? It’s a topic covered on this site (see below) and, this week, in Business Week’s quarterly “Inside … Read More