How can we innovate in our SME?

Challenge

Globalisation pushes Swiss SMEs to be ever more innovative and robust, and to keep developing.

In 2014, Think2Make drew up a strategic plan with all Zimmerli SA staff and supported the implementation of the various actions.

How it worked

Step 1: Creativity workshop

Every exploration needs a compass. Every project needs specifications.
The Think2Make team questioned management to define the project specifications.

With the information gathered, an exploratory day was planned. During the day, about 20 participants, half of them from outside the company (business partners, suppliers, young creative people, etc.), produced new ideas.

To do so, participants followed a structured creativity process in which different subjects were explored with different creativity methods (creativity questions, Brain Shaping, etc.).

Result:

More than 300 raw ideas produced by the participants.

All the raw ideas were presented to the participants, who extracted the most interesting solutions and evaluated them emotionally.

Result:

44 solutions evaluated by the participants.

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Step 2: Evaluating ideas against criteria

For an idea to be considered “good”, it has to meet several criteria. In step 2, a panel of experts analysed some of the solutions in more depth.

At Zimmerli SA’s premises, participants answered a questionnaire in which the selected solutions were structured according to three key criteria:

• Is the idea sustainable?
• Is the idea desirable?
• Is the idea feasible?

Result:

A precise evaluation report on each idea selected for step 3.

Step 3: Idea lab

Ideas need time to grow.
In step 3, the experts analysed the evaluation results along two axes: rational and emotional.

Result:

Each selected idea was commented on and rated, and a 3D design was created to illustrate it.

Step 4: Selecting and implementing ideas

During idea selection, all the information available on the ideas is shared with the participants so they can discuss strengths, weaknesses, risks and opportunities, with as little time lost as possible.

A method suited to the ideas was put in place to select the final solution or solutions.

Result:

A four-year strategic roadmap with the best solutions produced, evaluated, selected and planned by the participants and experts.

Think2Make supported Zimmerli SA in the later implementation phases.