Finding consensus on where we innovate demands intelligent collaboration and the ability to sift through disparate sets of data to find cohesion. Of course, the underlying assumption rests on the notion that seemingly distinct bodies of thought will find common threads.
Our three-pronged process engaged a group of thought leaders within Softtek, some with an eagle’s eye view of the company and some with deep knowledge of core processes and functions. Key members included practice heads of the Cloud division, six-sigma authorities, sales and marketing heads, finance leads, and founders of Softtek. We felt that this group reflects Softtek as a whole, and can justly identify paining challenges and encouraging opportunities.
With that as a backdrop, Innoventures committed itself to working with each thought leader on a one-on-one level and in groups. We steered our leaders to identify and provide deep insight of the following:
Step 1: Opportunities: Evaluate new solutions and products or develop new markets based on the changing trends and scope of our industry. (Example: Leverage Softtek’s strengths to focus on Big Data for new/existing customers)
Step 2: Needs: Determine looming challenges and threats caused by the changing dynamics of our industry and advancements made by competitors. (Example: Develop improved mobile products to match customer needs)
Step 3: Long-term goals: Understand realistic and optimistic goals for Softtek in the course of five years. (Example: Become a more product dependent company, increase product revenue by 50% in 5 years)
We were convinced that these pieces of information together could form the foundation to our specified goal of having three defined areas of focus for 2014. We will only invest in these specific areas of focus, moving towards specific goals.
There is inherent friction between needs and opportunities. Opportunities entice us to new horizons and solutions, while needs remind us of looming challenges. Our company is structured to handle needs – addressing market threats by lining up development, sales, or marketing. However, opportunities often lead to unchartered territories and higher growth – altering existing structures and systems to adopt brand new concepts and markets.
In a process not entirely different from putting together pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, we sought for conclusive theories or concepts in a puddle of opinions, facts, and judgments. Innoventures, here, had a pivotal role – we needed to be skillful, inclusive, collaborative, weigh each concept, and make judgments to best integrate and deploy innovation as a strategic agenda for Softtek.
The opportunity here lay in tying needs and opportunities with specific goals. Better still, the ability to morph needs and opportunities together with relation to achieving short-term milestones and long-term goals.
Thus emerged our three areas of focus: enterprise mobile apps, tools and products for marketing, and automating and productizing existing solutions with wide appeal.
And, now we go to our associates – thousands of them across Mexico and the US. Within the specific broad areas of focus, our associates will bring forward ideas, business concepts, strategies, and execute on the promise of innovation – start something big!