WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURE

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURE 

 

From the start, Volkswagen's success was underpinned by sensible technology which delivered reliability, economy and practicality at an affordable price. The company's history of innovation has stretched from the initial concept of a "people's car" in the 1930s, through the then novelties of all-independent suspension with torsion bar springs and a four-cylinder, horizontally-opposed, air-cooled engine, to more recent developments such as diesel technology, automatic transmissions, high temperature fuel cells and advances in passenger safety.

The company has even gone as far as developing the Transparent Factory in Dresden, where customers can watch their cars being made.

In Germany, Volkswagen has an obligation to take back any old VWs that are handed back to VW garages for recycling. Therefore, cars are designed with maximum recycling efficiency in mind.

But there are non-technological areas where Volkswagen has also shown initiative.

For instance, more than 20 years ago Volkswagen AG entered a joint venture in China as the first Western automotive manufacturer. The company soon realised that we needed to ensure all of the local staff were motivated and working as productively as possible. Given the closed economy and automotive market in those early days, this was not going to be an easy task.

Workers of the time were used to the communist/collective approach of their being totally managed by the company with practically a seven-day work week. Volkswagen wanted to get more out of the workers and understood that things like annual leave and then later productivity incentives would be an important part of productivity improvement as well as motivation.

These changes in working conditions were slowly "dripped" in over time so as not to cause concern among the political leadership.

Jutta Dierks, managing director, Volkswagen Group Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH RESEARCH

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO CHILDREN'S HEALTH RESEARCH 

 

Medical research organisations need to consider three main elements if they are to deliver truly outstanding research. Being innovative with each of three elements means the chances of successful research outcomes are greater.

The first element is the scientific problem you're addressing and the approach you use to tackle it. This means asking the right questions and considering the problem in a way it hasn't been approached before. Although this applies to every branch of science it is particularly vital in children's health research, where asking the right questions can mean saving young lives. Part of an innovative approach involves finding new ways to capture valuable data, which we've done to address issues like SIDS, MS and adolescent depression.

Secondly, it's important to assemble the right team to tackle the problem. Around the world, most children's health research is conducted at large institutes on paediatric campuses, and seeing children suffering in these hospitals compels researchers to collaborate to find viable treatment solutions. Team development and ongoing communication are essential, because if people from a range of disciplines are collectively working on different pieces of the puzzle, chances are you'll find a solution that makes a real difference more swiftly.

The final element, and one that is often overlooked, is the organisation and supporting structure behind the researchers. This includes things like good team management and innovative funding methods. At the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute for example, we've introduced a system whereby funding is set aside then distributed to researchers based on their performance and research proposals, which can then be used to leverage further investment from the directorate. It's similar to an investment scheme, and means we can avoid using a time-consuming committee approach so that researchers can get on with the job at hand.

Professor Terry Dwyer AO MD MPH, director, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO IT SECURITY

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO IT SECURITY 

 

Innovation is important to us on a number of levels. We encourage innovation within the organisation through a number of reward schemes. But also look for innovation in how we organise ourselves - our corporate direction - and how we interact with the market - our customer focus.

Innovation in corporate direction is important to maintain market position and to be able to adapt to changing market dynamics. These dynamics also impact on our customer focus - understanding who the customer is and how their needs and demands are changing.

In IT security, as in many areas of commercial activity, client needs are often first expressed in the consumer space. Technology requirements, in particular, are being driven by the retail consumer and their experiences define trends before they emerge in the corporate sphere. Currently, the three main aspects important in the consumer IT security environment are identity management, privacy, and the highly collaborative environment in which they operate.

This latter environment is found throughout IT-related activity, and especially strong examples include Internet banking and email. In this collaborative world, how data is stored - particularly the storage of sensitive and confidential information - is of key importance.

This situation led Symantec to purchase the storage company Veritas. Many thought this a strange mix, but our awareness of technological innovation and changing market trends in the consumer space led us to innovate in our corporate direction.

We believe we were the first organisation to see the link between availability, security and storage. The purchase has doubled the size of the company, and our aim now is to be the number one company in security as well as the number one company in storage. We will do this through capturing innovation both within and outside the organisation.

David Sykes, vice president Pacific region, Symantec

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO FINANCE

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO FINANCE 

 

At Allianz, we recognise that innovation is one of the best ways to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. We encourage innovation through our i2s (ideas to success) program. One of the features of this program is the use of "idea campaigns".

Rather than the traditional open ended suggestion scheme, we run idea campaigns for a limited period of time to encourage employees to submit ideas on specific topics. All ideas are assessed and the best are showcased. The originator of an idea that we proceed with is rewarded with a choice of gift voucher, products or services, or extended leave (these rewards might be shared or given to the agreed most-deserving individual). Annually, the single most innovative idea that has been implemented receives a more substantial reward.

We are starting to measure innovation using a range of metrics including: the number of ideas submitted and implemented, the per capita participation rate per division, and a cultural measure which looks at how "innovation friendly" the organisation is.

This last item is important, as Australians can initially be fairly cynical of many new ideas and is one reason why we promote the philosophy of small ideas rather than "the big breakthrough". Many small changes can have a large impact, and small ideas are more likely to get implemented. This way we build a greater tolerance to change and continue to encourage the promotion of new ideas. As a result, we will be more willing to consider and pursue big new ideas when we find them.

Paul Kernaghan, Chief General Manager, Corporate Services, and head of innovation,
Allianz Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO GLOBAL INTEGRATION

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO GLOBAL INTEGRATION 

 

Providing support at a local level in the regions where you have business is important for an international organisation.

Local service benefits clients in many ways including domestic logistical support and protection from exchange rate changes.

Maintaining operation in the IT market where expectations of service is greater whilst margins are getting smaller requires innovative methods to maintain profitability.

D-Link have embarked on a training and public education program.

Educating the community on lateral methods for incorporating technology into their existing systems creates opportunity for long term growth.

The success of these training programs has led to working with Department of Education with the intent to produce 2 day certified courses.

New facilities will also provide customers experiential access to technology where they can realise the benefits of broadening their technological systems with new products.

Global innovation in the IT sector will continue to maintain rapid growth. With support from the Australian government for educational programs, companies can encourage our community to adopt leading technologies in new innovative methods that maintain our national competitive advantage.

Domenic Torre, Managing Director Australia & New Zealand,
D-LINK

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