WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO SME'S

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO SME'S 

 

Australian SME's cannot survive in a growing global market without focusing on innovation as the core of their expansion. In our case, our innovation activity is focused on development of products that are ahead of the market and on forming close relationships with end-users and our resellers. We ensure we are able to respond to current customer needs and also anticipate future customer needs. This attitude remains at the forefront of all decisions.

Customer centricity is also part of our heritage. The company was started by Paul Symons and his partner Craig Wright in the late 1990's. As a high school teacher, Paul recognised the need in schools and educational facilities for physical security for commonly stolen IT hardware products such as computers and audio visual equipment. Acting on this discovery, Paul Symons left teaching and developed a range of desktop locking devices, giving birth to the company. Since this time, the success of PC Locs as a company is the result of not only being able to recognise the current needs of the customer but most importantly, but by preempting their future needs. PC LOCS is an Australian company that specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of multifunctional physical security solutions for IT products that support education, government and corporate industries.

We feel that maintaining close relationships with all members of our supply chain from design to distribution is our advantage in achieving an understanding of customer needs and market trends, creating innovative and high quality products. To this end, it is essential to dedicate significant financial resources and staff time to innovative product and service development. This concept is not common amongst Small to Medium Enterprises.

As a small Australian SME we cannot own the entire supply chain. We need to develop alliances with international partners. This means that we have to ensure that our intellectual property is protected and avoid competition from our own partners. Our solution is twofold - to be very selective with whom we partner and ensure that our innovative products are at the forefront of technical developments. We also need to ensure that they are marketed very aggressively so as to gain a commanding market position and brand recognition before any followers enter the market.

James Symons, CEO, PCLocs Australia

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO THE CONGLOMERATE

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO THE CONGLOMERATE 

 

At the core of everything we do is innovation focusing on three horizons: our current core business; new markets and new products; and the future of the organisation. At all times we look at maintaining balanced investment across these three horizons.

This innovation is underpinned by establishing an environment where the creation of ideas is encouraged from our customers and staff. These ideas are all plugged into what we call our innovation engines that include online forums and formal and informal get-togethers. These innovation engines exist in various guises across our businesses globally.

At the top end of the business, we have a program for 'imagination breakthroughs'. Ideas are generated and evaluated by over 20,000 PhDs and such within our employ who vote on which ideas will work. Throughout this whole process we attempt to minimise bureaucracy. From this process we make decisions on what are going to be the imagination breakthroughs that will give us $50million+ in earnings. We have 100 of these running at any one time that are all reviewed quarterly by our chairman and the Commercial Executive Council. Imagination breakthroughs are funded independently of any business P&L, so their investment is protected and at the discretion of the council.

This process is cascaded across the globe to all business units in various countries who can also be working on projects of $10-20million net revenue expectation.

GE are industrialists, and as such we look at opportunities to provide a return to shareholders while doing what we do best. More recently, it has also been possible to do this for the good of the environment through our Ecomagination program, and while we do not profess to be out to save the world, we do believe that through our innovations in technology and our processes for capturing ideas, we can make a significant and worthwhile contribution.

Steve Sargent, CEO, GE Australia & New Zealand

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY 

 

Software is the unsung hero of modern day business productivity. From time-saving desktop tools through to information-rich enterprise software suites, software has made it possible to collect, distribute and make sense of vast amounts of information. The world economy depends on the successful operation of software, 24/7.

Enterprise software is not only an engine for productivity by streamlining transactional activities; it's now also a platform for innovation, especially business model innovation.

Over the next five years, business models will become a greater source of competitive advantage than actual products and services. IT - and software in particular - will be a significant enabler for business model innovation. IT will move from being solely a driver of productivity to a driver of accelerated innovation, competitive differentiation, and growth. By enabling innovative business models, software becomes the lifeline of innovation-driven business.

Working with an extensive ecosystem of partners and developers, SAP encourages, co-funds, and drives innovation in Australia and New Zealand. Most visibly, we have SAP Research, the global technology research unit of SAP, having one of its 11 global Research Centres located Brisbane. Since 2001, the research team in Brisbane has grown to some 50 people. Working closely with Queensland tertiary institutions, SAP Research has filed more than 50 patents in the last five years, delivering innovation to Australian businesses.

Alan Hyde, CEO and Managing Director, SAP Australia New Zealand.

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES 

 

There is nothing more dangerous to a young business than closed minds. Imagine if too many people listened to Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, who claimed in 1943 that "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."

From a turnover of $20 million in 1999, to over $400 million in 2006, at BBS we are growing at a startling rate. But we are aware that these financial results can be misleading as they do not give our stakeholders the full picture. Hand in hand with business growth must be the creation of a culture that can consolidate this strong position and become the backbone for future growth.

We believe that the answer is in innovation - innovation in relationships.

With expertise from asset management to design engineering, construction contracting, and operations and maintenance services, we have our fingers in many pies. But there is one thing that carries across all our business - relationships.

Our innovative thinking, therefore, is based on our underlying understanding of these relationships and how they can be improved. In understanding our client's business and thinking creatively about where it is heading. In anticipating what our clients want, rather than what they need.

Imagine a workplace where you and your client sit side by side in the same office. Together, you develop a tailored financial model to share the risk and reward of the job. Where your success is based on your ability to negotiate for the mutual benefit. This is innovation in action because for many, this level of collaboration is contrary to the competitive business frameworks they are familiar with - it asks them to question their fundamental ways of thinking.

In a world of relentless environmental and technological change, in which the barriers between people and places are breaking down faster than ever before, a business culture must be able to adapt to new theory and answer new questions. For us, it is about forging a culture of creativity and inventiveness. A culture that engages with and predicts new thought and that encourages people to sit somewhere outside the square.

Old prejudices cannot enter the field of play, and detractors must take their turn on the bench. Because we should constantly be asking ourselves, as Michael Ostrowski says "Is it innovation if everyone can see that it is?"

Mark Elliott, managing director, Bilfinger Berger Services

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WHAT INNOVATION MEANS FOR RETAIL

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS FOR RETAIL

 

Innovate or die! You have to watch out for Gen X & Y!

That's what I'm told on one side...

On the other, we have some publishing industry researchers suggesting that the book industry has a reasonably conservative customer base who will never move to a digital book format in a blind fit!

My view is that the truth lies somewhere in between. Finding the common ground requires an understanding of our customer base, and an investment in innovation to continue developing an environment or "village" that customers are comfortable with.

So who are our customers, and how do they obtain information in the current environment?

At present, we see our customers using digital support to explore and seek more information beyond the books they hold in their hands - they want to learn more about the author, how the product was created, and why the book was published - the essence and aim of the publication. Customers may browse online initially (where they can spend time exploring), before either ordering online or visiting a store to purchase (maybe after more browsing in store). As retailers, it is very important for us to facilitate this relationship of information sharing.

But change is afoot. The music industry provides a great example of where we are headed... all it will take will be an "iPod for books" that becomes socially acceptable to reach the tipping point where the digital evolution of books becomes revolution....

Currently it is mainly the tertiary education sector that encourages these changes. In the meantime, we continue to assess and overcome our biggest hurdles - the lack of development in digital and audio formats (and the limited range) and understanding the complexities of copyright issues in the digital space.

The time will come where you will be able to carry hundreds of books in your bag, and "read" any book with your eyes closed!

Don Grover, CEO of Dymocks

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