Necessary extension of conventional idea processes by means of a method for the identification of radical product ideas
Thorsten Herrmann, Hansgeorg Binz, Daniel Roth · 2017
The high failure rate of trials for implementing radical innovations underlines a demand for supporting the process for new radical innovations. This demand has arisen in many companies over the last few years and has also been recognized in expert interviews with industrial partners of our institute in the last few months. Our institute's research project Handling radical innovation in the field of idea processes and product development addresses that topic and researches methodical support to meet the described need. This paper will demonstrate the necessity of adding conventional idea processes by means of a method for the identification of radical product ideas. Furthermore, there will be discussion as to how such a method can be elaborated and what should be taken into account according to the characteristics of radical product ideas or innovations. The step of identifying radical product ideas in idea processes in order to separate them and treat them differently from incremental product ideas is seen as imperative. Additionally, the paper considers the question of how such an identification step for radical product ideas can be elaborated in future research.