Strategic Innovation and Design Thinking

TEACHER / PROFESSOR

• Pr. Benjamin Beeckmans
• Pr. Bruno Wattenbergh

Short Description of the course

This course will cover the concepts of Design Thinking and Strategic Innovation.

Design thinking can be defined as a “collaborative, human-centered approach that can be used to solve a broader range of challenges” (T. Brown). It is rooted in the daily work of designers, marketeers and innovators. It is both a mindset and a method that capitalizes on creativity techniques and the power of multidisciplinary teams to develop innovative solutions. Although its scope is broader than entrepreneurship or innovation, design thinking can be seen as a perfect starting point for people looking for the next big idea.

Strategic Innovation is often associated with the management of new product or services and new venture creation. This is actually a very restricted view! As a matter of fact, strategic innovation is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. At macro-economic level, it is a key success factor for economic growth and sustainable development. At a firm level, it is a management style that helps to deal with very uncertain situations and innovative projects. At a personal level, it is a mindset and a set of skills that help identify and exploit business opportunities.

The course will introduce the participants to the process of developing an innovative idea – from finding the idea to presenting it to sponsors. It will be based on a set of recent methodologies and tools used in the matter, mainly:

• Megatrends
• Effectuation
• Design Thinking and Service Design
• Opportunity Assessment and Competitive Advantage
• Lean Startup
• Business Model Design
• Growth Strategy

course Programme / detailed overview

Day 1: Introduction to Strategy

• Lecture 1: What is Strategy? This session will explore the notions of Strategy Definition, Strategic Fit, Strategic Planning and Execution
• Lecture 2: Strategic Diagnostic: This session will help you assess your own Culture, Competencies and Resources and how to play the environment to your advantage.
• Workshop 1: Understanding your Competitive Advantage: using the Competitive Advantage Framework, you will further analyse your business and the one of your competitors in terms of Value Chain, Value Network, Key Success Factors, Customer Purchasing Criteria and Barriers to Entry

DAY 2: Megatrends, Design Thinking and Service Design

• Lecture 3: Megatrends and Effectuation – This module will zoom into the fundamentals of the idea generation process through a balanced approach combining the understanding of external factors such as Megatrends with the personal aspirations and strength of the innovator
• Lecture 4: Design Thinking – This module will explore how Design Thinking can help you identify and leverage the key components of your Value Proposition. The main principles will be presented and illustrated by real applications.
• Lecture 5: Lean Launchpad & Experiments – This module will explore how to design experiments to test the desire, feasibility and sustainability of your idea in the market place.
• Case Study: A concrete application of Design Thinking to product / solutions design

DAY 3: Business Modeling and Strategic Fit

• Lecture 6: Business Model Design – This module will explore what is a Business Model, which different types of Business Model exist and how relevant they could be to your organization.
• Lecture 7: Strategic Fit – This session will explain how to evaluate the performance of your innovation roadmap in line with your strategic objectives and will define and illustrate the underlying metrics.
• Case study: A concrete application of Strategic Innovation in an industrial/service context

TARGET students

The program is designed to deliver a multi-disciplinary approach to the challenges and opportunities related to Strategic Innovation. It is particularly relevant for profiles such as:

• Sales or Marketing managers who would like to strategically manage the design of innovative products and services, creating a better fit between their services, their customers and the company’s objectives
• General Managers who would like to enhance their innovation roadmap and portfolio with a better understanding of its congruence with the company’s strategic objectives
• The program is designed for participants with a minimum of 3 years of professional experience and who demonstrate proficiency in English.

Learning outcomes

• Understand how strategy is designed, built and then deployed across an organization
• Understand how innovative projects are designed, tested and implemented in the market place: create a value proposition, test & refine, asses the market and the competition, how to sell and generate revenues
• Link your innovation roadmap to your strategic objectives