The open innovation concept is a trending topic nowadays, when talking about business evolution. The concept of “innovation” has always been the main focus for B2B and B2C companies, with the aim of seeking a competitive advantage that is now increasingly difficult to create and maintain.
Furthermore, our era, in terms of innovation and business development, is marked by a key transformation: globalization, in which the aspects of limited competitive intensity and precise physical boundaries have started to disappear.
In the years, the traditional model of industrial organization founded on the concept of economies of scale has left the place to new organizational models that rest the theoretical bases on the concepts of integration, cooperation and competition between the enterprises. Here is where the open innovation occurs: to develop new products and new processes through other ideas, other markets and needs, out of ordinary markets and technologies where the company is used to move, use and live.
Here’s a good example of what’s the value generated by a good open innovation process is bringing: SPII V-Desk.
V-Desk is a very interesting project that sees the collaboration between SPII and Italdesign. We can talk about V-Desk (virtual desk) as a process innovation, which brings value not only to the two companies from which the concept and the project originates but also and above all for their clients and the end users, which in this case are the train drivers.
It can therefore be defined as a demonstrator through which you can show the client, through artificial intelligence and virtual reality, all the potential that can have during the design phase. Moreover, V-desk should be able to decrease a lot the time to market, saving time and money. It’s a tool that allows to make real decisions, especially in terms of ergonomics and style, in an effective and efficient way (i.e., the use of physical mock-ups in design against virtual mock-ups).
The theme of efficiency is linked to the shortening of time and the reduction of costs that this tool can bring. To build and to modify a physical mock-up in comparison to make it virtually is completely different and much more expensive. Another aspect of the increased efficiency is to reduce distances, since with physical mock-ups people must be physically present.
With v-desk they can’t: they can be in different places and still work on the same project. The co-creation in this case is not only between two companies that actively participate to the realization of the project but also between their clients and the clients’ clients, getting to involve those who are the users of the desk, that are the drivers.
Open innovation is a win-win strategy where all the actors gain knowledge, technology and markets. Moreover, new partnerships can rise between big and small brands, even from very distant markets and businesses realities.
That’s how the open innovation can create value and lead businesses and companies to new boundaries and evolutions, as SPII pushes with all the passion and curiosity needed.
See you next time,
Davide Rossi