# innovation

Open innovation 2.0

In a recent blog post, John Hagel III and John Seely Brown argue that today's open innovation approaches still are very "transactional" and therefore, do not allow delivering the real potential of open innovation. We agree, but the problem is not open innovation. The problem is the enterprise.

The Xpragmatic View #138 - February 14, 2010

Direction is a consequence, not a choice

While discussing the pros and the cons of different methodologies, we often tend to forget that the methodology will only be a minor part of the whole solution. Therefore, in most cases, the choice of a certain methodology will not be a real choice but merely the logical consequence of an existing context.

The Xpragmatic View #122 - August 25, 2009

Before innovation

We barely manage the basic innovation process, but competitive pressure is already pushing us towards the next level. However, are we aiming at the right target?

The Xpragmatic View #102 - May 26, 2008

The employee's dilemma

In a competitive business environment, safeguarding the continuity of the company often requires starting initiatives that will result in a fundamental discontinuity for the social structure of the organisation. Do we have a choice?

The Xpragmatic View #89 - July 29, 2007

The silent running

Developing an innovative business strategy is difficult. Very difficult. However, the most difficult part awaits you at execution time. Often, you will find that your fantastic idea fails. Not because this idea was unrealistic, but because it was unrealistic for your company.

The Xpragmatic View #87 - June 9, 2007

Open Space - Room for thoughts

As we discussed in the Xpragmatic View #79, deploying Web 2.0 practices and tools in a business context is tempting, yet not straightforward. The organisational context is often the strongest inhibitor. However, some of the cultural changes in our society that are driving Web 2.0 (or are driven by Web 2.0) will not go away. Therefore, enterprises will become increasingly disconnected from social reality, unless they change. They better do.

The Xpragmatic View #81 - January 25, 2007

Innovation by design

In the current economic reality of margin erosion and rapid commoditisation of products and services, innovation is often seen as the last competitive differentiator. As a result, organisations are desperately looking for ways to improve their "ability to innovate". Over the past years, some common thinking and sound practices have emerged that focus on a number of key requirements to enable the innovative enterprise. One of these requirements is the development of a working environment that facilitates and stimulates innovation. However, is this thinking radical enough or do we have to go one step further and question the very nature of the organisation itself?

The Xpragmatic View #72 - April 10, 2006

Organisations and ecosystems

Recent evolutions in our understanding of physics and biology indicate that our environment, including ourselves, is the result of a far-reaching process of interaction and complementarity. Apparently, something makes that matter and organisms "automatically" collaborate growing to larger and more complex entities. Is there a place for business in the universe?

The Xpragmatic View #69 - October 2005

Empowering the knowledge worker

More innovation is the remedy of the last resort that will save Europe’s economic position and welfare. At least, that’s what they say. As a result, European corporations are frantically looking for ways to improve the productivity of their knowledge workers, assuming this will increase their innovation ability. Are they looking in the right direction?

The Xpragmatic View #68 - July 2005

Outsourcing your strategy

In the previous Xpragmatic View we briefly discussed how our improved communication capabilities are the enablers for new business practices and new organisational approaches. However, is this only a matter of eliminating or rearranging some part of your business activity or are there side effects that require some special attention?

The Xpragmatic View #65 - March 2005

The new market reality

Over the past years, better and more cost effective communication capabilities have been the main drivers for evolutions such as internationalisation, globalisation and outsourcing. Indeed, this improved communication capability has been an enabler for various new and more complex forms of collaboration. At the same time, organisational structures are growing thinner. Is there still room for the traditional company?

The Xpragmatic View #64 - January 2005

Change by design - 2

In the present Xpragmatic View, we further explore the concept of organisational change as a management instrument triggering innovation and process improvement. Assuming the basic promise of this concept is correct, what type of organisational change do we have to look for?

The Xpragmatic View #61 - July 2004

The quest for the agile enterprise - 2

We live in a networked economy. The Internet, e-mail, mobile telephony, they all make our way of communication easier, faster and independent of time and location. But is it also getting any better?

The Xpragmatic View #60 - April 2004

Change by design

There are numerous examples of organisations that succeeded transforming their business model to a new or higher level of success after being forced by external conditions to adjust their existing organisational structure. Knowing this, is there a viable approach that allows us to uncover this hidden potential?

The Xpragmatic View #59 - February 2004

How important is IT? - The sequel

The May edition of the influential Harvard Business Review magazine gave us an interesting article written by Nicholas G. Carr, entitled "IT Doesn't Matter". In this article, Carr argues that information technology has largely become a commodity resource and therefore, no longer yields real competitive differentiation. Do we agree?

The Xpragmatic View #55 - July 2003

The quest for the agile enterprise

Over the past couple of years, business agility has become one of the more interesting new paradigms of the Internet economy. Unfortunately, it remains a very hyped subject with very little practical applications. The IT vendors are claiming to bring us the solutions that will enable the agile enterprise, but is business agility really something you can buy and install?

The Xpragmatic View #51 - November 2002