Specialty Graphic Imaging Association Digital Printing & Imaging Association
	Executive Summary February 2008

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Building a Framework for Innovation

In today’s marketplace, the successful graphics producers are constantly striving for maximum innovation. They are persistent in their search for the next competitive edge. They see the need for innovative enhancement throughout all aspects of their business.

But turning on the innovation switch within a busy organization isn’t always easy. By its nature, creating and maintaining an innovative culture is an innovative process itself. And, while graphics producers in the SGIA community realize the importance of innovation in today’s marketplace, many are challenged to get these gears turning.

In the next series of Executive Summaries, I will pull from numerous resources in an effort to help you determine where innovation fits in your organization and hopefully trigger an idea or two that will boost your organization’s innovative culture.

In their article, The 12 Different Ways for Companies to Innovate, Mohanbir Sawney, Robert C. Wolcott and Inigo Arroniz do in fact list the following 12 dimensions of innovation:

1. Offerings
2. Platform
3. Solutions
4. Customers
5. Customer experience
6. Value capture
7. Processes
8. Organization
9. Supply chain
10. Presence
11. Networking
12. Brand

I find their list to be a very good framework for evaluating various aspects of a company’s operation in terms of innovative opportunity. When the framework is applied to the SGIA community as a group, we see where innovation is being applied.

For example, inkjet technology is a new platform that has opened doors for several dimensions of innovation (7); expanded technical capability results in more diverse offerings for new and existing markets (1); SGIA members have a wider range of creative solutions today (3); and graphics producers are working closer with customers to add value and increase their support for each one (6).

Some members are looking to their supply chain to create a competitive advantage (9). As an example, to better address the growing interest of their customers, graphics producers are working closely with their supply chain to develop sustainable solutions.

For graphics producers serving point-of-purchase customers, the processes they use for managing orders, inventory and distribution of finished materials are providing opportunity for competitive advantage through innovation (7). And for many SGIA members, finding innovative ways of improving the customer experience is high on the to-do list (5).

Wolcott makes another important point, “Innovation usually focuses on the WHAT.” He stresses that the “HOW, WHO and WHERE should also be considered.”

I would add WHY to the list as well, especially in a marketplace like ours, in which emerging technologies continue to expand capability. Understanding what really drives the customer — the WHY — can lead to completely different and innovative solutions.

At SGIA, we are working hard to help members develop their innovative abilities. We know that it doesn’t just happen. It’s hard work. We’ll continue to bring tools and information to help you develop your own innovation strategies.