Keynote speech - M.Sc. in Strategic Innovation & Future Creation
Keynote speech - M.Sc. in Strategic Innovation & Future Creation
Keynote speech - M.Sc. in Strategic Innovation & Future Creation
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periences result<strong>in</strong>g from different uses for exist<strong>in</strong>g products or on already completed product<br />
solutions, the data is analysed accord<strong>in</strong>g to the company’s <strong>in</strong>ternal criteria. In the f<strong>in</strong>al step,<br />
this data is transformed <strong>in</strong>to a market idea with the potential of gett<strong>in</strong>g accepted by the majority<br />
of the users (von Hippel 1986).<br />
Numerous researchers propose a broaden<strong>in</strong>g of this approach. In do<strong>in</strong>g so, the projection is<br />
set before the trend analysis process (Lilien et al. 2002, Lüthje, Herstatt 2004, Reichwald et<br />
al. 2007). For companies, accurate plann<strong>in</strong>g of the project is essential for both the personnel<br />
appo<strong>in</strong>ted as well as for the required budget. As a result, this process is viewed as a prelim<strong>in</strong>ary<br />
stage to the actual lead user analysis. The phases of the trend analysis and the lead<br />
user identification proceed <strong>in</strong> a manner identical to the orig<strong>in</strong>al model. However, the evaluation<br />
is supported by further measures. The most important conclusion is that lead users cannot<br />
be analysed through classic market research (Reichwald, Piller 2006). Idea competitions,<br />
screen<strong>in</strong>gs, pyramid<strong>in</strong>g and, ultimately, virtual stock markets are helpful for their identification<br />
(Reichwald et al. 2007). The screen<strong>in</strong>g method is a questionnaire that surveys a representative<br />
sample on their will<strong>in</strong>gness to participate. Pyramid<strong>in</strong>g stipulates the use of social networks<br />
for the designation of lead users (Lilien et al. 2002). With pyramid<strong>in</strong>g it is more likely to<br />
reveal potential for radical <strong>in</strong>novations, while screen<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> contrast, identifies opportunities<br />
for <strong>in</strong>cremental <strong>in</strong>novations (Reichwald et al. 2007). The third method, the virtual stock market,<br />
offers the opportunity of identify<strong>in</strong>g lead users through use of fictitious stock trad<strong>in</strong>g<br />
(Reichwald, Piller 2006). F<strong>in</strong>ally, the lead users are <strong>in</strong>vited to concept workshops with the<br />
goal to make the customer’s implicit knowledge available to the company through various<br />
creativity techniques (Reichwald et al. 2007).<br />
If one takes a close look at the ideal type of progress <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>novation process, customer<br />
<strong>in</strong>tegration is <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciple possible <strong>in</strong> every phase (Brockhoff 1998). The <strong>in</strong>fluence of the customer<br />
can vary depend<strong>in</strong>g on the phase <strong>in</strong> which the customer <strong>in</strong>tegration occurs (Enkel et<br />
al. 2005). In comparison to other customer groups such as reference customers or launch<strong>in</strong>g<br />
customers, the lead user <strong>in</strong>tegration is conceivable <strong>in</strong> all phases of the classic <strong>in</strong>novation<br />
process (Figure 2).<br />
Fig. 2: Integration of lead users <strong>in</strong> the various phases of the <strong>in</strong>novation process<br />
[Source: Beutnagel 2008 on the basis of Brockhoff 1998]<br />
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