Innovation and Ontologies

Knowledge Acquisition 275
figure 99 Innovation management at ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
The following considerations on the Fuzzy Front End of ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG
focus on the development of standard equipment and the suggestions contributed to the
employee suggestion system. The highly specific customized development provides little general
information and is therefore not dealt with in this thesis.
Analysis of the Fuzzy Front End at ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG draws attention to
differences between the formal employee suggestion system and the Invisible Funnel. While the
employee suggestion system results in propositions of relatively small impact, ideas concerning
product features or new products enter the Invisible Funnel.
ROHDE & SCHWARZ GMBH & CO. KG considers this to be a result of its innovative culture which
fosters immediate publication of ideas within the working environment.
2.2.5 Comparison of Approaches
Before turning to formalization (method), this subsection focuses on three particular interesting
empirical findings in the domain of idea assessment.
The first aspect is the importance of top management involvement in the assessment of ideas.
The literature is unambiguous on this point as repeatedly stressed in part I. Section 2.2.5.1
compares the business reality of the focus companies with this theoretical claim.
Subsequently, I address the concept of open innovation within the focus companies. Part I repeatedly
addressed the topic in terms of the integration of customers. Section 2.2.5.2 compares the focus
companies according to this aspect.
The subsection closes with some considerations on the pool of potential. Its necessity and/ or utility
are unambigously estimated by the literature. Therefore, the insights of the case studies form
another contribution to the knowledge base.