What is the "right" Innovation Methodology?
It is a question many people have asked me in the last few years. Many innovation and problem-solving methodologies are available nowadays. Design Thinking, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, Business Model Navigator, Stage Gate and many more. I spent time analysing and structuring all these methodologies to seek the right innovation and problem-solving methodology. The answer is: It depends on the stage of the lifecycle of your product or service. Now let me explain this a bit further. All these methodologies have certain things in common but differ in how they manage and guide you through the process. 1. Customer focussed The great thing about all these processes and tools is their customer focus. Design Thinking might take it the furthest in utilising personas. However, Six Sigma uses the Voice of Customer (VoC) as part of its methodology, and similarly do the other methodologies. Customer focus is one of the essential elements all methodologies have; in my eyes, it i...