A leading supplier of medical equipment requested support in the creation of innovative and disruptive ideas for a medium-term "Innovation Roadmap". As part of a three-day workshop, a large number of potential-rich ideas were generated – going beyond the expectations of all involved. This was the result of deep customer understanding, reinvigorated teamwork and a focused methodical approach.
Differentiation & Innovation
Our exclusive services are aimed at companies which no longer wish to merely defend market share, but to win more of it – with focused product differentiation and beneficial innovations.
As innovation experts with a cross-industry perspective, we will help you to understand your stakeholders better, to identify as yet unserved customer wishes, to recognize the opportunities offered by new technologies and, from this, to generate a significant competitive advantage.
Make your company (even more) innovative!
What we offer you
Innovation-Roadmapping: In a methodically guided workshop, your department representatives put themselves in the place of the different buyer and user groups. Together, they work out innovation ideas which go far beyond conventional product optimization ideas. These are evaluated, and structured into an "Innovation Roadmap" for the coming years.
Product differentiation: Are you seeking unique selling points for your product? In product differentiation workshops we focus your team's attention on all the phases of the "buyer experience cycle", developing USPs which go beyond pure product features (e.g. new services, new sales channels).
Product scenarios of the future: Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things, Additive Manufacturing… With a broader view of technology, we develop illustrative product scenarios, which your company can also use to profitably exploit current trends in technology.
Realignment strategies: Successful companies tactically avoid competitors and orient themselves towards low-cost differentiation and beneficial innovation. We use the "Strategic Contour" method from the "Blue Ocean Strategy" to identify potential "blue oceans" for your company.
Restructuring of product portfolios: Restructuring the product portfolio enables differentiation from the competition and new growth. Our multi-stage process guides you step-by-step: from determining the location, through the identification of unused differentiation potential, all the way up to a sustainable innovation strategy –with market-specific design forms, technology, functions and features for your new product portfolio.
The blue ocean as a strategy
Methodology / Tools
We use methods from the book "Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant", published in 2005, enriching these successfully with our many years of experience in the field of product and innovation development.
Implementation is pragmatic and direct, in close cooperation with our clients – by hands-on experts for hands-on experts!
Project examples
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26/09/2016Product scenario smart harvestingRead MoreWith its new "Smart Products" range, this leading harvesting equipment manufacturer aims to differentiate itself from the competition. To gain a broader view of technology and to fully exploit innovation potential, tech-solute® was tasked with generating potential scenarios for future "smart harvesting products". Analyses of technical, market and social trends were an impulse for identifying suitable key technologies – and for the subsequent development of product ideas. The three resulting scenarios (low – medium – high level of technology) eventually formed the basis for specifying the future product portfolio.
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26/09/2016Restructured shower cubicle portfolioRead Moretech-solute® supported this manufacturer of shower cubicles in the realization of a radically new and innovative product portfolio. Here the reusability of components and a cross-family product architecture (product classification system) was also a goal. The realization took place in three phases:
Phase 1: Market requirements and potential (Analysis of location, competition and applicable standards, customer survey),
Phase 2: Increase the innovation potential (Trend analysis and technology scouting, ideas for innovation impulse directions) and
Phase 3: Portfolio approach (Product configuration and architecture, implementation concepts).
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26/09/2016Strategy development in compressor technologyRead MoreTo supplement its core pneumatics business, this customer intended to extend its product range by developing its own compressors in-house. The client tasked tech-solute® with creating a positioning strategy for the highly-competitive compressor market. By researching the competition, information on the companies determining the market was gathered. This included product range configuration, advertised unique selling points and current research and development activities. This could be used to illustrate the dominating competitive factors and the "strategic contour" of the companies analyzed. This showed in which areas the company should invest its efforts, compared to the competition. From this, tech-solute derived three possible differentiation strategies – one of which is now the basis for the client's successful new business.