“What Customers Want” debunks innovation myths and shows how to transform innovation into a predictable process.
Aspen, CO (PRWEB) April 17, 2006 -- Amid the array of innovation thought leaders and business strategists, a fresh and intriguing voice has emerged that disputes current customer-driven thinking and offers a new theory and perspective on innovation.
In his new landmark book “What Customers Want” (McGraw-Hill), author Anthony Ulwick , the CEO of Strategyn , a corporate consulting and research firm, unveils to readers new thinking that challenges the customer-driven paradigm and addresses innovation myths that have for years stifled company growth. He details a revolutionary and compelling innovation theory and a systematic process that removes the mystery, clutter and noise from the practice of innovation. Ulwick calls this
methodology Outcome-Driven Innovation™ and explains how this new thinking transforms innovation from a nebulous art form into predictable science. Already used by dozens of Fortune 1000 companies to achieve core market growth, create new markets, pursue disruptive strategies and streamline internal business processes, outcome-driven innovation is changing the way companies do business.
Strategyn’s methodology has been adopted by leading companies such as Microsoft, was voted one of the best business ideas by the Harvard Business Review, and is revered by thought leader and Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen in his book, “The Innovator’s Solution.” Moreover, Strategyn’s methodology has supplanted Quality Function Deployment (QFD, methodology are revealed in What Customers Want.
“What Customers Want” challenges historical procedures and perceptions about what it truly means to be customer-driven. In this engaging and strategic guide to the evolution of innovation, Ulwick reveals the secret weapons behind some of the most successful companies of recent years – from new ways of capturing customer inputs and new methods for segmenting markets to new methods for identifying opportunities and creating, evaluating, and positioning breakthrough concepts.
“Contrary to popular belief, innovation is not a random, unpredictable process. Although the process appears to be an intangible art form, it is in fact a measurable science that can be replicated given the proper inputs,” said Ulwick. “I wrote this book to educate executives and product managers about a more effective approach to innovation. Companies have lived in a world of unchallenged myths for far too long. It is time to break convention and to think about innovation differently.”
Strategyn’s Outcome-Driven Innovation™ methodology is replacing old customer-driven thinking – an approach that Ulwick contends is fundamentally flawed, thus explaining its limited success over the past 25 years.
Based on over 200 studies spanning more than 70 companies and 25 industries, Ulwick contends that when it comes to innovation the traditional methods companies use to engage with customers are the root cause of chronic waste and missed opportunities. In “What Customers Want,” Ulwick argues that researchers should silence the literal voice of the customer, and instead work to capture success measurements used by customers when executing the jobs, tasks or activities they are trying to get done.
After publishing the article “Turn Customer-Input into Innovation” in the Harvard Business Review in January 2002, Ulwick’s thinking was recognized by the magazine’s editors as one of the year’s best business ideas in the March 2002 issue. Since 1991, Ulwick has served as a consultant to a variety of corporations, including AIG, Microsoft, the Robert Bosch Corporation, Chiquita Brands, Hallmark, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Motorola and Pfizer and other organizations around the world — helping each create new products and services.
“What Customers Want” is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Nobles nationwide.
About Strategyn, Inc.
Strategyn is a pioneer and leader in Outcome-Driven Innovation™, a proprietary innovation methodology that enables companies to unlock hidden opportunities, reveal high-growth emerging markets, create breakthrough products and services and streamline business processes. Strategyn consults, trains and licenses its innovation methodology to businesses and select consulting firms throughout the world.
Strategyn’s thinking has been adopted by organizations such as Microsoft, was voted one of the best business ideas by Harvard Business Review and is revered by thought leader and Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen in his book “The Innovator’s Solution.” In addition, it has supplanted QFD, VOC and other programs in many firms as a best practice and new standard for innovation. For more information, read “What Customers Want” by Strategyn CEO Tony Ulwick, visit www.Strategyn.com or call 866-729-8400.
About Anthony Ulwick
Anthony Ulwick, author of the best-selling book “What Customers Want,” has published dozens of articles on innovation management and market research, including the landmark Harvard Business Review article, “Turn Customer Input Into Innovation”. He is also the founder and CEO of Strategyn and President of the Strategyn Institute. He has pioneered the outcome-driven movement. Recognized as one of the leading authorities in the field of innovation, market research and marketing strategy, Ulwick’s methods have been adopted by many companies including Microsoft, AIG, Bosch, J&J, Kimberly Clark, HP, Motorola, Syngenta, Chiquita and others. He holds several patents on his unique approach to innovation and strategy formulation. He can be reached at Ulwick@strategyn.com.
Contact: Brian Wendel
(480) 505-4526
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