In recent months, more is being written about a few positive impacts of Covid19, one of which is how it served as a catalyst for innovation.  Out of necessity, organizations had to find new and different ways to meet customer needs.  These changes could be thought of as mini innovations, and now that things are beginning to return to pre-Covid19 conditions, at least in some ways, these mini innovations are being reconsidered.  Should they continue and be hardwired into the post Covid19 reality?  Or not?

In addition, many organizations are finding out that customer needs and preferences have also changed, making some products or services in the Pre-Covid19 portfolio less relevant, while creating interest in some new ones (see Parts 1 – 3 in this Blog Series).

Now What?  Whether you have identified the need to now fully implement a new process, product, or service (an innovation) developed during Covid19, or launch an entirely new idea emerging from your efforts to level set as described in the earlier blogs in this 4-part series, you are now at the point of implementation.  How can you make sure implementation will go as smoothly as possible and help this innovation live up to expectations?

The Path to Better Implementation  Fortunately, there are some great tools to help you plan and execute the implementation.  One of them is called a Process Decision Program Chart (PDPC).  The PDPC provides a systematic framework to error-proof an implementation.  First, each problem that may occur or be encountered is identified.  Then each potential problem is linked to one or more undesirable effects.  Countermeasures are then designed to nullify or preempt the effect, or in some cases, prevent the problem from occurring.  Once complete, the PDPC can indicate where implementation plan revisions are needed, or enable the best response when a problem occurs.

Making it Work  When you decide to introduce an innovation in process, product, or service, whether related to Covid19 or not, be sure to make the most of the opportunity by optimizing the implementation.  I can help you leverage PDPC and other implementation tools to ensure your innovation gets off to the best possible start.

To recap the key points of this blog series:

1. Take time for a Customer Knowledge Reset and see how (not if) your customer needs have changed.

2. Conduct a Portfolio Audit to see if your services still match customer needs.

3. Identify the innovation(s) needed to meet new or changed customer needs.

4. Optimize your implementation to better ensure the success of the innovation(s).

It all reminds me of that old insight often shared about the Chinese word for Crisis being composed of the both “danger” and “opportunity” (or change point).   Covid19 was certainly a major crisis for most organizations and work groups, maybe your own.  However, as we begin to emerge from some of the most dangerous periods, let’s seize the opportunities that may have come with it.

Jeff