Innovation strategy is about creating unique value for consumers by delivering a great product that satisfies their needs. At the core of a successful innovation strategy is a great product concept. Product is an all-encompassing term that includes physical goods, intangible services, and even ideas. There are three pillars to a successful product strategy: a clear understanding of [a] the target customers [WHO], [b] the specific elements of the product offering [WHAT] that satisfies consumer needs and dovetails with company capabilities, and [c] the tactical plans to reach end consumers [HOW]. The value proposition has to be embedded in a coherent business model in order to create and capture value. But well-laid innovation plans can go awry without a consideration of the business ecosystem that includes competitors and collaborators, including suppliers, distributors, and retailers, or the contextual environment in which the company operates. In an interdependent world, fostering an integrated ecosystem is critically important for companies interested in maximizing the odds of innovation success. You will be able to: - Understand key ideas about innovation and product strategy - Strategize for value capture in a business model - Critically examine the roles of various players in a business ecosystem This course is part of Gies College of Business’ suite of online programs, including the iMBA and iMSM. Learn more about admission into these programs and explore how your Coursera work can be leveraged if accepted into a degree program at //degrees.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/idegrees/.
View Syllabus
Skills You'll Learn
Business Model, Innovation, Business Value, Innovation Management
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5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
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2 stars
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1 star
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GL
Feb 21, 2019
The course is great! The product cycle, business model and the tool that this Innovation course offers makes total sense and are useful to help you track your way to success on innovation segment.
GP
May 5, 2018
Exceptional course. Interesting and chock-full of new ideas that can easily be put to practical use in solving management, process, and organizational challenges -- any why there are challenges.
From the lesson
Module 2: There Is More to a Product Than Just Function: Assessing Industry Trends
The second module will focus on a detailed view of innovation and how it relates to the various stakeholders, including consumers, firms, and the overall industry. More importantly, you will learn to assess industry context as you make important innovation decisions. First, you will gain an understanding of concept of the innovation adoption lifecycle and how innovations diffuse in a population of consumers. Then, you will learn about the concepts of the tipping points in an innovation lifecycle, i.e., sales takeoff and firm takeoff for an innovation in a particular new-to-the-world industry. Next, we will study the “failure framework” to examine issues of “overshooting” consumer demand by firms by mapping product performance and consumer expectations trajectories in an innovation context. Finally, you will learn about the different types of innovations and understand the concept of dominant design.
Taught By
Raj Echambadi
Alan J. and Joyce D. Baltz Professor | Sr. Associate Dean for Strategic Innovation
E. Geoffrey Love
Associate Professor