Innovating in an age of instant obsolescence

At a time when product lifecycle times are rapidly shrinking and the global economy is forcing organizations to adopt high-velocity business processes, is it really possible that even the most innovative companies can continue to introduce game-changing innovations at a breakneck pace? Jim Carroll tackles the issue head-on, based on his experience consulting with a number of highly-innovative companies (e.g. J. Crew, Body Armour, Adobe). There are a number of best-in-class practices that these companies leverage during the innovation process. These companies tend to:

Focus on operational excellence

Create high expectations for growth, as well as an IT infrastructure that enables such growth

Develop instant, need-driven relationships with their partners

Focus on rapid agility for new market demands

Adhere religiously to a “fast time to market” philosophy

Focus on quick marshalling of resources to accomplish velocity

Provide for instant scalability, given market volatility and rapid change

As a follow-up, Jim Carroll also provides links to podcast interviews from a recent conference dedicated to the broader theme of innovation in an age of instant obsolescence.

[image: Polish surrealist painter Jacek Yerka]