Individual Report
Introduction
CHEM-TECH is a medium-sized company producing chemicals for food. The company has maintained the nature of the product and maintained customers from overtime despite changes done to the management staff and employees. However, the market and profit made by the company have shrunk in the previous years necessitating reinvention in order to solve the problem. They are aware of the nature of the product they out to product but lack internal expertise in this area and the reservation to invest in building the required expertise. The creativity of the employees has also gone done because the company fired many employees as a result of a declining market and profits. The main focus of this essay is to prepare a briefing paper on how the company should deal with; lack of internal expertise in the production of naturally based products, low levels of innovation and creativity among employees, and lack of a systematic approach to managing innovation.
Ways in which CHEM-TECH can increase internal expertise in the production of naturally based products
There are different ways in which a company can increase internal expertise. These include: Firstly, the company can organize part-time projects for their employees. These part-time projects will accord the employees of the company and opportunity to expand their experience in their work which will increase their expertise. The part-time projects can be among different departments within the company or from other companies. For example, employees can have knowledge of product mix, advertisement, packaging, and many other critical sectors of the company (Wallack, 2019). Secondly, the company can organize several mentorship programs for their employees. The mentorship programs employees the opportunity to learn from their peers or other people who have been experts in the production sector for long time. Additionally, the employees may develop new role models which make them act like their mentors thus improving their expertise. The employees are also exposed to new networks that can help them grow in their position and build their career paths (Buche et al., 2019).
Thirdly, the company should offer its employees with internal job change opportunities. This may help employees develop experience in different sectors within the company, which eventually improve expertise. Internal job change opportunities also help the employees develop their careers while they remain part of the company. This also reduces the effects of specialization and makes the employees have diverse skills (Wallack, 2019). Finally, the company can increase internal expertise through job swaps. Job swaps give employees the opportunity to work in different departments within the company. As a result, their skills will be diversified and thus boosting the expertise within the company. Employees will also develop the experience for all sectors of the company, thus becoming competent enough in the process of implementing new ideas in the company (Mueller, 2017).
Ways in which CHEM-TECH can increase innovation and creativity among employees
Innovation is the process of creating a new product or new ways of doing things that create value. Innovation is important in companies because it creates company growth and helps in solving social challenges in the company. The figure 1 below shows the different sources of innovation in companies.
Figure 1: Sources on innovation
Source: Tidd and Bessant (2014)
The company has to employ some tactics in order to increase innovation and creativity among the employees. These include: Firstly, the company can improve the creativity of the employees by diversifying the team of the employees. In order to achieve the employee’s team diversification, the company is supposed to ensure that it employs employees with different skills and experiences. This gives employees an opportunity to gain new skills from their colleagues. The diverse team of employees is also a rich source of ideas because each employee has unique skills and ideas to share with others (Diego & Pappas, 2017). This plays a key role in enhancing creativity and innovation among the employees. In our case study, I recommend this practice to CHEM-TECH management staff because it will revive the employees’ creativity and innovation. Secondly, the company can improve its employees’ creativity and innovation through training. This helps the employees to know what they are supposed to know in details which eventually improve their competence and innovation in their line of duty (Benz, 2020). Thirdly, the company can improve the creativity and innovation of the employees through building on the company’s values. These values will improve the creative mindset of the employees in their workplace. Internal climate of the company also affect the creativity of the employees and thus the management should ensure that the company embraces a favorable climate for the employees (Tidd & Bessant, 2014). Figure 2 shows the climate factors affecting innovation in companies.
Figure 2: Climate factors influencing innovation
Source: Isaksen and Tidd (2006).
A systematic approach to managing innovation
An innovation management process is a systematic approach for generating, prioritizing, evaluating, and validating new ideas as well as implementing them (Kylliainen, 2018). Different companies employ different innovation management processes. A well-structured innovation management process leads to the successful implementation of the new ideas as well as the success of the company at large. The most common innovation management processes include: Push vs. Pull, Phase-Gate Process and, Lean Startup Model. In this case, lets focus on the push vs pull model. Push vs Pull approach is innovation management process which is divided into push and pull-based models (Kylliainen, 2018). The push-based models are the models that are internally and technologically oriented, while the pull-based models are the modes that are customer and market-oriented. In our case study, the company has to differentiate between both internal and external models, which are push-based models and the pull-based models. Technological push models are based on the product or service innovation. In our case study, the technological push models should be employed in inventing the new product, which will be more acceptable to the customers (Kylliainen, 2018). The market pull models, on the other hand, are aimed at increasing the market for the products and services and creating a good image for the company in order to create a long-lasting loyalty from the customers. In our case study, the company should come up with marketing strategies that will help in increasing the market for the products (Tidd & Bessant, 2014).
Conclusion
CHEM-TECH Company has to come up with good tactics in order to correct the challenge it is currently facing. It is found that, in order for the company to increase the internal expertise, it is supposed to: organize part-time projects for the employees, organize regular mentorship programs for the employees, and practice internal job change opportunities for the employees and carry out job swaps regularly. In order to increase the employees’ innovation and creativity, the company is supposed to: diversifying the team of employees, conducting employees’ training, building the company’s values, and creating a favorable internal environment for innovation. Finally, the company should employ the Push vs. Pull process of the innovation management process.
References
- Benz, M., 2020. 29 Tips By Award-Winning Companies On How To Increase Creativity In The Work Place. (Online) Available at: https://filestage.io/blog/29-tips-award-winning-companies-increase-creativity-workplace/ (Accessed: March 3, 2020).
- Buche, P., Cuq, B., Fortin, J., and Sipieter, C., 2019. Expertise-based decision support for managing food quality in agri-food companies. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 163, p.104843.
- Diego, G., and Pappas, Z., 2017. Innovation is for everyone: Using thinking to build a culture of innovation. Right, Lane Consulting. (Online) Available at: https://www.rightlane.com.au/innovation-is-for-everyone/ (Accessed: March 3, 2020).
- Isaksen, S., and Tidd, J., 2006. Meeting the Innovation Challenges. John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Kylliainen, J., 2018. Innovation Management Process-Figuring out the Right One. The Viima Blog. (Online) Available at: https://www.viima.com/blog/innovation-management-processes?hs_amp=true (Accessed: March 3, 2020).
- Mueller, J., 2017. Creative Change: Why we resist it and how we can embrace it. HMH.
- Tidd, J., and Bessant, J., 2014. Strategic Innovation Management. London: Wiley.
- Wallack, M., 2019. 5 Unexpected Ways to Boost Internal Talent Mobility. (Online) Available at: https://www.gloat.com/home/5-unexpected-ways-to-increase-internal-talent-mobility/ (Accessed: March 3, 2020).