Designing an Innovation Engine Model and a Software Tool to Meet Large Organizations Challenges with SMEs Capabilities, a Pilot Study

Innovation models and innovation software tools are mechanisms designed to support innovation and collaboration activities. However, innovation models tend to be limited to close innovation or their implementation is not cost-effective for SMEs, while innovation software tools lack features for the collaboration of multiple organizations. Improved models and appropriate, well designed, software tools could address large organizations’ challenges with SMEs capabilities, better foster innovation activities and encourage economic growth and jobs creation. This study piloted two 1.5-hour-workshops with 12 Enterprise Systems MSc students to design an innovation model and a software tool with PICTIVE participatory design technique. In the first workshop participants received a talk about innovation and were separated into three groups of four people. Each group was provided with one of three scenarios: the design of a robot exploring Mars, the design of an adrenaline auto-injector for severe allergies or the design of a new ambulance. Groups brainstormed ideas and created a diagram of the components that an innovation model should include to provide an effective collaboration between organizations. In the second workshop, groups implemented their model in an innovation software tool using participatory design. Two researchers observed the workshops and took notes of the group presentations. Three main components comprised their innovation models: Large organizations, SMEs and other institutions, and components for the management of the collaboration. Groups suggested to implement their model in a web site portal with features that support the definition of the challenge, the involvement of different stakeholders, sections to capture large organizations’ needs and SMEs’ capabilities, features to support the identification of the best partners, the best collaboration agreement and the management of intellectual property. Results were very insightful towards the design of an innovation engine model and for the use of this methodology with innovation-expert participants.