Using Scenarios in processes of innovation
Companies are only successful in the long-run if they continuously establish innovations in the market. This is where Schumpeter already saw the difference between an entrepreneur and a capitalist. Those who do not only want to observe a desired future in planning his business activities, bank as early as possible on scenarios in the area of innovation management and business development.
4-quadrant-model of innovation management
ScMI developed a 4-quadrant-model in order to take the various perspectives on innovation into account – and to prevent a standstill in traditional marketing research or in advanced development. The companies’ strategy shapes the basis for identification and evaluation of new markets, new products, technologies and new business options.
Possible applications of scenarios in innovation management
Based on this approach, scenarios can be deployed at different steps of the innovation process:
Taking a long view on future market development is one of the crucial entrepreneurial tasks. Scenarios can be deployed for anticipating market environments and regional markets, thinking ahead market segments and structures and for estimating market potentials.
Product innovations are a main driver for entrepreneurial success. Scenarios will be deployed in product planning and development, for generating and testing product ideas and for developing product visions, - strategies and product roadmaps.
Decisions in technology shape the companies‘ development for a long time. Therefore, they have to be narrowly linked to strategic planning. Scenarios support the management of technology with specific analysis of (scenario) technology as well as with preparation of technology strategies.
In the context of New Business Development new business possibilities are systematically created. Therefore, future business structures and new business models are the central tools. Scenarios will be used for working out new business models or for testing their robustness based on alternative framework conditions.
