Openness is the ability of a company to create, innovate, design with customers, partners, employees, and other external experts. It is a digitalization and growth process with many steps.
Below is a summary of the most important steps:
No openness
A limited number of people make all the decisions using data and third party research. Decisions are made with minimal external input or dialog.
Analog openness
Company is using analog (non-digital) tools to collect feedback – workshops, phone calls, social media, interviews, meetings. Feedback channels are informal and inconsistent, leading to subjective interpretation and limited understanding. There is a reliance on interpersonal influence rather than structured insights. Also access for customers and external experts is very limited – they need to be at the right time and at the right place. Retail equivalent is a physical shop and mail orders, no e-commerce.
Initial digital openness
Specialized digital tools are used for creating with customers and other experts but these tools are rigid and restricted. These tools are results of a buy decision, instead of a make. Companies buy pre-made rigid tools which are not custom but made for thousands of different companies. Companies are forced to adapt to these tools and usually are frozen for years. Retail equivalent is selling on Amazon.com only instead of building your own online shop.
Fully adaptable digital openness
Companies decide to continuously invest in openness by choosing to make their tools to communicate with their customers and external experts. And these tools are not only made but are continuously innovated and upgraded, adapting to rapidly changing needs of both external and internal stakeholders. Retail equivalent is building and constantly upgrading your own online shop.
While analog openness and initial digital openness are great and even necessary steps, fully adaptable digital openness should be the goal of all companies. Openness is not something that can be outsourced or bought. It is a top level strategic activity which defines customer relationships, product design, and brand competitiveness. All companies should strive to reach fully adaptable digital openness.
To use OPEN OS to quickly and easily adopt fully adaptable digital openness email Andrea at andrea@openinnovation.me.
Also, we offer our own platform openinnovation.me as a solution for initial digital openness.
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