What is innovation?

We believe true innovation is the successful application of new thinking to existing problems which leads to ‘positive change’.

All change creates greater risk than doing nothing. Successful innovation manages risk so that a positive outcome is implemented. So at CobaltNiche innovation is both the creative act (the ‘AH-HA’ moment) as well as the subsequent structured process which manages and reduces the risk this change creates.

Innovation @ CobaltNiche

Innovation and creativity are ingrained within CobaltNiche.

At CobaltNiche, consistently achieving innovative outcomes for our clients require these core elements:

Culture - is something that is instilled as a normal and expected day-to-day behaviour, it is not something that can be done effectively by switching ‘on and off’ when required. Like anything, the more we practice, the better we get.

Process - We have developed a range of internal techniques to foster innovation where possible in every project we undertake. The techniques have been developed to suit physical design and engineering applications and promote focused thinking within short time-frames.

Teamwork - It is far more likely that a new perspective will be found to an existing problem with the cumulative ‘brain horsepower’ of a focused team. A responsive group focussed on a single outcome can bring with them a breadth of knowledge and experiences. That is why we encourage teamwork and involve a range of designers, engineers and stakeholders in ideation sessions.

Innovation tools of the trade

Many of our innovation and creativity methods are used informally within development projects whilst others are done as distinct tasks especially within strategy projects.

Many of our creativity processes are based on established de Bono ‘Lateral Thinking’ tools. We call our interpretation ‘Lateral-3D’ in reference to the physical and product focus of most of our work. ‘KickStart’ is one of these (see side-story). Another technique commonly applied is where we breakdown a product into a series of key elements or functions, allowing us to look beyond the obvious and find innovation in each of these sub-elements. It is often surprising what additional product improvements come to light that wouldn’t necessarily be considered when thinking of the product as a whole.

Another tool is where we focus on the principal behind a function to develop other ideas based on the principal. Eventually these solutions are brought back together and applied to the product or project as a whole. This is the ‘design’ step; a creative combination of a range of ideas and solutions.

We really do practice what we preach!

The following is a simple real life example of how CobaltNiche uses these processes to create a positive change.

Challenge - Our client manufactured single-use medical blankets and engaged CobaltNiche to develop a new instrument that used their blankets. Like all their competitors the system required new blankets to be connected to an air supply outlet several times a day using a set of ties (similar to shoelaces). Early in our development we discovered it took two people to attach these blankets (one to hold the outlet while the other tied the ‘laces’). This user frustration was an opportunity for innovation.

Solution – During a ‘Kickstart’ session we explored this particular function and an idea resulted to replace the ties with a self adhesive ‘strap’. Some quick trials proved this idea allowed a single user to secure the blanket. It also had other benefits like reducing the chance of connections coming loose during use. The end result is a ‘positive change’ for all parties; reduced complexity and cost for manufacturer, and improved functionality for users.

Although this is a simple example of the potential for innovative thinking to create a ‘positive change’, the same culture, methodology, and teamwork elements are equally applicable to any development challenge no matter how complex or simple.