Our innovation experts were tasked with methodically supporting the internal team. The mandate was to build an order-independent innovation pipeline. For sustainable profitable growth, answers to the many changes in the market had to be found independently of the individual customer project. In addition, the company wanted more security to bet on the right horse for innovation projects and to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The results were worked out together in a team of internal and external experts:

• The fields in which the search for innovations should make sense and be allowed were marked out. The team led the discussion on the so-called Strategic Focus Fields, the methodological basis of hpo innovation, and thus ensured a clear delineation of innovation activities.
• Innovation ideas were systematically identified and prioritised. Derived from a generic innovation process, the project team developed a company-specific variant, which was subsequently introduced in the organisation. 

The first point in particular was very challenging, as the focused search for innovations was new for the company. In the end, however, this path led safely to the goal. This is because the methodology of the strategic focus fields organises ideas, helps to weigh the respective options and to decide which innovations are to be advanced or dropped. The focus areas are based on the corporate strategy and the organisation's capabilities and take into account social, industry-specific and technological trends. In this case, the management selected three strategic focus areas.

The combination of external and internal expertise provided the project with "treading water", both in the approach and conception of the solution as well as in terms of content. Thanks to a clear focus in aligning innovation activities, the selection and prioritisation of individual innovation projects became child's play.

The effectiveness and efficiency of the use of resources increased significantly. Within a short time, a promising innovation pipeline of medium- and long-term innovations was filled. After only a few months, the first innovations could be found in customer projects. With the resource conflict solved and the pipeline filled, the competitive position was also improved in the medium term.