Many companies with strong “Innovation DNA,” like 3M, Procter & Gamble and Apple, are well known for establishing programs for employees to work on innovation projects. Many have tried to emulate these cultures, but often fall down on implementation, frequently failing to support efforts properly and in a sustained manner. For many, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. More accurately, thinking about next generation ideas are typically abandoned for the urgency of today’s day to day issues.
Qualcomm’s Babak Forutanpour knew all about these issues, so he didn’t even try to start a formalized employee innovation program. Instead, he simply knew he had a group of employees who were energized around their ideas for products that would cleverly solve customer’s problems, so they self-organized to hold idea sessions over their lunch breaks, just to see what could happen. After having caught notice by Chief Executives and HR, today the program has spread internationally, generated over 45 patent filings, still has zero full time staff, but does have a name, “FLUX,” which stands for “Forward Looking User Experience.”
As part of the CoDev2014 Free Webinar Series, Babak will be sharing his experiences as the leader of Qualcomm’s FLUX program, and how he and others met the complex challenges of succeeding with this grass-roots effort inside a fast moving technology company. Here are the webinar details and how to register for free:
- FREE Webinar: How to Start a Scalable and Sustainable Employee-Run Open Innovation Program at a Fortune 500. Speaker: Babak Forutanpour, Internal Innovation Lead, Qualcomm. Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 1:00pm-2:00pm ET. For more information and to register, click here.
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