Innovation. What is the first thing that comes to mind? For most people, it is probably an image of a research and development (R&D) department where cloistered employees are sworn to secrecy about the next big thing being hatched in their labs. We see some of that, to be sure. But we are also seeing innovation "from the outside in" and its impact on our products, our business models, and even our company culture. There is also a spillover effect in terms of how our customers think about their own businesses. Just recently, I had the pleasure of seeing this outside-in thinking in my own job. A hugely successful customer in the automotive space agreed to open its doors to a food and beverage client on the verge of a major technology upgrade. While their products could not be more different, the similarity in their operations became apparent very quickly. Both companies have an emphasis on speed, quality, volume, and high availability of technology supporting sequential processes. And both companies appreciated the insights into the other's operations and the innovative way automation and control technology was being used in such diverse settings.
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