There are quite few books about innovations and collaborative networks – but this one stands out for its refreshing approach and is currently on our desk: the second book by Catharina van Delden and David Chia. Both of them hold managerial roles at innosabi and have turned the former start-up into an established company.
innosabi develops software for agile innovations that are known for their high speed and success in the innovation processes of large companies. These solutions can be used to incorporate the entire ecosystem into the development of new products, services, or business models – from customers and employees to suppliers and partners. innosabi’s software solution is being used by such industry leaders as Daimler, Bayer, Postbank, Allianz, and Rehau.
That’s why it is interesting to see which agile innovations are still in store here. Van Delden and Chia had already written the book Crowdsourced Innovation in 2014. And since then, a lot has changed, and we’re excited to see how these changes are explained in the new book.
About the new book on the innovation ecosystem
„Connect the Dots“ is based on the assumption that innovation stems from connecting the dots. The book explains which dots are relevant for this purpose. Not only should ideas and technologies be connected, but the authors also call on readers to take a broader view of things. They see connections as an ecosystem – and an ecosystem consists of more than just two organisms. The book shows that the dots to be connected must consist of all bearers of relevant information.
Companies, customers, employees, suppliers, valuable data sources, and
organisations combine to create an agile and innovative ecosystem.
The book lays out perspectives, methods, and best practices.
that enable this culture of innovation.
For instance, readers learn how innovations are driven and what significance they bear in modern, future-oriented companies. What was once more the responsibility of a committed innovation team or part of product management is now at the top of the agenda for CEOs and CIOs. Nowadays, innovation is not just about creating new things but reshaping whole organisations, forming a company’s identity, and, ultimately, generating a strategic competitive advantage. It is interesting to read how these concepts have been further developed by innosabi.
Key point: expanding the ecosystem
Every day, companies are asking the question: how can we create innovations if the future is becoming increasingly unpredictable? What can companies do to integrate all their internal and external stakeholders in striving to achieve the next big thing? How can we recognise potential innovators and sources of innovation early on and harness their progress?
This book explains which long-term strategies are of key significance in a highly dynamic and fiercely competitive market. It shows that ‘innovation’ has become a central distinguishing feature to ensure lasting success, growth, and the competitive edge.
At the same time, our world is becoming increasingly connected day by day, the pace of change and technological progress are on the rise, and the quantity of available information is difficult to keep track of. That’s why, innovation is more important than ever for businesses, but can also represent a greater challenge than ever before.
A book rounded of with best practices
The book is about this transformation of organisations into innovation ecosystems through the principles of agile innovation. The authors describe perspectives, methods, and best practices to enable this change. For this purpose, the book lists examples of industry-leading companies such as Siemens, Daimler, and Allianz. Van Delden and Chia thus give an overview and guidelines for anyone, like us, venturing into the territory that is digital transformation.
We absolutely recommend this book – it is highly future-oriented and provides a great outlook. It inspires and opens up new paths and opportunities for companies.
Find out more – in our Fichtenhain Expertentalk series of vidoes (in German)
Catharina van Delden was a guest on the ORT Media Groups`s Fichtenhain Expertentalk #17 der ORT Gruppe. Together mit Barbara Wittmann (LInkedIn Country Managerin of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) she discussed the topic of „Digital Business and Collaboration Network“.
Über die Autoren
CATHARINA VAN DELDEN is Co-Founder and CEO of innosabi. She is a prominent voice in the German IT sector. As a member of bitkom’s steering committee, she promotes the interests of the German start-up and entrepreneur community.
DAVID CHIA is the Director Strategy and Innovation at innosabi and thus bears responsibility as a thought leader in the area of innovation and digital transformation.
Curious to know more? The book is available here:
