Product Analysis of an Innovation

Describe the problem your innovation targets. What is the scope of the problem and which stakeholders, both within the organization and without, does it impact?
The organization that I work in is Dana Incorporated. Dana is a global leader in the supply of significantly engineered drivetrain, sealing, in addition to thermal-management technologies that augment the efficacy and performance of vehicles with conventional and powertrains using alternative energy. The auto industry has had a past account of innovation and a great deal of turbulence. However, the level of innovation in the contemporary is unmatched. Brand reputation together with high product quality continues to be significant but have lost their gleam as consumer selling points. Notably, at the present moment, technology innovation and transparent cost of ownership have swiftly shifted to the top of what consumers desire and demand from a vehicle (Gnamm, Kalmbach, and Burgin, 2018).
By analyzing the internal processes and strategies of the organization the scope of the problem for the company is the need for reinvention. At the present moment, consumers are in constant search of vehicles that have been built using lighter, formidable and at the same time sustainable and eco-friendly parts. Furthermore, such products should be able to be reused. In fact, this is the inclination towards the forthcoming periods. Dana problem lacks the internal processes that create such products at the present moment. This impacts both internal and external stakeholders. Internally, the employees of the company still have to deal with the creation of heavy car parts, which can be tedious and tiresome. In addition, the employees should be involved in the decision-making process of creating more inventive products for the organization. In addition, the executives of the company will be impacted by the new innovation. Externally, the vendors or business partners and the consumers are the stakeholders largely impacted by this particular problem.
Describe your innovation and explain how it addresses the problem. How will it meet the needs of the organization and all stakeholders involved?
The innovation suggested is the creation of car parts that are considerably lighter in weight. This innovation is expected to substantially decrease the weight of the vehicle in overall, augmenting the aerodynamics of the vehicle and facilitating the enhancement in the general performance of the car. What is more, this innovation will make a significant change in that it will enhance efficiency in fuel and diminishing the amount of carbon emissions into the air. The different ways in which the company will be able to accomplish this is through the utilization of advanced multi-materials in the internal parts of the car.
This innovation will be able to meet the needs of the organization and all the stakeholders involved. To begin with, the employees will be able to delve into more innovative product designs and create significantly lighter and easy to work with car parts. An example of the creation of lighter parts can be in the manufacturing of clutches that are used in vehicles. Dana can incorporate the new product inventions and designs by having double clutch transmissions. The main advantage of this is that it will be possible to diminish the amount of carbon dioxide emissions being released by the vehicle by a significant amount. What is more, the design will comprise of a lesser number of components compared to rival products, which makes it lighter and more reliable. The executives of the company will also incur less expense within the organization. The product innovation will not only generate cost effectiveness into the supply chain but at the same time the reusability of the innovation implies that there will be the ability to save up on costs. Secondly, the vendors and the consumers will also be impacted. To begin with, the vendors that purchase car parts from Dana for assembling vehicles will experience a greater demand because of the creation of vehicles that are considerably lighter and more eco-friendly. The consumers as a whole will be impacted because they will be purchasing and driving vehicles that do not pollute the environment and are more sustainable (Cordera et al., 2018).
How does the innovation contribute to the organization’s competitive advantage?
The innovation will make a significant contribution to the competitive advantage of Dana Incorporated. To begin with, Dana will be able to create vehicle parts that emit lesser amounts of carbon and other greenhouse gases. This will hand the organization a competitive edge owing to the significant inclination towards vehicles that emit low amounts of greenhouse gases. Secondly, this innovation will give Dana a competitive advantage over its market rivals as it will facilitate the manufacturing of low vehicle fuel economy, and creation of lighter and stronger vehicles (Daziano and Chiew, 2012). The company will have a competitive advantage by the creation of innovative products as well as systems that facilitate the protection of the environment, diminish carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in addition to the promotion of the development of intuitive, connected and more autonomous driving (Rugraff, 2012).
Develop an implementation plan for effectively diffusing the innovation within the organization. Make sure the plan addresses potential resistance and obstacles, including people and processes
The implementation plan for efficaciously diffusing the innovation within the organization is through acquisition of small and cutting-edge manufacturing companies and the implementation of new practice processes. The acquisition will facilitate the integration of new innovative and cutting-edge ideas into the organization to determine more suitable ways of creating sustainable products. In addition, it is recommended that the company should alter its practices by embracing a bottom-up approach. This implies that the first-line employees responsible for the creation of these products get the opportunity to be part of the decision-making. Not only will they be able to come up with more comprehensive approaches, but this will increase employee satisfaction and employee productivity (Skarp et al., 2017).
It is imperative to note that change management within an organization is not a simple task and therefore there is bound to be resistance within people and normal processes. The first step in the organizational change process begins with building awareness. The staff of the organization needs to be aware that there is a continuing pressure to make a change or improve. Taking into consideration the prevailing status if innovation and demand for eco-friendly and lighter vehicle parts, this is a significant need for change within the organization. One important fact about the current situation is that, change is vital for the survival of the organization in the industry. This understanding is vital and sets the entire organization ready for organizational change (Ben, Dunphy and Griffiths, 2014). The two most effective strategies that will be employed to overcome individual resistance are communication and training. It is imperative to note that fear and worry are the key aspects that drive individual resistance to change. Bearing this in mind, the management will communicate with the employees to address any fears they might have. Through communication, employees are kept in the loop thus reducing the fear of the unknown and put them in a much more respective place (Ben et al., 2014).
Identify an appropriate method that could be used for measuring the impact of the innovation on the organization. Explain why you think this is a relevant measure
A suitable approach that could be used for measuring the impact of the suggested innovation on the organization is through the analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs). These are measurable values that show how efficaciously a corporation is attaining its key business goals and objectives. One of the key KPIs that the company could employ to determine the impact of the innovation is return on investment (ROI). It is expected that the innovation will have significant sales and returns and this will determine how effective the inclusion of the innovation is.
Finally, assume your innovation is adopted by the organization. Make recommendations for additional improvements within in this organization (in processes, practices, structures, etc.) that could create and sustain momentum for innovation
Assuming that this innovation is adopted by the organization, one of the key recommendations for improvement within Dana is the comprehensive investment in research and development (R&D). The advancement of technology in the auto industry is swift and comprehensive. Therefore, in order to create and sustain momentum for innovation, it is necessary to constantly do research and develop new product designs in addition to operational processes that will facilitate the creation of significantly lighter, more eco-friendly and sustainable car parts that can also be reused (Jonsson, 2015).


References
Benn, S., Dunphy, D., & Griffiths, A. (2014). Organizational change for corporate sustainability. Routledge.
Cordera, R., dell'Olio, L., Ibeas, A., & Ortúzar, J. D. D. (2018). Demand for environmentally friendly vehicles: A review and new evidence. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 1-14.
Daziano, R. A., & Chiew, E. (2012). Electric vehicles rising from the dead: data needs for forecasting consumer response toward sustainable energy sources in personal transportation. Energy Policy, 51, 876-894.
Gnamm, J., Kalmbach, R., Burgin, M. (2018). Innovation in the Automotive Industry: No More Experiments. Bain & Company. Retrieved from: https://www.bain.com/insights/innovation-in-the-automotive-industry/
Jonsson, S. (2015). Manufacturing and Service sector R&D: Significantly different. Retrieved from: http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:826184/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Rugraff, E. (2012). The new competitive advantage of automobile manufacturers. Journal of Strategy and Management, 5(4), 407-419.
Skarp, K., Varis, K., & Kettunen, J. (2017). Evaluation of Top-down and Bottom-up Leadership Development Programs in a Finnish Company. Retrieved from: https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/134869/Skarp_Evaluation-of-Top-down2017.pdf?sequence=1