tu.CONSULT: Innovation, Digitalization, Technology
Artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing, among other technologies, are innovations that can disrupt industries. As part of TU Dortmund University, we offer insights into current tech trends as well as the regional and national start-up landscape. We help you develop the right strategies in response to disruptive innovation to properly position your business for the future.
Based on the latest research findings, we identify innovations and technologies of the future that (will) have a significant impact on your company and derive action strategies. Digital business models are having an ever-increasing impact on value chains and are causing cross-industry barriers to disappear. Our cross-industry and cross-technology experience allows us to look beyond borders and the status quo. In doing so, we identify and select the right partners from science and industry for your company. The goal is to develop not only incremental, but also disruptive action strategies for your company.
Innovation strategies for the Mittelstand
Implementation-oriented innovation strategies are indispensable in order to hold one's own in an ever faster changing market. We help medium-sized companies to expand and accelerate their innovation activities. Together, we develop future-oriented action strategies and provide new food for thought and impetus.
Digital business models and processes
Digitization is accelerating in all industries. We help your company to digitize existing processes step by step and to develop digital business models. We show you practical examples from other industries and help you to become a best practice example for other companies.
New technologies for the Mittelstand
The further development and implementation of new technologies can be a major hurdle. We help your medium-sized company to identify, test and introduce new technologies to the market. In addition, we provide access to laboratories and testing facilities at TU Dortmund University.
Innovation strategies for the Mittelstand
The basis of a successful innovation process is the precise analysis of the initial situation:
- Where is your company in the context of its industry environment?
- What has characterized the previous innovation strategy?
- What are the future challenges for your company?
These and many other questions are addressed in the analysis phase, and answers are found on this basis in the subsequent steps.
Medium-sized companies often find it difficult to imagine a future reality without being guided by the past. We support with a co-creative approach to develop future images for innovation strategies together with your company and to show new ways and potentials.
Aus der Analyse des Status Quo und der Entwicklung des Zukunftsbildes wird eine konkrete Innovationsvision und -nordstern aufgestellt. Anhand dieser Vision und einem festen Nordstern leiten wir eine für Ihr Unternehmen passende Innovationsstrategie ab und richten die Innovations-Roadmap danach aus.
The roadmap makes it possible to define milestones for the innovation strategy, to reflect on the steps already taken at certain points and to continuously adapt the strategy according to the vision. We accompany the roadmap with suitable methods and formats. Through workshops and the implementation of important tools, we ensure that your company stays on the right track.
Digital business models and processes
Before any new digital business models or processes are introduced, the current level of digitization is scrutinized.
- Which processes have already been digitized in the past?
- Which dimensions of digital maturity have been defined?
- Which stages of digital maturity have already been passed through?
Based on the current level of digital maturity, a digitization roadmap is developed. This determines which areas need to be digitally expanded or whether new digital business models need to be established. The dimensions are: customer experience, operational processes (process digitization, employee empowerment & performance management) and business models (digitally enhanced/new business models, digital globalization).
Together with your company, we define strategies for making existing processes, products and services more digital. We provide food for thought and concrete practical examples from other companies and industries and use these to derive a company-specific digitization strategy for you.
The identification of new digital business models forms a central building block for your company. Many of today's existing business models will become less and less important. We analyze the areas in your company where digital potential exists and where there are opportunities to build new business models.
There are various alternatives for integrating digital business models into your existing corporate structures. We support you in examining decision options and applying the most feasible one for your company.
New Technologien for the Mittelstand
Before new technologies are developed, an analysis of existing technological solutions must be carried out. In most cases, the analyses are carried out by the institutes of the TU Dortmund University. Based on the results, we identify problems and derive potential fields. Existing technologies can be significantly improved through the right analysis and the action strategy derived from it.
Technology scouting is an important part of identifying new technological solutions. We provide a global market overview in cooperation with experts from the field of patents and intellectual property rights. In addition, we support you with many years of experience in trend and start-up scouting.
If required, we support your teams in prototype construction together with institutes or with the MakerSpace and DataSpace of the TU Dortmund.
When building MVPs ("Minimum Viable Product"), we apply the Lean Start-up method. At the core of the Lean Start-up method is a continuous feedback loop in which ideas are materialized (building), feedback and data are collected (measuring) and evaluated (learning). The goal of the approach is not to develop a final marketable product, but to learn through incremental and iterative development.
With the MVP, customer needs are developed and feedback is gathered with minimal effort. Based on the customer feedback, the final MVP is further developed into a finished product, process or service, which then has to be integrated into your existing business processes.
