New Scale Robotics CEO David Henderson recently joined Carl Vause, past CEO of Soft Robotics, and Jim Beretta on the Robot Industry Podcast. They explore, from their own experiences and industry examples, how companies can use innovation as a strategic differentiator in all areas of product development, manufacturing and quality.
David and Carl have strong track records as innovators in high-tech manufacturing. They discuss:
- The distinction between ideas and innovation.
- Characteristics of innovative companies using examples including 3M and Universal Robots.
- Does innovation start “at the top” – or is that where it dies?
- How do successful companies give employees permission to run with innovation?
- The challenge to obsolete your product line before your competitor does.
- Balancing innovation with risk, and the idea of getting to success by “failing faster.”
- Overcoming “not invented here.”
- Embracing failure as part of the process and overcoming the tendency to assign blame.
- How to measure success and “return on harvesting innovation (ROHI).”
- How to let go of an idea when it’s time to let it go.
