Case Study: Discovery of New Product Ideas
Publishing Company

Situation

The largest division of this publishing company was under competitive siege. The nimbleness of earlier years had been overtaken by external events. Some managers now thought the business to be lethargic and
unresponsive. Ideas for improving the business were often considered to be stale, impossible to implement and uncreative. While not called reengineering by choice, Kendall Consulting Group helped the managers start an event-driven change process.

Approach

We formed two teams both chartered with generating innovative ideas: the "seniors" with an average of 25 years with the company; the "freshmen" each with less than a year of service. We led both teams in parallel idea-generating and planning workshops, and facilitated as an executive team received the results. The executives merged the results, grouped ideas and selected the top ten ideas as major new initiatives aimed at new products, new markets, cost reduction approaches, and new management schemes.

Key Value

A shift to self-directed teams (accompanied by deployment of some new work station technology) was a top recommendation. We helped educate and facilitate the implementation of teams throughout this organization.

Results

Results were astounding! Productivity doubled; customer focus was dramatically enhanced; costs were cut by at least 30%; morale sky rocketed and innovations in products were more rapidly tested and brought to market. The executives were so pleased, that teams are now being created across the company without waiting for the conclusion of the pilot program. Other changes identified in the events are now being implemented.

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