New Game-Plan - Case Studies

	New Game-Plan: Case Studies
Services About Us		Here we provide links to case studies which illustrate our capabilities from recent assignments. Most of our assignments cut across one or more of our capabilities in Innovation, Knowledge Transfer, Networking, Roadmapping, Stakeholder Engagement, and so on. Many of the examples cited below are supported by published reports or our own case studies. The list is not exhaustive. A full list of case studies and other downloadable materials, together with links to relevant web sites, can be found on the downloads page. Similarly, a full list of recent assignments is provided on the clients page. INNOVATION, KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE AND ROADMAPPING Case study - Developing a Roadmap for the UK Pharmacy Sector We supported the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) in developing an industry-led collaborative Roadmap for ‘Future Pharmacy’ in the UK. Our Brain-Pool Workshop brought 28 sector leaders together to co-create a strategic Roadmap. This systematically designed new services to respond to demands on the sector to play a greatly-extended role in healthcare provision. Practical implementation plans were also developed. Case study - Developing a Roadmap for the Regenerative Medicine Industry We supported the Scottish Stem Cell Network in developing an industry-led collaborative Roadmap for the Regenerative Medicine Industry in Scotland. Our Brain-Pool Workshop brought 20 senior figures together to co-create a strategic Roadmap which considers not only scientific advances but also, critically, how viable business models can be created for manufacturing, scale-up and marketing of approved products. Case study - Developing a Roadmap for Aquaculture in Europe We supported the pan-European Aquagenome Network in developing a collaborative Roadmap to strengthen European Aquaculture through the application of genetics and genomics. Our Brain-Pool Workshop brought together 29 participants from academia and the aquaculture industry, from 12 different countries, to determine how best to exploit both existing and new technologies in this area. Case-study - Developing strategic roadmaps for 'Lean Manufacturing' We supported our sponsor, a global biosciences company, in developing a Roadmap to secure productivity improvements through 'Lean Manufacturing'. We brought staff together from across the business in a Brain-Pool Workshop to share good practice and, armed with new insights into the theory and practice of Lean Manufacturing, to translate this into formal roadmaps for production sites in Europe and America. Case study - Developing Innovation Programmes for the Agri-Food sector We supported the Food Strategy Implementation Partnership in developing discrete 'Visions for 2020' and accompanying 'Innovation Programmes' for the Agri-Food sector in Northern Ireland. Through facilitated discussions, we helped the Partnership's Leadership Group develop detailed proposals. We then brought 50 senior stakeholders together in a Brain-Pool Workshop to review these and assess them against diverse criteria. The Workshop fostered a remarkable level of consensus and momentum for action. The Leadership Group's subsequent report, 'Vision Twenty:Twenty', has been commended as 'comprehensive and farsighted'. Case study - Defining strategic priorities for research through stakeholder networks We supported the Sustainable Farming and Food Research Priorities Group (RPG), sponsored by Defra, with six Brain-Pool Workshops to brainstorm and articulate strategic research priorities for UK Farming and Food. 200 stakeholders from 125 organisations participated. Areas covered included the impact of global drivers on farming, how to satisfy consumer aspirations for food products, and how to reduce the environmental footprint of farming. We collated some 800 research ideas from the Workshops and then distilled these down to 200 rounded ideas for further assessment and prioritisation by the RPG. The weight and quality of the evidence obtained enabled the Group, and Defra, to shift priorities significantly. Case-study - Developing a Toolkit for an Innovation Advisory Service We supported the Yorkshire Forward Regional Development Agency in developing an 'Innovation Toolkit' for its 'Innovation Specialists' Service'. We defined a comprehensive inventory of tools for use by the Specialists themselves, and/or to be transferred to client companies. The Toolkit specified 47 tools. These covered making the Service effective as a unit and the first phases of services with clients: surveying/targeting; initial engagement; and broad analysis and creation of the first 'innovation strategy'. The Toolkit offered tools relevant to all stages in developing an 'innovation', from concepts through to practical realisation. Strategic Roadmapping for Innovation We have been working with Knowledge Transfer Networks - and their predecessors, the Faraday Partnerships - for several years. They are all focused on commercialising research. Our Brain-Pool Workshops have enabled them to share knowledge, build stakeholder networks, co-create Roadmaps, and set priorities for future innovation through research: Digital Systems KTN: the Scalable Computing community of this KTN aims to stimulate the market adoption of grid computing to increase UK competitiveness. We brought together 25 participants to co-create a Roadmap for Grid Computing. Biosciences KTN: 'Genesis', now part of this KTN, works to improve co-ordination of genetics and genomics to improve livestock breeding and animal health. We led a Brain-Pool Workshop to co-create a Roadmap and kick-start stakeholder collaboration. See our Workshop Guide, Verbatim Workshop Report and Synthesis Report. Chemistry Innovation KTN: 'Insight', now part of this KTN, focuses on applications for High Throughput Technology (HTT) in new products and processes. Our Brain-Pool Workshop enabled representatives from academia and 50 companies to co-create a Roadmap which provides a 'big-picture' view of the economic impact of HTT and defines strategic actions to optimise exploitation. Chemistry Innovation KTN: 'IMPACT', now part of this KTN, supports the development of innovative materials and new products using colloid technology. This has applications in agrochemicals, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals and soaps. We brought 60 participants from industry and academia together to co-create the technology Roadmap for Colloid and Interface Science. Creating a single research strategy for multiple national agencies We worked with the Meat and Livestock Commission, acting on behalf of the devolved agencies for the livestock sector, to develop a single set of research priorities to meet the industry’s needs through to 2015. We provided a Brain-Pool Workshop over two days for 30 officials and stakeholders, focusing on responses to diverse drivers. The research ideas were identified, developed, distilled and assessed during the Workshop. Our Synthesis report identified clear priorities for research and for knowledge-transfer. Innovation in the Consumer Products sector We provided two Brain-Pool Workshops for a global Consumer products company, focusing on how new technologies could be applied to household products. The Workshops explored a range of consumer environments (e.g. kitchen vs. garage) and requirements (e.g. convenience vs. perfection). We looked beyond expressed needs to discover underlying latent needs. Successive rounds of brainstorming, deliberation and assessment led to fully-articulated product concepts. The Workshops demonstrated how our deliberative approach is just as effective in delivering tangible answers as it is in investigating values and views. NETWORKING AND STRATEGIC CHANGE Case study - Structured Networks and Training to build Networking Capability We have helped several companies develop national and global networks, through a mix of consultancy and training. The functions covered have included R&D, Manufacturing and IT. A key challenge has been helping different functional groups to work more effectively together. Our Networking case study focuses on building networking capability and structured networks for a global biosciences company. Networks to develop collaborative marketing strategies We have also designed Networks and provided a series of workshops for a major IT company to develop new and innovative marketing strategies, engaging a wide range of stakeholders and collaborating businesses. Strategic Change for a Research Institute Through linked Brain-Pool workshops we worked with the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology to define and establish new organisational structures and processes for managing portfolios, resources, and finance. ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS Case-study - Developing good practices for collaborative working Working with The Consultant Connection Ltd, we enabled the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Trade Association Forum to articulate and validate some 20 'Good practices', and 20 'Practical actions', for better collaborative working on policy. We ran web questionnaire surveys for Trade Associations and officials, distilled draft Good practices from the results, and developed, validated and prioritied these through two interactive Workshops. Our reports are relevant to any area where public officials and stakeholder groups need to work together. The Good practices cover six areas critical to effective collaboration: leadership, understanding, networking, engagement, consultation and joint projects. Case study - Engaging stakeholders on strategic priorities We analysed and reported nine regional Workshops, delivered by our partners, Crystal Interactive, for the Big Lottery Fund. Our 'Synthesise to Act' service created a single Verbatim Report of 77 pages and then a distilled Synthesis Report of 18 pages. This faithfully reported the key messages provided by the Fund's 900 consultees. The sponsors commented: 'Thanks to the excellent level of stakeholder engagement and the speed and quality of reporting, we believe that the consultation programme achieved our objectives in accurately identifying emerging needs' (see the video via the link on page 8 of Connect5). We also supported a subsequent Big Lottery Fund internal Workshop to make decisions on the distilled findings and plan actions. Case study - Engaging the public in policy debates We delivered two Workshops for Defra to engage people from diverse groups - across three generations - in the debate around Sustainable Farming and Food. We presented the participants with a series of dilemmas - to reveal the underlying reasoning which determines choices. Our resulting Synthesis report provided a valuable steer for policy-makers. The participants responded enthusiastically to our rigorous process, contrasting it strongly with unstructured events which just ‘capture views’. They also embraced the special technology, and many of them urged wider use of this approach to engage the public on policy issues. Case study - Deliberative consultation in real time Working with The Consultant Connection Ltd, we enabled UK Trade & Investment to consult over 50 trade associations on proposals for strategic change in its ways of working, and to consider the implications. In a half-day Brain-Pool Workshop we captured instant feedback; developed collaborative solutions to some of the new challenges; and identified areas of current good practice. Our Synthesis report distilled the results of this ‘instant’ consultation into a collaborative agenda for action for the UKTI and Trade Associations alike. LEARNING LESSONS AND MASTERING RISK Case study - 'Lessons Learned' from product development projects We used a Brain-Pool Workshop to help a global biosciences company to articulate and tackle diverse problems which had affected several projects spread across several continents. The output was a set of 'Good Practices' to tackle carefully-defined problems, together with Action Plans to implement the 'Lessons Learned'. This work led directly to our support for a major programme of work for Mastering Risk.