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 TRANSFER AND ROADMAPPING Case-study - Developing strategic roadmaps for 'Lean Manufacturing' In common with most global companies, our sponsor, a major life sciences company, was shifting the balance of its technological capability and manufacturing capacity to Asia while downsizing its activities in Europe and America. However, it wanted to maintain some existing sites due to the need for specialised manufacturing technologies, or for close proximity to research sites or regional markets. 'Lean Manufacturing', requiring far-reaching changes of philosophy and practice, was the company's chosen approach for securing substantial productivity improvements at these sites. We brought relevant 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 lean manufacturing for sites in Europe and America. Case study - Developing Innovation Programmes for the Agri-Food sector We worked with the Food Strategy Implementation Partnership to develop innovations to exploit the combination of geography, academic expertise and industrial know-how in the Agri-Food sector in Northern Ireland. We facilitated conventional workshop discussions to develop ‘Visions for 2020’ and accompanying ‘Innovation Programmes’. We then brought together 50 senior stakeholders in a Brain-Pool Workshop to deliberate on the proposals, assess them against diverse criteria, and identify policy 'enablers'. The Workshop fostered consensus and created momentum for action. The output is reported in the Partnership’s report. Case study - Defining strategic priorities for research through stakeholder networks The Sustainable Farming and Food Research Priorities Group (RPG) was set up to identify strategic research priorities to tackle the changed requirements of UK Farming and Food. We provided six Brain-Pool Workshops - for over 200 stakeholders from 125 organisations - to brainstorm and articulate research ideas. The diverse areas covered included the impact of global and technological drivers on farming and how to satisfy consumer aspirations through sustainable delivery of food products. 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 this evidence enabled the Group, and Defra, to shift priorities significantly. Strategic Roadmapping for Innovation We have successfully used Brain-Pool Workshops to support Knowledge Transfer Networks and Faraday Partnerships in commercialising research - by sharing knowledge, building networks among stakeholders, developing Roadmaps, and setting priorities for future innovation through research: GENESIS - Improving co-ordination of the use of genetic and genomic technologies by the livestock industries. Our Brain-Pool Workshop initiated a Roadmap and kick-started collaboration. Further information is available from our Workshop Guide, Verbatim Workshop Report and Synthesis Report. INSIGHT - Applying High-Throughput Technology to new products and processes. Our Brain-Pool Workshop for 50 stakeholders was critical in delivering the published Technology Roadmap. IMPACT - Applying Colloid Technology - which underpins much of our chemical industry. Our Brain-Pool Workshop, within a wider programme, brought 60 participants from industry and academia together to focus on key drivers, leading to the published 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 - 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.