Why Six Sigma Fails Detroit
Kano Model
Michigan desperately needs innovation to be competitive. When Japan started using Statistical Process Control (SPC) now known as Six Sigma, it was a competitive differentiator. In other words Japanese auto makers used quality and lean process as an innovation. Detroit has been feverishly implementing Six Sigma but they are still losing ground to the Japanese and now the Koreans and soon to be China. Why?
Six Sigma is a great thing but doing it as a “me-too” only creates commoditization. Worse yet, the entire process of Six Sigma is about doing the same thing cheaper and cheaper. That leaves you in a death spiral to the lowest priced product, and little or no profits. Does that sound familiar?
Detroit, Michigan and the USA in general need innovation. Everyone knows that but almost no one is really doing it. The main reason is they don’t know how. What if innovation could be as predictable and systematic as Six Sigma? What if a company could create practical, profitable innovations on demand? Does that sound fantastic? Impossible?!? It is fantastic and it’s absolutely possible.
Out Compete Predictive Innovation Method makes innovation:
- Efficient
- Low-Risk
- Controllable
- Repeatable
- Competitive
- Reliable
- Just-In-Time
Rather than looking at innovation as a magical creative activity it uses the very well defined study of System Theory and new breakthroughs in Information Theory to create a step-by-step process for innovation. How systematic is it? How about knowing there are 7 specific elements to innovate in any product or service and there are 15 types of alternatives for each element? When you realize that, you are guaranteed 105 innovations targeted precisely to your business needs and your customer’s desires.
When you use the OutCompete Predictive Innovation Method you can create an innovation strategy that causes your profit margins to increase overtime, risks to decrease and eliminate the threat of any competition.
The OutCompete Predictive Innovation Method has been used to create entire families of products, increase the value of investments, and solve seemingly impossible problems. It’s been applied to manufacturing, software, medicine, marketing, security, business strategy, politics, and entertainment.
Action Items
You can learn more about Predictive Innovation at a FREE Taste of Innovation Event presented by Boardwalk Creative Center in Ann Arbor on May 8, 2008 from 4 pm to 7 pm. Author & Speaker Mark Frazier will be speaking about the OutCompete Predictive Innovation Method and the Evangelism Marketing techniques he created using the method. He will also be signing copies of his recent book, “Ron Paul Revolution: History in the Making” that explains how Evangelism Marketing helped the presidential candidate set world records for political fund raising.
Evangelism Marketing Workshop
The Boardwalk Creative Center in Ann Arbor, MI, “Michigan’s most creative meeting space” will host my next hands-on Evangelism Marketing Workshop. I’ll show you how to “Make your customers so happy they freely sell your products for you.” This is way beyond Word-Of-Mouth and Viral. The methods I teach will show you how to create, motivate, and track loyal fans who spread the word of your product.
As customers have more choices and control over media and products traditional interrupt based advertising is losing its effectiveness. Many companies are turning to online marketing, but going about it all wrong. They still try to force you to see their ads with pop-ups or spam or banner ads. Search-based techniques are better but depend on your customers knowing you exist and looking for you. How do you reach people with something new and better?
Evangelism Marketing is the answer. People are much more likely to buy a product recommended from a trusted friend. You might even ask certain friends for recommendations on things they have expertise. This bridges the knowledge and confidence gap. Additionally, Evangelism Marketing costs less because you aren’t fighting to get attention with offers that are thrown in the trash. The friend tell the potential customer what they want to hear, when they want to hear it in the way they want to hear it. Evangelism Marketing targets on levels not possible with any other approach and get better results because of it.
As you can imagine all the rules are different when using Evangelism Marketing. Using the OutCompete Predictive Innovation Method and 10 years of research, I’ve learned what makes a complete and effective Evangelism Marketing campaign. Get up and running fast with this action-packed one day workshop. I hope to see you there.
Find out more about Evangelism Marketing Workshop
Innovation Workshop at Washtenaw Community College
Oct 18, 6 pm Washtenaw Community College at Towsley Auditorium I and 2 other international experts on Innovation will be presenting a free workshop, courtesy of the Student Enterprise Zone Club. If you can attend I highly recommend it.
I will be joined by David M. Verduyn, President, C2C Solutions Inc. and Len Kaplan, Managing Partner of OutCompete. Both of these gentlemen have over 20 years of success helping wide range of companies from startups to Fortune 500s innovate.
Learn how to:
- Turn your idea into real-world business opportunity
- Reveal target customers real needs and how to deliver it
- Solve the “unsolvable” problems preventing your business from achieving success and growth
- Dramatically reduce costs and effort of competing and increase your profitability
- Turn your customers into an enthusiastic, efficient and inexpensive sales force.
I will be speaking on Evangelism Marketing. Len Kaplan will be talking about Turning ideas into real business success. And David Verduyn will be teaching systematic innovation methods. This is a hands-on workshop. And a DVD of the entire event will be available for a donation to the Student Enterprise Zone Club.
Download the PDF flyer How to Innovate for Business Success Flyer
