Creative Tools and Processes to Remain Competitive in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

Remaining competitive in the twenty-first century in the world market is more and more difficult. Trying to keep a place in the market on cost and quality alone is not a valid strategy any more: others can do the same product just as well and at a competitive cost. Could teams and larger groups in organizations be more creative using them? This paper describes an experiment done with 300 university and engineering students from around the world during an event named “The 24 hours of innovation” held in 2011. Student teams had to find creative solutions to problems submitted by manufacturing companies in consecutive 24 hours. Results obtains show that many teams using appropriate creativity processes and techniques have well performed in that competition, helping them to create solutions to industrial problems submitted. Those findings could be applied to real organizations facing similar challenge to innovate.