Product Champions Research Articles

Five-grass pollen immunotherapy tablet: an update on the latest findings from clinical trials: an interview with Olivier de Beaumont.

Interview by Jonathan Wilkinson (Managing Commissioning Editor, Future Science Group). Olivier de Beaumont became Doctor of Medicine at the University of Paris Descartes in 1993. In the same year, he also took a Master of Health Economics degree at Paris Dauphine University. He is also a Master of Business Administration, ESCP Paris, 1999. At Stallergenes, he has been serving as Vice President/Head of Corporate Clinical Development since 2005, responsible for the clinical development plan, clinical operations, biometry and pharmacovigilance. In 2011, he took the responsibility of Senior Vice President Global Medical Affairs responsible for medical information and education, medical communication and nonregistration clinical studies. In 2014 he became Senior Vice President Global Scientific and Medical Affairs. From 2002 to 2005 he led the European business development of the world's leading clinical research organization Quintiles, developing Phase I-IV clinical trial programs for pharmaceutical companies. Previous roles included: Chief Scientific Officer and cofounder of Direct Medica (2000-2002), product champion and lifecycle management at Aventis (1998-2000), medical affairs manager in oncology and respiratory diseases at corporate Rhone-Poulenc Rorer (1993-1998).

Employees' involvement in developing service product innovations in Islamic banks

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how two Islamic banks have involved employees in developing service product innovations. Design/methodology/approach – The case studies describe the roles of employees during specific stages of development process of service product innovations. The data were collected through face-to-face oral interviews with senior product development managers and marketing managers. Findings – The results suggest that employees' involvement is encouraged in the selected banks through the presence of a product champion, involvement of front-line employees, support from the management, multifunctional team structure and employee external contacts. A Sharia board was at the heart of the development process of service product innovations in Islamic banks. It was also revealed that employees are more involved in developing service product innovation for retail customers in comparison to the corporate customers. Originality/value – Given the focus of current literature on con...

Industrial policy and the development of the automotive industry in Thailand♦

It has been argued that restrictions on industrial policy implemented under World Trade Organization rules in the 2000s have greatly reduced the ‘policy space’ in which developing countries can promote industrialisation. This paper examines the case of Thailand's policies in developing one of the most successful automotive industries in the Southeast Asian region. We show that Thailand's use of local content requirements, later abolished under WTO rules, helped promote local suppliers and did not deter foreign investors. Substantial tariff protection of vehicles and components production did not deter exports, and has continued to the present, even under liberalisation policies. Supplementing tariff protection by various fiscal means to promote product champions in the automotive industry, Thailand has succeeded in retaining substantial policy freedom.

The challenges of becoming a “Surgeon Inventor” and a “Product Champion”

In the UK we have many surgeon inventors – surgeons who innovate and create new ways of doing things, who invent operations, who design new instruments to facilitate surgery or design new implants for using in patients. However truly successful surgeon inventors are a rare breed and they need to develop additional knowledge and skills during their career in order to push forward their devices and innovations. This article reviews my own experiences as a surgeon inventor and the highs and lows over the whole of my surgical career.

A meta-analysis of relationships between organizational characteristics and IT innovation adoption in organizations

Adoption of IT in organizations is influenced by a wide range of factors in technology, organization, environment, and individuals. Researchers have identified several factors that either facilitate or hinder innovation adoption. Studies have produced inconsistent and contradictory outcomes. We performed a meta-analysis of ten organizational factors to determine their relative impact and strength. We aggregated their findings to determine the magnitude and direction of the relationship between organizational factors and IT innovation adoption. We found organizational readiness to be the most significant attribute and also found a moderately significant relationship between IT adoption and IS department size. Our study found weak significance of IS infrastructure, top management support, IT expertise, resources, and organizational size on IT adoption of technology while formalization, centralization, and product champion were found to be insignificant attributes. We also examined stage of innovation, type of innovation, type of organization, and size of organization as moderator conditions affecting the relationship between the organizational variables and IT adoption.

Understanding Competencies in Platform‐Based Product Development: Antecedents and Outcomes

While previous studies have shed light on the benefits and antecedents of platform‐based product development, there is still much to be learned on the subject, particularly through an empirical approach. Based on the literature, this study proposes the concept of product platform competency and identifies four antecedents related to the development process, knowledge sharing, and the organization of development. The study hypothesizes that such competency directly affects the performance of platform‐based product development. To test these hypotheses, a large‐scale survey was conducted in theUnitedStates with 242 firms. The study found empirical evidence to support the existence of the concept of product platform competency, which comprises the reusability of subsystems, the compatibility of subsystem interfaces, and the extensibility of platform‐based products. The results show that a formalized development process, knowledge sharing across platform‐based products, continuity of platform‐based product development teams, and the existence of a champion in platform‐based product development will significantly enhance product platform competency. More interestingly, the results show that factors which have a significant effect on platform development cost are statistically different from those that have a significant effect on platform development time. For example, while formalized product development process and continuity of development team play a very significant role in shortening development time, they are less crucial in reducing development costs. In contrast, the presence of a product champion is a significant factor in achieving cost efficiency, but it has relatively lower impact on development time. Knowledge sharing was found to affect both development time and cost. In sum, this study makes three main contributions to the existing literature. The first contribution is the empirical‐tested concept of product platform competence based on key elements suggested byRobertson andUlrich. The second contribution is the development of constructs specifically for platform development based on previous studies. Relating to this is the third contribution: the development and validation of measurement items related to key drivers to platform development, the three aspects of platform development competence, and the performance measurements. These measurement items can be used by practitioners as guidelines to identify areas for improvement as well as the level of capability in platform development.

Intraosseous Vascular Access for In-Hospital Emergency Use

Intraosseous (IO) vascular access is a viable primary alternative in patients requiring emergent vascular access in the hospital emergency department (ED) (eg, resuscitation, shock/septic shock) but is underutilized. This review has 3 objectives: (1) review the evidence supporting the use of IO access; (2) determine the utilization of IO access as described in the literature; and (3) assess the level of specialty society support. Electronic and hand searches were undertaken to identify relevant articles. English-language-only articles were identified. The Cochrane Review methodology along with data forms were used to collect and review data. The evidence evaluation process of the international consensus on emergency cardiovascular care was used to assess the evidence. Studies were combined where meta-analyses could be performed. In levels 2 to 5 studies, IO access performed better versus alternative access methods on the end points of time to access and successful access. Complications appeared to be comparable to other venous access methods. Randomized controlled trials are lacking. Newer IO access technologies appear to do a better job of gaining successful access more quickly. Intraosseous access is underutilized in the ED because of lack of awareness, lack of guidelines/indications, proper training, and a lack of proper equipment. Recommendations/guidelines from physician specialty societies involved in the ED setting are also lacking. Underutilization exists despite recommendations for IO access use from a number of important medical associations peripherally involved in the ED such as the American Academy of Pediatrics. To encourage the IO approach, IO product champions (as both supporter and user) in the ED are needed for prioritizing and assigning IO access use when warranted. In addition, specialty societies directly involved in emergent hospital care should develop clinical guidelines for IO use.

Crossing the Technology Chasm: Permanent Downhole Monitoring

Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment of a multipart series examining key upstream technology uptake challenges in the oil and gas industry, and the reasons for the lack of accelerated acceptance of viable technologies needed to exploit increasingly challenging drilling and production environments. Similar to the managed pressure drilling (MPD) article published in the February JPT and the seismic while drilling (SWD) article in March, a permanent downhole monitoring (PDM) survey was conducted among SPE readership around the world. In total, about 1,500 SPE members responded to the survey. The majority of the respondents were operators (64%) and technology providers (13%). Unlike the previous two technologies analyzed, PDM generally has a higher level of acceptance among operators because it has been on the market for a longer time, and because significant reliability and performance improvements have occurred over the past several years. A key question in the survey was: “What are the main value propositions you see for permanent downhole monitoring?” As shown in Fig. 1, the most important value propositions were: 1) optimizing production through continuous information, 2) avoiding the necessity to shut in the well to obtain pressure ratings, and 3) emerging distributed temperature capabilities that add further value in understanding and optimizing production. There was general agreement among both operators and technology providers on the importance of these benefits. The relevance of these value propositions was stated by Shahab Mohaghegh, president of Intelligent Solutions: “The thought of being able to know what is going on in the well and in the reservoir in real time is very exciting. You imagine sitting in your office thousands of miles away from the field and being able to decide what needs to be done and then being able to see the consequences of your decision in near real time.” A similar view was expressed by Garrett Skaggs, monitoring product champion at Schlumberger. “The value of permanent downhole monitoring systems stems from the ability to provide continuous, reliable well and reservoir performance information without the need for intervention,” he said. “These measurements enable operators to manage decisions regarding hydrocarbon assets including production optimization, problem identification and diagnosis, updating reservoir models, and field development planning.” The growing importance of fiber optic technology and distributed temperature sensing was also raised by a number of operators. Significant improvements in these systems over the past few years have led to an increased acceptance of this downhole technology. In the view of Glynn McColpin, director of reservoir monitoring at Pinnacle (a Halliburton service): “I think we are actually seeing the next wave with fiber optic sensing. Electronics can only get you to a certain temperature, then you start worrying about longevity and failures. You start looking at the fiber optic solutions coming out—we can go into steam wells up to 350°C with just glass and the glass itself is a sensor.”

Product Champions as Facilitators of Innovation

Product champions often play a major role in facilitating entrepreneurial behavior and innovation within organizations. Without the influence and efforts of these entrepreneurial champions, many organizational initiatives would not be successful. Examples of organizational initiatives often influenced by champions include: new product development, new internal ventures, implementing a new information technology (IT) system, strategy creation & implementation, etc. Prior research, however, finds that up to 70% of change/innovation initiatives fail (Higgs & Rowland, 2005). Howell and Higgins (1990) describe the role and importance of product champions this way:There is no shortage of creative ideas…However, for innovation to occur someone must take the creative idea, guide it through the trying period when resistance hits a peak, and persevere until it becomes an innovation. In short, every idea needs a champion.The objective of this paper is to understand more thoroughly the role of product champions in organizations and to identify what we know about several major areas considered important to product champion behavior.

Capturing Software Requirements of Business Processes in Multinational Firms: A Conceptual Framework for Practitioners

While capturing software requirements of business process, multinational firms are confronted with the fact that their business operations are scattered over a number of national markets. This paper suggests the approach of central-local-central loop to tackle the contextual complexity. First, Business process information is elicited, analysed and elaborated at the central headquarters. Second, requirements engineers must validate the centrally documented requirements at the local national markets where the application will ultimately be deployed. Empirical experience shows that observation, apprenticing and online-interview are effective field elicitation methodologies if they are applied in a combined and balanced manner. Third, the adapted, changed and added information shall be satisfactorily verified centrally and agreed upon by local and central product champions and decision makers.

Crossing the Technology Chasm: Seismic While Drilling

Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a multipart series examining key upstream technology challenges facing the oil and gas industry and the reasons for the lack of accelerated acceptance of technologies needed to exploit increasingly challenging drilling and production environments. Like managed pressure drilling (MPD) covered in the first installment in this series (see February JPT), seismic while drilling (SWD) is an emerging drilling evaluation technology that many believe provide considerable value to the industry. While not on the market as long as MPD, SWD services are currently offered by several technology providers. As part of this joint analysis of new technology acceptance by Decision Strategies and JPT, an e-mail survey was conducted among approximately 250 SPE members located around the world. The vast majority of these respondents were operators and technology providers, with a good representation of drilling contractors, consultants, and academics also included. SWD Value Proposition Analysis Similar to the MPD market analysis, the survey started with the following question: “What are the main value propositions you see for seismic while drilling services?” As shown in Fig. 1, three value propositions were named with equal frequency: SWD utilizes geosteering capabilities to optimally place the wellbore The service allows the operator to correlate SWD data with other seismic The technology provides real-time look-ahead of the bit imaging. There were no significant differences found between technology providers and operators as to the importance of the three value propositions. As stated by one respondent: “(SWD) will hugely increase the probability of cap rock as we can check the profile periodically and make changes with the help of directional drilling and other relative measures.” These value propositions were further addressed in an interview with Nils Edwards, product manager for Baker Hughes Seismic While Drilling Services. “Over 95% of all wells drilled are based on surface seismic, which has quite large uncertainties, especially in the high-risk subsalt markets,” he said. “By providing check shot and reflective information in real time, the operator can update their surface seismic even while drilling to lessen these uncertainties as the well is approaching the targeted zone. Adjustments can be made to hit the target in the optimal position.” Other service companies interviewed also explained the significant potential value of SWD. “The emergence of deepwater drilling is adding more complexity in unknown fields,” said Jean-Marie Degrange, acoustic product champion of Schlumberger Drilling & Measurements. “Indeed, deepwater wells are also much more expensive while facing increasingly complex challenges. Our seismic while drilling technology provides bore-hole seismic data while the well is being drilled, which enables accurate time-to-depth conversion of surface seismic data without uncertainty on formation velocity down to the drill bit location. Measurements acquired using this technology offer a unique look-ahead capability without disrupting operations, which provides indications of the structures of reflecting horizons ahead of the bit to support drilling and well construction decisions.”

Cycle Time Reduction in Defense Acquisition

OVERVIEW:Embodied in the current concept of schedule as an independent variable, cycle time reduction is a subject of significant interest to the U.S. Department of Defense. In this review, research based on commercial product development is applied to defense acquisition and a model summarizing critical factors is presented. The model includes preconditions for cycle time reduction such as pervasive support, technological maturity, potential for non-developmental components, and customization of the acquisition process. Furthermore, the model identifies factors influencing cycle time such as setting requirements through dialogue, concurrent engineering, team composition, design for manufacturability and maintainability, prime contractor/supplier integration, user integration, design flexibility, continuity of expertise, incentives, and leadership by a product champion.

Design in the SERVICE INDUSTRIES

AN ESSENTIAL BUT often neglected element of successful service design is a carefully crafted specification. William Hollins highlights the importance of market research and product champions in this critical, up-front effort and identifies specific features that should be included in such a specification.

Innovation as response to emissions legislation: revisiting the automotive catalytic converter at Johnson Matthey

Can environmental legislation spur innovative response? This case describes the development of the automotive catalytic converter (ACC) at Johnson Matthey (JM), a precious metals company that entered the automotive industry as a component provider. The market was unfamiliar to JM and highly competitive, but in the 1970s the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced standards for emissions control by automotive companies well ahead of current practice. JM responded to the prospect of market demand for a technology that could meet the regulations. The EPA policy of technology ‘forcing’ stimulated collaboration for innovation among companies from a variety of industries. Our case evidence shows that the key innovator, JM, achieved its breakthrough as a result of proactive R&D management by the product champion together with sustained corporate support at a high level and partnership strategies.

Relationships among functional units and new product performance: The moderating effect of technological turbulence

Abstract Though there has been plenty of research into new product success factors, only a few studies have tried to analyse whether these factors are important in different settings. In this study, we propose and test a model that links physical proximity among functional units, presence of product champions, cross-functional harmony, and new product program performance. The moderating effects of perceived technological turbulence on relationships between new product performance and its antecedents are also tested. Our results, obtained from 151 managers working for Spanish firms with a R&D department, confirm the different impact of these factors on the three measures of performance considered and also on two groups of organizations, the ones that perceive high technological turbulence and the ones that perceive low technological turbulence.

The marketing of tourism services using the internet: A resource-based view

Taking a resource-based view of the business, this study attempts to identify the non-technology resources driving the successful use of the Internet for marketing tourism services. If these complementary resources can be identified, they can be used to leverage the use of the Internet for marketing, which in turn will contribute to a sustainable competitive advantage for small tourism businesses.Hypotheses are developed and then tested by making use of a large-scale empirical study. The results indicate that a network of effective alliances, the existence of a product champion in the business, and appreciation by the owner-manager of the broader business implications surrounding the implementation of the Internet for marketing, are important to the successful use of the Internet for the marketing of tourism services.The study makes a contribution to the literature by identifying and measuring the drivers of Internet marketing success, as well as by establishing how resource-based theory provides a valuable approach to consideration of how these factors can be managed.

Product, Delivery & Service Differentiation: Case Study on Einfochips

eInfochips is an IP driven Product Development Services Company, based at Ahmedabad and engaged in global IT business activities. The company provides ASIC design and verification services, embedded systems solutions and IP cores. In year 1994, Pratul Shroff founded the company with one design engineer in his residential premises. Pratul Shroff, worked for Intel as a designer & as co-founder in Daisy Systems for 9 years. The company received financial support of $ 400,000 from Gujarat Venture Capital Finance. It grew into 300 plus employees in India & strong global team of 730 professionals with approximately annual revenue of $6.4 million by end of its first decade. The management vision is to make Einfochips, innovative technology company that transforms society by creating leaders and generating stakeholder value. Einfochips attains its vision by differentiating product, delivery & service to the clients. The company’s division includes chip design unit, which has expertise ranged from specification to silicon, encompassing ASIC/SOC design and verification, physical layout and implementation, firmware development, DSP hardware and algorithms and board design. The electronic engineering unit provides complete prototype electronic product. One area where eInfochips has differentiated their is the verification space. As the complexity of chips increases, so does the challenge of verification, which can easily consume 50% of the total design cycle time. The company provides training to its employees in high-level verification languages such as Specman and Vera. eInfochips is a third-party network member and is one of only two TI Certified Software Integrators. The other differentiation is in delivery of the product, by using ‘Unique Amplified Offshoring’ delivery model, which increases the effectiveness of services, that offers combinational advantage of both offshore, on-site modes. eInfochips has two design centers in India & three sales offices in the U.S. where company maintains 30 to 40 engineers in U.S., who serve as the link between the customer and the design team. EInfochips considers these product champions essential to its business, as these engineers bridge the myriad gaps - communication, cultural, temporal and geographic - between the U.S.-based customer and the India-based design team. Major differentiation is in service to the clients & the ability to address the entire spectrum of solutions. To ensure & meet ever-changing demands of technology industry, eInfochips provides special kind of technical & management training known as 'Chipmates' and compulsory year long 'Life Skills' training on teamwork, time management, communication, dealing with cultural gaps and attitude. The case study focuses on innovation brought by eInfochips in offshore business by differentiating product, delivery and service to the clients. The case study is finalist in 2009 Aditya Birla Case Study Initiative, London Business School and full case is available with ecch.

RAPID COMMERCIALIZATION OF ACQUIRED INNOVATIONS — A COLLABORATIVE MODEL BASED ON CASE STUDIES IN CHINESE COMPANIES

Many Chinese companies rely on externally acquired innovations rather than developing their own. The best way to rapidly commercialize externally acquired innovations in a Chinese company, however, is still a rather new research topic. This paper reports research towards development of an integrated model for commercialization of acquired innovations. Development of the preliminary model was based upon a review of the literature. The preliminary model covers four main factors, namely, technological collaboration, organizational collaboration, customer collaboration and resource collaboration. Managers from four entrepreneurial Chinese companies evaluated the model. Each of the four case companies had acquired innovations from external sources. Our empirical results indicate that the factors of partner matches/relationships, product champions, pioneer users and financial alliances tend to be more important than other factors. The managers also added two more factors, namely, government regulations and university support. This paper provides initial empirical evidence that demonstrates the multifaceted determinants of rapid commercialization of acquired innovations in the context of Chinese manufacturing. Our findings suggest that the innovative firms operating in China integrate technological collaboration, government policies and university research activities in order to facilitate commercialization of their acquired innovations. In summary, collaborations both inside and outside of companies are critical for successful commercialization.

EQUIP: Implementing chronic care principles and applying formative evaluation methods to improve care for schizophrenia: QUERI Series

BackgroundThis paper presents a case study that demonstrates the evolution of a project entitled "Enhancing QUality-of-care In Psychosis" (EQUIP) that began approximately when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI), and implementation science were emerging. EQUIP developed methods and tools to implement chronic illness care principles in the treatment of schizophrenia, and evaluated this implementation using a small-scale controlled trial. The next iteration of the project, EQUIP-2, was further informed by implementation science and the use of QUERI tools.MethodsThis paper reports the background, development, results and implications of EQUIP, and also describes ongoing work in the second phase of the project (EQUIP-2). The EQUIP intervention uses implementation strategies and tools to increase the adoption and implementation of chronic illness care principles. In EQUIP-2, these strategies and tools are conceptually grounded in a stages-of-change model, and include clinical and delivery system interventions and adoption/implementation tools. Formative evaluation occurs in conjunction with the intervention, and includes developmental, progress-focused, implementation-focused, and interpretive evaluation.ResultsEvaluation of EQUIP provided an understanding of quality gaps and how to address related problems in schizophrenia. EQUIP showed that solutions to quality problems in schizophrenia differ by treatment domain and are exacerbated by a lack of awareness of evidence-based practices. EQUIP also showed that improving care requires creating resources for physicians to help them easily implement practice changes, plus intensive education as well as product champions who help physicians use these resources. Organizational changes, such as the addition of care managers and informatics systems, were shown to help physicians with identifying problems, making referrals, and monitoring follow-up. In EQUIP-2, which is currently in progress, these initial findings were used to develop a more comprehensive approach to implementing and evaluating the chronic illness care model.DiscussionIn QUERI, small-scale projects contribute to the development and enhancement of hands-on, action-oriented service-directed projects that are grounded in current implementation science. This project supports the concept that QUERI tools can be useful in implementing complex care models oriented toward evidence-based improvement of clinical care.

The politics of innovation: Why innovations need a godfather

Innovation is closely linked to the development of technology. Hence it is often assumed that when an innovation fails it is the technology that is at fault. While this may be true in many instances, there are occasions when it is not the technology that is at fault, rather, it is managerial and organisational aspects that cause problems and lead to failure. Studies have shown that individuals who take on specific roles can play an important part in avoiding these problems. These roles include the technological gatekeeper, the product champion and the sponsor/coach. In addition to these roles, this paper argues that there is another, namely that of godfather. With this role a highly respected, senior figure within an organisation provides support that is critical in ensuring the project overcomes the hurdles that lie in the path of any major new development. The nature of the godfather role is explored through three case studies. These provide examples of the role and show how it can facilitate the innovation process.