Encouraging User Communities to Become Innovation Drivers

In his book, Democratizing Innovation, Eric Von Hippel describes the customer-driven innovation process as one in which an open, democratized approach to innovation is gaining momentum in the marketplace. Such types of initiatives are now well documented – from Linux to Legos, we’re seeing product development being driven not by manufacturers but by users.

As Von Hippel puts it: “When I say that innovation is being democratized, I mean that users of products and services–both firms and individual consumers–are increasingly able to innovate for themselves. Users that innovate can develop exactly what they want, rather than relying on manufacturers to act as their (often very imperfect) agents. Moreover, individual users do not have to develop everything they need on their own: they can benefit from innovations developed and freely shared by others.”

In other words, it’s all about delivering what the customer wants, when he or she wants it.

By: Amy Rowell
Innovate Forum

Full Story: http://www.innovateforum.com/innovate/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=266589