How to create Innovation by Brainsteering and lead to the journey of One Million Acts of Innovation

How to create Innovation by Brainsteering and lead to the journey of One Million Acts of Innovation

In Kevin Coyne's new book titled Brainsteering: A Better Approach To Breakthrough Ideas he explains the process of generating new ideas.

Kevin Coyne respond to that question by providing in this volume an abundance of valuable information, insights, caveats, and recommendations that quickly identify the "what" and then focus intensively on the "why" and "how" of what they characterize as "a better approach to breakthrough ideas." Heaven knows there are dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of books already in print that make the same claim. My own opinion is that the Coynes' approach is comprehensive, cohesive, and cost-effective...and one of the best I have as yet encountered.

Change the way you think about new ideas by steering your creativity in new and more productive directions.

Ideas. Whether the goal is to create a billion-dollar business, fix a broken process, reduce expenses, or simply find the perfect gift for that special someone, we all need a steady stream of breakthrough ideas--and we've all learned from experience that traditional brainstorming doesn't generate them.

Former McKinsey consultants Kevin P. Coyne and Shawn T. Coyne have spent more than a decade developing a better approach--Brainsteering--that takes brainstorming and other outdated ideation techniques and "steers" them in a more productive direction by better reflecting the way human beings actually think and work in creative problem-solving situations. By introducing just the right amount of structure into the process, and asking just the right questions,
Peppered with thought-provoking and entertaining examples drawn from the workplace and popular culture, Brainsteering can help anyone develop breakthrough ideas, whether working alone on a one-time problem or turning an entire organization into an ongoing "idea factory." And getting started is easy: simply ask the right questions, and good ideas will follow.

BRAINSTEERING COMMITTEE

Brainsteering has an appendix that shares 104 questions to use when brainstorming a new business idea, including:

What's the biggest (avoidable) hassle that customers have to put up with?

Who doesn't understand how to use our product?

Who has modified our product most extensively after purchasing it?

How would our product change if it were tailored for every customer?

What complexity do we plan for every day that, if eliminated, could change the way we operate?

What would it take to bypass the least efficient part of our supply or distribution chain?

What activities might our customers prefer to do for themselves if only they could?

What entities benefit economically to the greatest extent from our presence, and what could they do to help us succeed?

This is recommended book for the creative and voracious thinker and for those who need a kick start to create innovation.

Retail Applications for Mobility and In-Store Wireless Networks

Retail Applications for Mobility and In-Store Wireless Networks

The Retail Industry has always had an intense focus on technology to accomplish the need to increase revenues and lower costs. Wireless technology has been a great enabler to connect people and devices to resources without any wirers. This has greatly improved and dramatically transformed the business process in supply chain, logistics, and inventory management, point of sale and loss prevention. With over 50% of consumers having a wireless enabled device (tablet, Netbooks, laptop, Smartphone) with them when they visit a store it's imperative that retailers consider the wireless network as an improvement in the customer experience. This will allow the consumer to use their devices for couponing, promotions, price checking and for husbands to pass time while their wife is scouring every aisle for deals. The is generation will be known as the explosion of mobile devices.

Retailers can benefit and dramatically improve their business processes in the following areas:

Mobile Point-of-Sale

The typical POS is a wired device located at the fixed cash register location. However, by using a mobile POS the store can use pop up stores within a store with its own cash desk or provide temporary cash desks during busy times. Large Box stores have a lot more room to locate temporary cash locations.

Inventory Management

Store associates can easily use wireless bar code scanners to do inventory management tasks. Store associates with handheld computer devices can check for stock and inform customers if the product is in the back or if it's at another store location. Easy access to information can boost sales as customers are informed real-time and can decide accordingly.

Customer Service

Price Verification kiosks are a blessing for harried shoppers especially when one cannot find a salesperson in the store. These devices are always bolted on some wall or pillar and by not having to use any wiring makes them easy to set up and install. Another kiosk is the self-help kiosk that has a touch screen display making it super easy to look up products or to even find out where they are locate. "Press for Help" buttons that are wireless driven can also be used and I get a kick out of the device then transmitting onto the paging system "help needed in the wire cutting aisle".

Wireless Voice Communication

Walky Talkys are being replaced by wireless telephones and inventory scanners that are voice enabled. Now price check are quick and easy making for faster checkouts and telephone callers can be transferred to sales agents out on the floor to check stock or to ask questions.

RFID and Location Tracking

RFID is gaining ground and is extremely useful in automating inventory management and in some cases manages loss prevention of big ticket items. Typically the tags are read when leaving the warehouse or returning to the warehouse and assist in tracking of goods, but RFID nametags can now track store personnel. If you sneak outside for a cigarette don't' forget to leave your tag inside the store.

Wireless Video

Video is becoming a huge tool for loss prevention personnel with the proliferation of cameras feeding back to TV screens and digital recorders. Digital signage can now be placed anywhere and simply connected to the central server. Wireless LAN speeds are fast enough to support video streaming easily.

Consumer Guest Internet Access

Retailers need to start offering internet access to its customers. How else can they connect to do price checks, simple in-store research or to obtain coupons. Location tracking has become more precise that I can be walking down the cereal aisle at the grocery store and a pop up ad for "Cheerios" could pop up on my iPod Touch or on my iPhone. I don't need to use my data plan bandwidth but can use the wifi network to its advantage. If my wife drags me out to the mall, I could sit with the retirees and enjoy a coffee while keeping busy playing on-line poker and checking out all the silly cat you tube videos. No Wifi,…No Shopping!!!

Naturally, today's networks are safe, secure and are PCI compliant and truly do lower IT costs while helping increase revenues and the customer user experience.

Reaping the Benefits of Unified Communications

The complexity of today's business environment is nothing short of remarkable. Global workforces, deeply intertwined supply chains, e-commerce, pervasive mobility and social media have radically transformed the workplace and served up enormous and growing communication challenges.

 

Today, many organizations—and their CIOs—are struggling to enable comprehensive and seamless collaboration across platforms, systems and devices. Although voice communication isn't going away, it's increasingly critical to build networks that also accommodate data and merge the two worlds in a transparent way.

Enter unified communications (UC). Although the technology has existed for years and a large number of enterprises have already put it into play, many CIOs are now exploring ways to ratchet up the capabilities to match today's digital workplace. Among other things, they're hoping to enhance collaboration tools, social media, messaging capabilities and mobile interaction across a wide range of applications and situations.

Unified Communications (UC) can help businesses succeed in many ways. It provides a technology platform to integrate, track, and manage phone, email, instant messaging, and more within a single, cohesive and user-friendly technology framework. 

Organizations can use UC to improve their customer service and outreach, track and route ongoing interactions, and make communications brilliantly simple no matter the device or location.

UC becomes a triple WIN for the employees that are reaping the benefits of this technology.

13 Awesome Things You Didn't Know Were Made in Canada

13 Awesome Things You Didn't Know Were Made in Canada

1. Did You Know Most of the World's French Fries Come from Mcain Food in New Brunswick? 

2. Did You Know The Original Maple Bat Corp at Carlton Place Makes the World's Best Baseball Bats?

3. Did You Know Saskatchewan Makes Most of the World's Lentils?

4. Did You Know Scarborough Makes Most of the World's Halls Cough Drops?

5. Did You Know The Royal Winnipeg Mint Winnipeg makes Coins for Over 60 Countries? 

6. Did You Know Maynards in Hamilton Makes the World's Swedish Fish Candy?

7. Did You Know Cervelo in Toronto Makes the World's Best Racing Bikes?

8. Did you Know Pollard Banknote Winnipeg Makes Most of the World's Scratch Cards? 

9. Did You Know the World's Best Cymbals made by Sabian come from New Brunswick?

10. Did You Know Research Casting International in Trenton Makes Tons of Dinos?

11. Did You Know Whitewater West Industries in Kelowna Makes Most of the World's Water Slides?

12. Did You Know Flying Colours Corp in Peterborough is the Custom Aircraft Capital of Canada?

13. Did you know Atlantis Submarines in B.C. Makes Tons of Submarines?

http://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/canada/13-awesome-things-you-didnt-know-were-made-canada

Genius Pack Intelligent Travel Backpack Review

Genius Pack Intelligent Travel Backpack Review

I like to be organized when I travel on business but I also like to be organized when I travel within the city and one problem that I was always trying to find some sort of solution for was a backpack. It had to be lightweight and allow me to be organized and quickly find anything I needed.

I came across across a company called Genius Pack (www.genius pack.com) and what they make is a whole range of different products for the traveller.  The product design team is very clever in what they created for being organized when traveling.

What caught my eye was the Intelligent Travel Backpack and this is for very extreme organization as it has lots of pockets and some innovative features.

One feature I found really interesting about the Intelligent Travel Backpack is there's lots of dedicated pockets. Most of the other backpacks I have don’t seem to have many pockets beyond the usual pen flap pocket.

Pockets, Pockets and more Pockets

On the outside we have great features with padded shoulder straps, outer mesh side pocket for a water bottle, and outside zippered pocket with a clip that you can put your keys on that gives you quick access.

There is another pocket in the front perfect for putting in your wallet or a Kindle e-reader in. Another front zippered pocket there is a pen pocket, one for your business cards,  a pocket for the Genius Pack Portable Mobile Charger and a pocket for your smartphone device. There is still room for some other things in there.

The Portable Mobile Charger has 12 hours of battery life and comes with 6 micro clips to fit different devices for charging.

Inside the bag in the main compartment, you have a padded laptop sleeve (with a safety strap) which can also fit my iPad in at the same time, mesh pockets for the laptop accessories and  cables and  a dedicated pocket for the micro umbrella. The micro travel umbrella from Genius Pack is a compact six-inch umbrella that slips into a dedicated pocket. It is the ideal size for a traveler that may encounter rain while they are out and about. I cannot say how often this was handy for me when it rained without having to carry a large umbrella around. There is dedicated eye glass pocket that is lined with fuzzy fabric preventing scratches. There is still ample room for books or file folders. Another device they make is a Loud Sound mini speaker that connects to your device to play back music. Yes, there is a dedicated pocket for that as well and it has a bass expander feature that provides a fuller rich sound.

The Intelligent Travel Backpack is extremely functional and is an ideal backpack for those that seem to travel with more than just a laptop and want to be organized.

Pricing is around $70 without the accessories

Dimensions: 12" x 4" x 16.5" (in.)

Road Warriors use VOIP and Internet Telephony for Cost Savings and Productivity

Road Warriors use VOIP and Internet Telephony for Cost Savings and Productivity

“Road Warriors” are those professionals who spend more time on the road than in the office, and they need a cost-effective, convenient way to stay in touch with customers and co-workers while they are traveling.

Hotels often charge for each call made and many don’t support basic telephony features like conference calling or even speakerphone. Mobile phones, are also a useful too but one can encounter dead zones and costly roaming and long distance charges. How can road warriors use readily available technology to communicate better?

Road Warriors today can leverage Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)—a process that converts voice into digital data packets and transmits it over the Internet—to cost-effectively bring the quality and functionality of their copper landline on the road. Internet telephony is a VoIP application that enables mobile professionals to use their laptop, a broadband connection, a softphone and a communications headset or other audio input device to place local and long-distance phone calls over the Internet.

Using VoIP or Internet Telephony, road warriors can simply and cost-effectively enjoy telephony service with features that significantly increase productivity on the road. Travelers can take advantage of flat fee Internet access or Wi-Fi that is offered in most hotel rooms, airports and even coffee shops—and make nearly unlimited calls from their laptop without incurring long-distance charges. Softphone and other software applications give travelers virtual desktop phone functionality, including the ability to conduct conference calls, transfer calls within the corporate PBX system, and receive calls forwarded from the corporate PBX system. Users can enjoy even greater mobility by pairing wireless headsets with Bluetooth-enabled laptops, tablets and other devices for wireless conversations.

In the past 6 months I have made more calls off my iPad than using my corporate desk telephone. My iPad has become my corporate cordless telephone and using Wi-Fi I can be in the basement or on the back deck in my home, at a hotel, at a customer site, Starbucks, a bank and even on a BC Ferry enjoying the simple convenience of the application loaded on my iPhone and iPad and laptop.

The problem with sales@stupidcompany.com in a internet world

The problem with sales@stupidcompany.com in a internet world

Retailers in this day and age still just don't get it when it comes to providing awesome customer service.

I am in search of buying something and the web site has no stock levels indicated and its outside of business hours so one hits the contact button and sends a quick email. It is a normal expectation to get an auto-sender saying that they have have acknowledged your email but its not a normal expectation to have to wait days. I have rarely gotten a response in the stated time-frame and 80% of the time I get no response.

The response is:

Thank you for your inquiry and interest in our company. 

We will process  your inquiry and will respond within two business days.

Kind regards,

The Stupid Company Team

Here is another one after 5 days waiting from another bricks and online retailer:

Hello John,

Your fastest solution will be to head in to our Toronto shop.  They have over 100 units available.  I can certainly request a transfer for you, but I have been waiting almost 20 days now for the last 3 I requested.

Thank You

Mr. Retail Sales Consultant