I came across an article recently in HBR ”Strategy Needs Creativity – An analytic framework alone won’t reinvent your business by Professor Adam Brandenburger.
The article highlighted a problem I am facing with 2 MBA students I mentor, as well as solutions I have effectively used in consulting with businesses facing a strategic crisis. The key points are the classic strategy models e.g. Porter, while useful in understanding an existing business context may not provide solutions to reshaping it.
”Game-changing strategies, they know, are born of creative thinking: a spark of intuition, a connection between different ways of thinking, a leap into the unexpected.”
Here is an example of such thinking I have applied. As an undergraduate engineer I implemented Health Usage Monitoring Systems (HUMS) on helicopters to support more effective maintenance and after-service. Using the analogies from other sectors such as HUMS in aerospace, I have supported rail companies apply this approach, as well as HVAC companies accelerate the profitability of their after-sales business.
On this specific strategy applicable to driving sustainable profit in after service sales I will write a further article on this since it unlocks efficiencies, value-added services and profits in many other sectors.
Please contact me separately if you would like a discussion on this opportunity area.
Think outside the box and outside your sector.