INNOVATION

INNOVATION

Valen delivers innovation using a proven agile, sprint-based approach that provides iterative learning to improve depth of insight, decision-making, and speed-to-market.

Innovation sustains relevancy with customers through developing new solutions and offerings.

The Valen Group has been named a Top Trending Innovation Consulting Firm by Forrester Research.

What We do

Our innovation practice is focused on all aspects of innovation that includes innovation activation, strategy, organizational structure, management, and process improvements.

Valen defines innovation as doing new things that add value to your organization. This definition provides a perspective into how we think about the breadth of innovation possibilities one might choose for their organization. Because there is such a broad range of projects that cross levels of risk versus return and various functions and business activity, we define 3 types of innovation to guide portfolio management.

How We Work

WE ACTIVATE INNOVATION with a focused team and a breadth of experience. Many complexities with organizational silos create issues from idea and launch. To create successful innovation, we start by uncovering deep insight early to inspire a highly differentiated solution. We work throughout the innovation process to breakdown silos typical of a traditional approach where insight and strategy gets lost in the hand-off. Maintaining clarity from idea, to concept, to product, to market significantly increases your probability of success.


Valen uses agile methods to improve results and speed.

We can work with you to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end innovation program or at any specific stage:

Explore
Learn
Validate
Grow

Early Stage Exploration

Derive a growth platform roadmap, identify early ideas or a concept or business model direction or conduct an initial opportunity attractiveness assessment

Agile Market Learning

Rapid-learning iteration through behavioral experiences using Fusion MethodologyTM to develop concepts or business models for testing

Agile Product Testing

Validate and hone the concept for product/market fit

Scaling Up

Develop a Go-To-Market Roadmap including marketing communications, positioning, sales-growth model and a budget or financial P & L.

We also consult on building an innovation organization and capability to:

  • Align organizational structure or re-design the organization to be more effective at innovation
  • Enhance the agility and speed of innovation teams
  • Improve innovation methods and tools for strategy development, portfolio management and concept development and testing
  • Coach and collaborate to build a bold innovative team climate

The Valen Group demonstrated a breadth of experience and provided valuable support through their early-stage product development methods and research services.

- Chief Restaurant Officer, Dine Brands

WHY VALEN?

Valen’s Agile Methodology allows an organization to manage uncertainty and make strategic choices during development and prior to delivery. We utilize short sprints that focus efforts to progress through development. By applying agile principals originating from software development methodologies, new ideas that drive innovation become attainable, efficient, and effective through iterations, or sprints, of test-and-learn scenarios. This enables an organization to gather critical, unique insight into its customers or consumers and those insights to drive the development.

SERVICES

innovation services

We construct our innovation teams with members who bring multiple disciplines together to fit your engagement. Valen’s Innovation services drive decisions and results unique to your needs using proven methods agnostic to industry or business size.

Agile Innovation Activation

  • Sustaining Core Business and Commercial Innovation
  • Adjacent or Whitespace Innovation
  • Transformational and Disruptive Innovation

Concept Development

  • Concept Writing, Positioning & Visualization
  • Concept Positioning Strategy
  • Concept Testing and Concept Optimization
  • Entrepreneurial and Agile Methods Coaching

Fusion
Innovation

  • Fusion MethodologyTM, a Qualitative learning method
  • Sprint-Based, agile market learning
  • Agile Product Testing

Innovation Strategy

  • Innovation Strategy Development
  • Portfolio Management
  • Innovation Roadmap

Innovation
Management

  • Innovation Process and Tools
  • Organizational Assessment, Design & Improvement
  • Best Practice Benchmarking Studies
  • Global innovation practices, process & management approaches

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