Open innovation thrives on the right mix of collaboration, adaptability, and strategy; qualities that break down if paired with confusion, mistrust, or passivity. In our first installment, we explored the pragmatic approach to open innovation Tomoharu Hayama-san adopts in his blog series, “Introduction to Open Innovation: A Primer and Practical Guide.” This installment examines key insights from articles 3 through 5, where Hayama-san delves into the foundational concepts, types of players, and frameworks that enable successful innovative partnerships.
The Want, Find, Get, Manage Framework (WFGM)
The Want, Find, Get, Manage Framework (WFGM) is a useful roadmap for organizations seeking to construct a beginning-to-end strategy for their open innovation activities. Article 3 begins by providing an overview of this open innovation process alongside an index of the elements to consider. Hayama-san draws from Dr. Slowinski, a leading figure in open innovation who designed the Want, Find, Get, Manage framework.
Hayama-san briefly explains WFGM with a longer exposition on the kinds of open innovation partners and the outcomes or “seeds” one can expect from them. We would recommend this article to anyone aiming to get a sense of the full scope of the open innovation process from a practitioner’s point of view. For those seeking specific sources to aid them on their journey, article 4 is the perfect accompaniment.
Leveraging Open Innovation Methods and Tools
In Article 4, Hayama-san explores various open innovation (OI) methods, such as OI contests, partnerships, and communities, explaining when each is most applicable. Additionally, he provides an overview of the kinds of OI intermediary services, such as crowdsourcing platforms, technology brokers, and innovation consultancies (like yet2!), which provide organizations with access to resources and expertise they may lack internally. These services connect companies with external innovators and ease the complex negotiation and integration process. As Hayama-san puts it:
“Intermediaries act as the translators and facilitators of open innovation, ensuring that diverse players can work together toward shared goals.”
The article is a great resource for those seeking to understand the various players in open innovation with Hayama-san even including specific organizations one could reach out to when ready to begin innovating.
He even goes the extra step in explaining the best way to decide which intermediary is best for you. Article 4 serves as both a practical toolkit and a helpful glossary for those new to the open innovation space. It lays the groundwork for understanding key players and tools, while Article 5 takes the next step by showing how the WFGM framework functions in action.
Deepening the Practice: WFGM in Action
Article 5 deeply elucidates the WFGM framework, offering organizations a structured path in their open innovation endeavors. The process begins with “Want,” where organizations identify their innovation goals and gaps. Hayama-san warns of the dangers of failing to pinpoint these needs accurately, stating:
Without clarity in defining what you want, the effort to find partners is wasted and results in unproductive engagements.
The article makes clear that defining your wants is a skill that can be trained—one that companies unfamiliar with open innovation may struggle to exercise. Hayama-san helpfully offers criteria and tips for determining your wants and strategies for working with partners struggling to express their needs. Though it’s only the beginning, without knowing what you’re searching for, there’s no point in moving on to “Find.”
“Find” focuses on strategies and resources organizations use to locate potential collaborators. A key takeaway here is the importance of using a mix of targeted searches and exploratory approaches to identify partners whose expertise complements organizational needs. He further discusses using intermediary services highlighting that collaboration can help identify needs, cut down time and resources, and importantly, act as a medium of trust between the two parties. Hayama-san recognizes the latter as vital writing:
In particular, in collaborative projects that involve mutual interaction over the medium to long term, the presence or absence of trust has a significant impact on productivity.
However, Hayama-san also expands on developing a robust internal strategy without going through intermediaries. For example, he identifies six dimensions of proximity, including:
- Geographic
- Organizational
- Cultural factors
Each of these helps one assess the compatibility of potential partners. Paired with his sections on searching for and selecting a collaboration partner, one finishes the article feeling ready to begin finding the perfect collaborator.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of Open Innovation (OI), yet2 is seeing two significant shifts that are shaping the way organizations approach collaboration, problem-solving, and value creation, beyond Want, Find, Get, Manage. The transition to Agile methodologies (we call it OI 3.0) and the democratization of innovation processes (we call this OI 4.0). These advancements mark a departure from rigid, linear structures toward more flexible, inclusive, and data-informed approaches.
Here’s what yet2 is seeing. In Q1-Q3 2024, we completed roughly 95 projects:
- Over one-third were nimble, with projections showing half would be by year-end.
- In comparison, in 2020, there were 140 projects, with fewer than 5% being flexible.
- Four years later, the proportion of nimble projects has increased to half.
All this to say, while there is always a place for Want, Find, Get, Manage, there is a shift we’re seeing in applying this methodology in a more agile way. Be on the lookout for more content on this coming soon!
Finally, Hayama-san explores “Get” and “Manage” focusing on negotiating in ways that lead to long-term partnerships. Though he leaves his deepest insights into the “Get” and “Manage” phase of open innovation for later installments, Hayama-san’s close to the article offers valuable insights for those seeking to navigate the muddy waters of negotiation, such as balancing openness with intellectual property protection. We encourage readers to explore Hayama-san’s full series for deeper insights into implementing WFGM, sustaining long-term partnerships, and unlocking the potential of open innovation.
Read Part 1 in our series here.
Words by Carlos Pichardo
Image by FreePik
