How do you make sure you have a steady stream of innovation (aka inventions that add value) through systematic invention generation, a great filter for choosing the best and a battle tested execution capability to transform your inventions into value?

Beyond the proactive management of innovation, operational performance in R&D; plays a key role. The burning question is how to shift resources and focus to increase the prominence of new breakthrough innovations in your revenue mix?

As opposed to today’s primary concentration on sustaining innovations, which only add incremental revenue. At best this short-term fix increases revenue from current products. But it offers no new value to customers and can camouflage the burning need to achieve breakthrough innovations perpetuating unhealthy business performance. So how do you get out of this doom loop?

If your mantra is to move more rapidly from inventions driven by customer needs that go beyond features and functions to new platform, delivery models and service innovations then you have to think differently. Shift from owning everything to a mindset of finding people to partner with that are best suited to take on parts of the innovation and commercialization process—no matter where they are in the world. Think about where you have the most acute needs the across the product development lifecycle, your product portfolio, and against revenue type (sustaining and breakthrough innovations).

This means embracing R&D; globalization. You can build a technology and innovation network with organizations around the world best suited to help accelerate the achievement of your business goals—including specialized product development outsourcers who are aligned with your values.