B207A Report: 3M's Innovation, Commercialization, and Analysis

This report delves into the innovative strategies of 3M, a prominent mining and manufacturing company, examining the factors that have contributed to its success over a century. It explores 3M's approach to converting ideas into marketable products and the importance of commercialization in its business model. The report highlights the company's customer-focused approach and its commitment to technological development. Furthermore, it discusses the commercialization process, including prioritizing ideas, prototyping, manufacturing, marketing, and sales. The report also includes an analysis of Honeywell's theft-resistant bag, providing a comparative perspective on innovation in product design and functionality, focusing on the use of advanced materials and features that enhance security and user convenience. The report concludes by emphasizing the role of a proactive culture in fostering innovation and the effective commercialization of new products.

Running head: B207A
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Name of the Student
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Answer to Question 1......................................................................................................................2
Answer to Question 2......................................................................................................................3
Answer to Question 3......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................5
References:......................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction:
The aim of the report is to provide an insight into 3M, a Mining and Manufacturing
Company, located in Minnesota. Five young entrepreneurs found the company that remained in
the business for 100 yrs. Every stage of 100-year history of 3M has been a combination of
enterprise and ingenuity (3m.com 2018). The report focused on the primary factors contributing
to innovation, the importance of the commercialization for an innovative company like 3M. The
report also discusses about another innovative product from a different organization thereby
discussing the reasons for its innovation.
Answer to Question 1
One of the key factors that make 3M an innovative organization lies in its ingenuity of
converting thoughts into the marketable reality along with building sustainable and strong
business. In present times, the company maintains its growth and profitability through customer
focused original and practical solutions. Besides, 3M focuses the ingenuity of the company in
finding realistic solutions. The creation of the first breakthrough of 3M had been for its business
clients. For example, some of the early innovative products include sandpaper, masking tape,
transparent tape, post-it note, up to the minute optic fiber cable and pharmaceutical that helps in
fighting tumor and infected cells.
The business function that contributes to this factor depends on the proactive culture that
determines a typical pattern of the behavior and relationship within the organization. In addition,
it involves encouraging the freedom of people in order to be creative. Freedom must be available
in the form of exploring newer ideas within the environment while understanding and managing
risk involved. The business should also develop and encourage people to generate ideas. The

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business involves rigorous and deliberate commitment towards technological development for
creating newer products. The business also follows a customer-focused approach that discovers
the need of the probable customers through a detailed market research. A customer-focused firm
begins with consumers thereby creating products that match the customer demand (Kastalli, Van.
and Neely 2013). Thus at 3M, the newly generated ideas primarily focuses on the customers. For
example, the new 3MTM Paint Preparation system (PPS) provided solution to various problems
arising in the garage where repairing of cars takes place after any accident. Besides, the business
function related to the product innovation involves trials, prioritization, risk and failure. This
involves minimizing organizational and the financial risk along with relying on an effective
process for delivering consistent results through innovation management.
Answer to Question 2
Commercialization refers to a process through which a new service or product gets
introduced into general market. In other words, commercialization refers to considering the idea
and ensuring a transformation of it into a product in the customers’ hands in exchange of a
payment (Keskin, Diehl and Molenaar 2013). As strategy, commercialization requires the 3M
business to develop a marketing plan and determine the supply of product to the market thereby
anticipating the success barriers. Commercialization of innovative companies helps in providing
new products and services towards solving one of the pressing problems of life while making an
incremental improvement towards quality of life for the consumers and business effectiveness
across varied domains.
The stages of commercialization process determine the importance of innovative
organizations like 3M. This includes (Boh, De-Haan, and Strom 2016):

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Stage 1: Prioritizing the Ideas
Every year there is an emergence of thousands of technology applications and ingenious
ideas at 3M. It is therefore necessary for the firm to prioritize the ideas and thereby focus on the
ones having greatest potential of profitability and growth.
Stage 2: Making a Prototype
This stage allows 3M in typically getting involved in various trials, prototypes and modifications
Stage 3: Manufacturing Product
This stage enables 3M in ensuring that consistent quality for the customers should remain
balanced with the cost, profitability and the environmental concern. Therefore, 3M remains
committed towards continuous improvement through usage of sophisticated techniques and tools
thereby reducing variation and delivering consistent results for ensuring value to the customers.
Stage 4: Marketing the Product
This stage enables 3M in the creation of positioning and brand identity for its product
.Stage 5: Generation of Sales
The stage helps 3M in the creation of one of the most effective channels in the market.
This involves the distribution of the products of 3M through dedicated channels that is suitable
for the final consumers. Generating sales of post-it notes through newsagents, supermarkets and
the stationeries is a good example.
Answer to Question 3

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Theft resistant bag, also known as Flak Sack Coalition bag, is an innovative product put
forward by Honeywell (honeywell.com 2018). The bag is designed to be theft resistant and is
manufactured from the strongest manmade fibers around the world that also exceeds the highest
rating against cut resistance (honeywell.com 2018). Consumers looking forward to keeping their
belongings safer can opt for this theft resistant bag pack available with a drawstring. The Flak
Sack is designed using Spectra in an exceptional construction of fabric known as the Flaknit
(honeywell.com, 2018).
The product is innovative since it is made from a fiber known as Spectra whose strength
is larger than the steel but has a lightweight (multivu.com 2018). The fiber used for the bag
possesses one of the highest theft resistance levels both in terms of the commercial and industrial
fabrics. Therefore, in other words the Spectra fiber prevents any possibility of tearing of the bag.
The others features include the steel and heavy duty brass lock, steel reinforced and break
resistant nylon straps and the blocking material represented the radio frequency identification
(RFID). These features act especially beneficial for helping consumers in protecting their travel
essentials such as visas, passport, credit cards and medications. The theft resistant bag is also
water resistant thereby ensuring that the contents will not only remain secure but also dry.
Moreover, the Spectra fibre is designed by higher molecular-weight polyethylene through a
general process of gel spinning.
Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be said how a proactive culture contributes in making an
organization innovative. The report also provides an insight into the commercialization of the
innovative organization 3M. The report also discusses about the innovative anti theft bags
presented by Honeywell

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References:
3m.com 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.3m.com/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2018].
Boh, W.F., De-Haan, U. and Strom, R., 2016. University technology transfer through
entrepreneurship: faculty and students in spinoffs. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 41(4),
pp.661-669.
honeywell.com 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.honeywell.com/ [Accessed 28 Nov.
2018].
honeywell.com 2018. [online] Available at:
https://www.honeywell.com/newsroom/news/2017/05/if-superheroes-had-backpacks-this-would-
be-it [Accessed 28 Nov. 2018].
honeywell.com 2018. [online] Available at:
https://www.honeywell.com/newsroom/news/2017/12/12-innovations-of-the-year [Accessed 28
Nov. 2018].
Kastalli, I.V., Van Looy, B. and Neely, A., 2013. Steering manufacturing firms towards service
business model innovation. California Management Review, 56(1), pp.100-123.
Keskin, D., Diehl, J.C. and Molenaar, N., 2013. Innovation process of new ventures driven by
sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 45, pp.50-60.
multivu.com 2018. [online] Available at: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8083951-
honeywell-spectra-fiber-flak-sack-cut-resistant-bag/ [Accessed 28 Nov. 2018].

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