A1 Communication: Innovation, Commercialization, and Business Report

This report examines the importance of innovation for businesses, focusing on A1 Communication. It explores how organizational vision, leadership, culture, and teamwork shape innovation and commercialization. The report delves into the 4Ps of innovation, the use of the innovation funnel, and frugal innovation. It also analyzes the commercial funnel, new product development processes, business cases for innovation, funding methods, and tools for knowledge and intellectual property protection. The report provides a comprehensive overview of innovation strategies for business growth and success, offering insights into various aspects of the innovation process, from idea generation to product launch.

Innovation

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
P1 Importance of Innovation and its comparison with invention..............................................1
P2 Organisational vision, leadership, culture and teamwork can shape innovation and
commercialisation.......................................................................................................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P3. 4P's of innovation and use of innovation funnel to examine and shape innovative ideas....3
P4 Explain frugal innovation and its importance .......................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................5
P5 Commercial funnel and the process of new product development........................................5
P6 Innovation business case and ways of funding.....................................................................7
P7 Tools to develop, retain and protect knowledge and intellectual property............................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Small business organisations who act upon the opportunities and possibilities for change
through innovation in present volatile. Innovation helps businesses to compete as well as flourish
in emerging markets, it also fluctuate a firm and economic conditions. In present scenario, small
businesses are tend to use innovation as a human centred, strategic and technological tool so as
to develop an agile innovation cultural. It is assistive in attaining high market growth and
improving bottom line results of the company. The present assignment is based upon A1
communication; it is a communication provider firm by having independent communication
specialists (Aghion, Van Reenen and Zingales, 2013). The firm providers data options to
individuals or groups by ensuring flexibility and cost effectiveness. Apart from this, the present
assignment will be described significance of innovation for business units. There will be a
discussion vision, leadership and cultural of the firm which gives shapes to innovation. Readers
will also come to know 4Ps of innovation and use of innovation funnel. Furthermore, process of
new product development will also defined.
TASK 1
P1 Importance of Innovation and its comparison with invention
In this competitive business environment, number of factors which can affect business
activities or tasks in direct and indirect manner. Thus, it is essential for associations to work
accordingly as per the market situation. In this context, A1 communication is focused on
implementing new and innovative processes which lead to increase efficiency and productivity
of the firm and enables it to accomplish organisational goals and objectives. As every SME
works for fulfilling demand of its customers in the best possible manner for this it needs to
implement innovative procedures in working environment (Amit and Zott, 2012). The term
innovation refers with determining a new idea or method; its an application which provides
better solutions so as to meet market requirements and unarticulated needs.
Importance of innovation for A1 Communication
Every business leader thinks that innovation is crucial for them in terms of improving
working capabilities and efficiency. Basically, innovation means turning an idea into a solution
which adds value for customers' and provide them high level of satisfaction. In context of small
businesses, innovation helps them in respect of enabling brands to compete in incremental new
markets or category segments. It captures individuals imaginations in order to increase their faith
1

and loyalty for long term period. For example – if a firm offers best products and services
frequently by adding innovative characteristic into it; this lead customers' touchpoints or brand
loyalty.
Difference between innovation and invention: -
Innovation Invention
It is the process which determines new and
unique concepts which relies upon modern
technology and prevailing existing market
conditions (Ariga and et. al., 2013).
Invention is the process which is related with
inventing new or fresh products and modify the
existing one so as to deliver something
different to society.
Innovation entails with a new idea which sticks
a scientist. It is concerned with a new product
or process.
It is a need which felt for a specific product or
making changes in current products. Invention
links with generating several products and
services.
P2 Organisational vision, leadership, culture and teamwork can shape innovation and
commercialisation
While making innovation several kind of prospectus are getting involved which improves
its efficiency and effectiveness. It is necessary for business organisations to coordinate all those
factors so as to attain desired outcomes in a certain time period. Management of A!
Communication should make aware employees with organisational cultural, vision and
leadership as they can work accordingly. Following is defined how these elements can give
shape innovation, such as - Organisational cultural – A cultural for an organisation involves different policies,
strategies, communication process, laws and legislations under which all employees are
being worked. For example – in A1 communication it is must for all staff members to
wear uniform while working in order to maintain equality and discipline at workplace
(Boons and Lüdeke-Freund, 2013). Henceforth, organisational cultural of the company
should be free from all bias and spread positivity in employees' mind; it led they will
work more effectively.
2

 Leadership – In small businesses, leaders play a vital role in providing assistance or
directions to employees as they work appropriately and efficiently. A strong leadership
manage all employees in the best possible manner; leaders organises training and
development assistance for entire workforce with an aim to boost up skills and
knowledge level of staff members. It also enables in raising performance or output level
of staff members. Beside this, another duty of leaders is to influence employees and
motivate them for accomplish organisational goals and objectives. Vision – Vision and mission of the company should be also consider in innovation
process because without having a appropriate objective or aim people cannot recognise
what they need to do. For example – the vision statement of A1 communication is to
become one of the best communication service providers in UK. For this, company is
trying to identifying new and innovative offerings which delivers an unique
communication experience to customers (Drucker, 2014).
 Teamwork – it plays a critical role in coordinating all staff members as they can work in
a group for attaining specific goal and objective of the company. It is the responsibility of
team leader to align tasks or duties to employees as per the skills and capabilities as they
can work more persuasively; thus process of goal accomplishment will be more facilitate.
TASK 2
P3. 4P's of innovation and use of innovation funnel to examine and shape innovative ideas
Innovation funnel - Innovation is significant process which is acquired by most of the
firms in order to face market competition and remain superior with their rivals. The strategy
named innovation funnel is acquired by the firm for developing new products. Its main purpose
is generate those goods which can meet market needs in a cost effective manner. In addition to
this, innovation funnel is a graphical representation which involves other options of
improvements. Innovation funnel is a base of various ideas which are screened and evaluate
whether or not they will provide future opportunities to a firm (Gordon, 2012).
There are four Ps of innovation which briefly described as under: -
 Product – It consists with specific good and service which are offered by a firm to its
target and potential customers. The main product of A1 communication is networking
services. Thus to improvise the credibility of their products firms are required to conduct
a proper market research which supports them to know market nature and buying
3

behaviour of customers. A product should be innovative or unique in nature and able to
satisfy all desires of people at marketplace.
 Process - The process of converting raw materials into finished goods should be flexible
in nature and not much time consuming. It is essential for firms to acquire ethical or legal
way to generate something innovative as it will build high market goodwill in market and
assists in gaining high cutting edge.
 Positioning – Innovative products are liable for providing long term market growth and
success to the company. In other words, it is able to maintain good market position
among customers' mind and attain and retain them for long term period (Huizingh, 2011).
 People – It is required to manage new inventions and for the same management should
hire talent personal who have enough capabilities and skills. A1 communication is
focused on hiring well qualified and skilled workforce who can easily determine
solutions of all work based problems and issues.
P4 Explain frugal innovation and its importance
Frugal innovation is a process through which firm are able to reduce their manufacturing
cost as well as wastes. Management of the company has implemented this strategies at their work
place through which they are capable to achieve economic of scale appropriately resulted
enhance customer's satisfaction and market share (Stokes, 2011). Frugal innovation help to
remove unwanted features in their goods, services so that overall cost has been automagically
decrease. It is a operations manager responsibility to develop strategies and plan for increase
employees abilities, skills, knowledge so that workers are understand theory of frugal creativity
at work place. It set operation manager focus on reducing completely of task to execute
innovation action of plan with in firm. A1 communication develop effect pricing policies to
achieve higher market share as compare to their rivalries. Through this, they are implemented
strategies in order to get economic of scale. Development of frugal innovation needed to follows
some step which are explain below: Identify improvement area: It is a management responsibility gap between actual as well
as desire performance and find out issues due to gap has arise. Management of A1
communication has also focus on that are and analysis these area of improvement and
take appropriate action to solve it effectively.
4

 Make alternative solution: After identification of problem, manager has list out all issues
and its alternative solution in order to implemented frugal innovation appropriately.
Administration of A1 communication has make alternative answer of each one cognitive
content but they are focus on core key resources which are affected due to this thus help
to run entire business activities appropriately. Choose most appropriate solution: List of alternative solution has create dilemma of
selection of solution in which individuals can not select one method. For this, manager
has analysis firm capabilities, available resources, employees skills, market competition
and many more after this all they are select most appropriate one method of solving issue
accordingly (Schaffers and et. al., 2011). Sustainable solution: Identify whether chosen method of solving issues has effective or
not, if it not then they has re-enter into second step and gain select appropriate solution of
given problem. For this, they implemented answer in very little area for practical purpose
and see feedback, if it is positive then solution has executed in entire organisation if not
re-find statement. Shape clients behaviours: Firm want to shape their buyer behaviours by offer them
higher quality product and services. For this, A1 communication want to implemented
frugal innovation in their working place through this they achieve economic of scale and
provide product at lower cost without compromising with its quality.
 Engage and iterate: With time, technology has change very fast so that company wants
to add some feature and delete it also according to market demand as well as buyers
needs. Some consumers can not additional characteristic in goods and services because
due to this price of product is automagically rise (Rosenbusch, Brinckmann and Bausch,
2011). So that, after implementation of frugal innovation at work place, A1
communication has offer their services at lower cost with same quality resulted achieve
goals and objectives in limited time period.
TASK 3
P5 Commercial funnel and the process of new product development
Commercial funnel is a fundamental procedure which underlies research activities in
organisational system as it is one of important aspect of innovation. Although, if a product is
5

going to be launched in market requires commercialisation so that people can know their benefits
and uses. Therefore, commercial funnel focuses on the process of new product development
should be cost and time effective and able to expand market share of the company.
Apart from this, new process development captures all aspects which are getting included
in generating new products and services (Jiménez-Jiménez and Sanz-Valle, 2011). Below is
defined several stages of new product development, such as -
Idea generation – Its a staring phase of generating new product. Identify new and innovative
ideas helps a firm to make unique or attractive products; its also represents company's viability at
marketplace. In addition to this, ideas are come from various sources or directions. Management
of A1 communication is focused on determining new ideas by conducting a market research and
assessing offerings of competitors as well. Idea screening – Managers have several ideas in which some of them are beneficial and
some are not. Thus, ideas are screened whether they or not they are able to meet market
trends and customers' desired. Only adequate ideas are accepted by the firm
(Lichtenthaler, 2011). Concept development and testing – In encompasses with whether products are useful for
target audiences or not. In this manner, a few range of people are chosen and provide
them entire inform regrading new offerings so as to recognise their viewpoints for the
same. So that, the main reason behind concept testing is to get the response of potential
users of the services after using them. Business analysis- It involves to determine that new products will provide financial
growth to company or not. Business analysis can be done by elaborate the overall
marketing strategy by enlightening current position of the company at marketplace. In
addition, it also involves evaluating market demand of specific goods by assessing break
even point. Product development and test marketing – Afterwards management make plans or
actions regrading producing products and how much costly it will be. Whereas test
marketing entails to serve products into a small group which diminishes the risk of selling
at large (Manso, 2011).
 Commercialisation and launching – At last, the marketers prepare diverse strategies and
policies of marketing of a new product. Prices of product is also decided in
6

commercialisation process. Thus, product is ready for introducing in market and deliver
new heights of success to the organisation.
P6 Innovation business case and ways of funding
Innovation business case provides a new approach which relies upon how to handle and
control problems which are being occurred in innovation process. It is emphasised on developing
an effective innovation which supports to compete external rivals of the firm. Innovation
business case encompasses vision and mission and allocation of resources in proper manner so as
to create a specific product. It requires to make transparent decisions in order to conduct cost
benefit analysis. Furthermore, innovation business case is well designed framework that is based
upon assessing stakeholders' interest and determine future opportunities as well as uncertainties.
Ways of funding - Crowdfunding – It is knows as best source of micro financing and carrying out various
individuals together who invests money to projects. Crowdfunding supports
entrepreneurs as they can pledge funds in order to create sometime unique or a particular
art project. In other words, its a practice of funding a project through collecting money
from wide range of people, typically via the Internet (Patton, 2011). Bank loans – It is one of the best source of raising capital through bank. There are
several banks like – private and public provides funds to small business by charging some
amount of interest. But for this, bank required a strong business plans and assess past
history or achievements of the company to recognise its credibility of paying returns. Venture capitalists:Venture capitalists is a another sources of fund thus help to
entrepreneurs run their entire business activities appropriately. In United Kingdom,
individual person have these kinds of financial institution and get money on the behalf of
profits share, partnership, get shares and many more. Thus help venture investor to know
information about financial position of the company accordingly they have focus on
investment process.
 Angel brokers: Individual person has identify angle investor, angle capitalists have
money but can not have idea, business or enterprise to spend their fund into it. So that,
they are identifying person those have innovative idea, thought and business to invest
their finance into it (Patton, 2011) Through this, entrepreneurs has get money from angel
broker with less documentation process.
7

TASK 4
P7 Tools to develop, retain and protect knowledge and intellectual property
In United kingdom several different kind of tools are available which are help
organisation to protect their innovative goods and services from others those make copy and sell
it at market place to get profits. Creativity is process of developing commodities with their new
thought, opinion etc. It is a management responsibility to implemented action of plan at work
place in order to increase awareness about innovation among employees. So that, each one
worker has completing their task creatively and achieve common goals and objectives
appropriately. Modification in existing goods help A1 communication to get higher customer's
satisfaction and their retention for long period of time appropriately (Manso, 2011). Manager of
R & D department has use several different tools in order to retain as well as protect intellectual
property rights through which enterprises are able to save their resources and men -power effort
to develop new item for full fill clients needs and wants. Some of the most usable techniques to
save intellectual property which are affected enterprises are detail as follows:
Copyrights- Copyrights is a widely used technique of saving intellectual property right
of the company. Organisation are able to sell their services to their clients and no one
competitors has compete them effectively. Through this, firm defend only tangible product like
painting, photographs, nobles, books, biopic and many more.
Patents- Patents has save money, time, efforts and many more to invent new
commodities and services appropriately. After some time government has provide permission to
competitors to copy original product because patents are done for limited time period.
Trademark- Trademark is a identity of the company in front of clients so that it is a
management responsibility to make attractive logo, brand image, firm name, tag line, or any
photo which are of enterprise, phrases etc.
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report, it get comprehend that innovation has become one of
the vital part for small and large businesses in respect of providing them high cutting edge. It
helps firms to generate something new and different that is able to meet needs and wants of
customers in the best possible manner. While innovating, managers are required to consider
certain aspects, such as – leadership, teamwork, vision and organisation so as to arrive desired
goals and objectives in a certain time period. Along with this, the report has stated 4 Ps of
8

innovation, i.e. product, process, positioning and paradigm. Building an innovation business case
helps A1 communication to generate funds from different sources.
9

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Aghion, P., Van Reenen, J. and Zingales, L., 2013. Innovation and institutional ownership. The
American Economic Review. 103(1). pp.277-304.
Amit, R. and Zott, C., 2012. Creating value through business model innovation. MIT Sloan
Management Review. 53(3). p.41.
Ariga, K., and et. al., 2013. Layer-by-layer nanoarchitectonics: invention, innovation, and
evolution. Chemistry Letters. 43(1). pp.36-68.
Boons, F. and Lüdeke-Freund, F., 2013. Business models for sustainable innovation: state-of-
the-art and steps towards a research agenda. Journal of Cleaner Production. 45. pp.9-
19.
Drucker, P., 2014. Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge.
Gordon, R. J., 2012. Is US economic growth over? Faltering innovation confronts the six
headwinds. (No. w18315). National Bureau of Economic Research.
Huizingh, E. K., 2011. Open innovation: State of the art and future perspectives. Technovation.
31(1). pp.2-9.
Jiménez-Jiménez, D. and Sanz-Valle, R., 2011. Innovation, organizational learning, and
performance. Journal of business research. 64(4). pp.408-417.
Lichtenthaler, U., 2011. Open innovation: Past research, current debates, and future directions.
The Academy of Management Perspectives. 25(1). pp.75-93.
Manso, G., 2011. Motivating innovation. The Journal of Finance. 66(5). pp.1823-1860.
Patton, M. Q., 2011. Developmental evaluation: Applying complexity concepts to enhance
innovation and use. Guilford Press.
Rosenbusch, N., Brinckmann, J. and Bausch, A., 2011. Is innovation always beneficial? A meta-
analysis of the relationship between innovation and performance in SMEs. Journal of
business Venturing. 26(4). pp.441-457.
Schaffers, H., and et. al., 2011. Smart cities and the future internet: Towards cooperation
frameworks for open innovation. The future internet. pp.431-446.
Spithoven, A., Clarysse, B. and Knockaert, M., 2011. Building absorptive capacity to organise
inbound open innovation in traditional industries. Technovation. 31(1). pp.10-21.
Stokes, D. E., 2011. Pasteur's quadrant: Basic science and technological innovation. Brookings
Institution Press.
Strayer, J. F., 2012. How learning in an inverted classroom influences cooperation, innovation
and task orientation. Learning Environments Research. 15(2). pp.171-193.
10