MGMT20140: Design Thinking for Business Process Restructuring

This report examines the application of design thinking in business process restructuring, highlighting its importance in today's uncertain business environment. It discusses the challenges of implementing design thinking, including lack of knowledge, limited resources, and communication barriers. The report identifies building empathy among employees as a key challenge that design thinking can address. Various design thinking tools and techniques for innovation, such as visualization, journey mapping, and value chain analysis, are explored. Finally, the report outlines the steps for launching innovative solutions, emphasizing problem identification, analysis, and customer-centric approaches. The document concludes that design thinking fosters creativity and strengthens a company's market position.

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Executive Summary
This report focuses on the very notion of design thinking and how can influence business process
restructuring. The inclusion of uncertainty in the business environment is acting as a driving
force behind the companies to integrate creativity in order to run the business in an innovative
way, which is the key of securing a strong position in the market. Changing the structure of
business is the critical factor for coping up with the volatile business environment. In order to
restructure the business, the strategy of design thinking is needed to be implemented. This is the
way, through which the process of restructuring can be initiated in a systematic manner.
Innovative solution is needed to be explored to respond towards any impending issue in a timely
and cost effective manner.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................3
Challenges towards implementing design thinking process:...........................................................3
Assessing a problem which can be improved through design thinking process:............................4
Design thinking tools and techniques for innovation:.....................................................................5
Different steps of launching innovative solution:............................................................................8
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................8
Reference List:.................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction:
Innovation is the key factor towards attaining success from business. In the highly
competitive business environment, innovation plays a very significant role for the corporate
entities to be distinguished from that of the crucial competitors which is very much needed to
secure a strong position in the market (Yeager et al., 2016). Creativity is one of the most
significant aspects of innovation that helps in integrating effective idea at workplace.
Present paper will shade light on the utility of design thinking. The issues towards
implementing design thinking will be discussed in the paper. The problem, which can be
mitigated through design thinking process will also be identify. This paper will put forth the
discussion of effective tools and techniques of design thinking for attaining innovation. Different
steps of executing innovative solution in business will also be discussed in the paper.
Challenges towards implementing design thinking process:
Design thinking is the user-centered approach to innovation, which helps in running the
internal functionality of a company in an innovative manner. However, there are certain
challenges, which can be faced by the managers towards executing design thinking. It is true
that, design thinking is an effective tool for solving impending problems. Still, lack of
knowledge among the staffs can create reluctant attitude among them to adapt design thinking
(Liedtka, 2015). This can make it utterly difficulty for the mangers to implement the process of
design thinking. Design thinking is one of the major processes of solving impending business
related issue. There are multiple factors such as skilled staffs, ample monetary resources in order
to run the process in a systematic manner. The companies, especially small businesses lack these
resources, which create potential barrier for them to initiate this process. Language is the greatest

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challenge to implement design thinking process. As the process of implementing design thinking
process may require outsourcers (Frow et al., 2015). Different linguistic background of these
people can make it difficult for these people can make it difficult for the people adapt and cope
up with this process with utmost efficiency. This can result in negative perception towards
design thinking.
Design thinking is the procedure of exploring potential direction for companies in future.
However, as the business environment is changing in regular basis, it has become important
factor for the companies to identify the current stakeholders. Geissdoerfer, Bocken & Hultink,
(2016) commented that there lies the negative aspect of design thinking which restricting in
exploring the most potential stakeholders and thereby hampers the public image of a company.
Lack of systematic implementation may also hamper the consistency of design thinking.
Assessing a problem which can be improved through design thinking process:
As the uncertainty in the contemporary business environment is rapidly increasing the
organizations are showing intense commitment to rethink about their business process. Such
uncertainty is acting as a driving force behind the companies to restructure their business
process. Building empathy among the employees is the greatest challenge, being faced by the
contemporary corporate entities. This is the key of coping up with the volatile business
environment. However, this is utterly challenging to building empathy among the employees due
to the obstruction among them to adapt changes in the workplace (Liedtka, Salzman & Azer,
2017). Lack of flexibility in the organization can make it difficult for the management of
corporate firms to initiate the process of business restricting. Such rigid working process creates
barrier for them to go beyond their conventional setting. At the same time, lack of skill and
competency among the employees is also a great challenge to implement design thinking. As the

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new business process requires improved skill and higher efficiency. Therefore, the employees
can show negative attitude toward business empathy for not having adequate skill (Liedtka
2014).
Still, as the competition in the market is rapidly increasing, it is the prime
responsibility of the management of companies to make plan for making the staffs much more
productive and oriented towards workplace which can serve them with the ability to cope up
with the changing business environment. There lies the benefit of design thinking, which can
help in transforming the emotional feeling of the staffs to an attribute in order to strengthen the
mental connectivity of the employees. As design thinking is the most critical approaches to solve
problem, it supports in building multidisciplinary team of workers who can play a significant
role in satisfying organizational goals and objectives (Frow et al., 2015).
As accelerating skill among the staffs is the major aspect of building empathy, design
thinking can help the companies to enable the designers to explore the requirements of the
employees and plan accordingly to generate motivation among them. As design thinking is a
human centered approach, `it makes any kind of valuable solution in a very quick manner and
keep the evidence of all the solutions, so that the leaders can support the idea and implement
them in action (Norman & Verganti, 2014). Empathy is one of the most significant aspects of
design thinking which means discovering new things. This helps the organizations to explore and
assess the need of design thinking.

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Design thinking tools and techniques for innovation:
Design thinking plays a significant role in exploring a new way of thinking regarding an
impending problem and thus identify the probable solution in accordance with the nature of
problem. There are multiple tools of design thinking, which are as follows:
 Visualization
This is nothing but the way of imaging which deals with the visual thinking. It is the way of
unlocking different aspects of business. With the assistance of this tool, the managers of
corporate entities can be able to assess the need of building empathy among the staffs. This is the
way, through which new ideas can also be presented.
 Journey mapping
This tool deals with the research method, which is highly required for initiating any kind of
change in the organization. Through this tool, in-depth research can be carried out for exploring
the areas along with the steps, which must be initiated by the customers in order to accomplish
the objective of service. (Anderson, Potočnik & Zhou, 2014). This tool can also help the staffs in
exploring the requirements of customers that have not been resolved.
 Value chain analysis
This tool highlights the way of interacting with the stakeholders before taking any critical
decision. As the companies are aiming to generate empathy and higher commitment among the
human resources, value chain analysis will help them to figure out the stakeholders and execute
an effective communication tool to maintain a cordial communication with them.
 Mind mapping

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This tool is generally used for presenting new ideas. With the assistance of this tool, the
process of generating, visualizing, structuring and classifying ideas which is the key of designing
the process appropriately.
 Concept development
This tool helps in gathering the hypothesis, which is very much needed to figure out new
business opportunities. Through this way too, extensive research is being made for the sake of
acquiring lucrative concepts (Cook, 2016).
 Assumption testing
This tool focuses on making assumptions regarding the durability of new business ideas. It is
imperative for the managers to assess the accountability and mental connectivity among the
staffs.
 Rapid prototyping
This tool is highly critical for making the new ideas tangible among the business partners and
customers. Therefore, it is imperative for the managers to keep the customers about the new
business process along with the benefits, which they might get.
 Customer co-creation
This technique enable the managers to incorporate with that of the customers while
generating new ideas. It is important to engage diverse range of customers and provide them with
the necessary data regarding the new business process.
 Learning launches

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The fundamental aim behind this technique is to make in-depth assumption regarding the
new growth technique. This is the way, through which relevant market driven data can be
gathered in a timely and cost effective manner (Reiter-Palmon, 2016).
 Storytelling
This is the mode of implementing new ideas and implement them in the real aspects.
Different steps of launching innovative solution:
Innovation is an extremely significant factor in contemporary market place. Therefore, it
is important to follow some steps for launching innovative solution. Problem identification is the
initial step of innovative solution which deals with figuring out the appropriate issue. The
managers should assess the need of process restructuring. Analyzing problem is the second step
of innovative solution. This is the mode of assessing the issues that are leading the companies to
restructuring the business process. Classifying the decision is the third step which deals with
making effective decision to launch innovation (Liedtka, 2014). This is the mode of
standardizing the decision. Selecting the best solution is the final step of launching innovation
which helps in implementing customer-centric solution.
Conclusion:
To conclude the discussion, it can be said that design thinking is the critical factor
towards integrating creativity in the business process, which is truly the fundamental factor for
strengthening the position of a company in the market. Generating empathy among the human
resources is the key factor of coping up with the uncertainty. Therefore, it is imperative to
implement design thinking technique for making the employees much more committed towards
their roles and responsibilities. Thinking in an innovative way of attaining immense success

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from business. There lies the significance of design thinking that supports in exploring
innovative solution to any impending problem. Design thinking is defined as a systematic
method of resolving any kind of critical business related issue in a creative manner.

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Reference List:
Anderson, N., Potočnik, K., & Zhou, J. (2014). Innovation and creativity in organizations: A
state-of-the-science review, prospective commentary, and guiding framework. Journal of
management, 40(5), 1297-1333.
Cook, P.J., (2016). Leading innovation, creativity and enterprise. Industrial and Commercial
Training, 48(6), pp.294-299.
Frow, P., Nenonen, S., Payne, A., & Storbacka, K. (2015). Managing co‐creation design: A
strategic approach to innovation. British Journal of Management, 26(3), 463-483.
Geissdoerfer, M., Bocken, N. M., & Hultink, E. J. (2016). Design thinking to enhance the
sustainable business modelling process–A workshop based on a value mapping process.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 135, 1218-1232.
Liedtka, J., (2014). Innovative ways companies are using design thinking. Strategy &
Leadership, 42(2), pp.40-45.
Liedtka, J., (2015). Perspective: Linking design thinking with innovation outcomes through
cognitive bias reduction. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(6), pp. 925-
938.
Liedtka, J., Salzman, R., & Azer, D. (2017). Design thinking for the greater good: Innovation in
the social sector. Columbia University Press.
Norman, D. A., & Verganti, R. (2014). Incremental and radical innovation: Design research vs.
technology and meaning change. Design issues, 30(1), 78-96.
Reiter-Palmon, R. ed., (2017). Team Creativity and Innovation. Oxford University Press.
Yeager, D.S., Romero, C., Paunesku, D., Hulleman, C.S., Schneider, B., Hinojosa, C., Lee, H.Y.,
O'Brien, J., Flint, K., Roberts, A. & Trott, J., (2016). Using design thinking to improve

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psychological interventions: The case of the growth mindset during the transition to high
school. Journal of educational psychology, 108(3), p.374.