Interview
A Spanish pharmaceutical manufacturer were looking for ways to improve daily operations and solve employee pain points across the organization. Nextinit was able to consolidate perspectives from different departments and identify problem solving ideas with the most support.
Our own Fred Alluin caught up with our client’s team, to find out what they were able to achieve, and how Nextinit helped them bring a much-needed idea to the surface.
Can you briefly explain what your idea was and how it could solve a problem and benefit your business?
The idea was to update the corporate browser of the company. This might not sound like a major change, but our existing browser was outdated and preventing us from meeting the latest standards of essential web applications. This created a major barrier to innovation, affecting both our own teams and our customers. We weren’t able to make progress for internal processes or the user experiences we were providing. Not only that, but we wanted to optimize our security levels to meet the latest standards. Upgrading to a more modern, compatible browser would drive productivity and security, while also helping us develop new and better user experiences.
“With Nextinit, we now have a way to make the best ideas more visible”
Is this something that you already had in mind, or did the idea come to you when you foresaw challenges ahead?
It is something that has been discussed for some time, but we had no way to move this proposal forward. With Nextinit, we now have a way to make the best ideas more visible and to push them into reality much quicker.
How did it feel to have your colleagues support your idea?
Truthfully, I was expecting it because it was a shared pain point for everyone. But even so, I was still surprised to see how quickly people supported the idea and how needed the change was.
“I was still surprised to see how quickly people supported the idea and how needed the change was.”
Did you receive an innovation box? What were your thoughts about it?
The innovation box was a nice addition and a great way for us to celebrate the idea getting off the ground. Though it’s something that we wanted to do for a while, Nextinit was able to make it happen. Without Nextinit, Nextinit I imagine that we would still be in the same situation.
“Without Nextinit I imagine that we would still be in the same situation.”
An innovation box is a symbolic box that is awarded to the team to celebrate their idea entering the Proof of Concept phase. This contains things like chocolate, coffee and even a cheque that shows allocated hours for the project.
Have you encountered obstacles when carrying out the tasks of the pilot and have you managed to overcome them? Can you tell us about one in particular?
We have not encountered many problems during the pilot. But not being able to make the most of our web applications was an ongoing issue that we hadn’t resolved. By using Nextinit, the issue was made clear and everything was able to move much faster in terms of approvals, etc. These were difficulties that we encountered before Nextinit and I’m sure the progress we made with this particular idea will allow more to be activated in the future.
Right now, what is left to do before this idea becomes a reality?
We need to close the support agreement with our new browser provider in case of any foreseeable incidents. We hope that within a month we will have this agreement signed and our computers can start using the new official company browser.
“By using Nextinit, the issue was made clear and everything was able to move much faster”
After using Nextinit, how important do you consider innovation for organizations?
Incremental innovation is key, especially when it’s opened up to more people within the organization. By allowing everyone to participate and submit tens or hundreds of small improvements that complement one another, new opportunities are created and the culture of the company can be transformed. Little by little, organizations can keep the innovation flowing and continually move forward.
As you can see, Nextinit played a huge part in enabling an idea to reach the attention of key decision makers. Though it may seem like a simple solution, a widespread employee paint point has now been removed, allowing people to work better, more productively and with less obstacles. The change has also removed a major barrier to innovation, which means our client can continue to improve and refine the experience of their customers.
Nextinit makes it easier for businesses from all sectors to harness ideas for new innovations, operational improvements and solutions to problems. To read more stories of customers who have done this, take a look at our other case studies.