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A major utility sector entity in Queensland has recently completed two initiatives aimed at cultivating innovation within its organisation. The process was supported by consultants from ThinkPlace.
The initiatives were part of the organization’s efforts to encourage as much stakeholder involvement as possible within its innovation process to build an inclusive and multi-stakeholder approach.
The energy company has an extensive infrastructure network that stretches over hundreds of thousands of kilometers across the state. Any development in this infrastructure logically affects a wide range of stakeholders.
The goal of the organization is therefore to hear as many of these voices as possible—a goal that presents significant challenges because stakeholders are widely and remotely distributed. As part of a recent improvement initiative, ThinkPlace was engaged to help overcome these barriers, which was done in two phases.
In the first phase, a two-day innovation workshop was held in Brisbane where a number of stakeholders were physically present during the ideation process. The workshop produced almost a hundred new ideas, which were then processed by experts to crystallize into seven basic, testable concepts.
The second phase sought to expand the thought process to a regional level, bringing some technological innovation and ThinkPlace’s wealth of expertise in design and facilitation into play. A strategic design consultancy, Thinkplace specializes in innovation management and organizational transformation, offering expertise in strategy, services, project management, digital design and a range of other functions.
The firm’s solution to the client’s expansive goal was to organize an Airlab – a cloud-based virtual innovation workshop where teams from remote areas collaborated in real time. Each team was given a ‘workshop in a box’ kit to use during the ideation phase, which was digitally coordinated to ensure the exchange of ideas across regions.
ThinkPlace specially trained certain participants from each team in advance to facilitate the workshop on site in the event of a technical failure. A number of ideas emerged during the workshop and were then shared across teams to develop and refine. Airlab brought seven key concepts.
Airlabs’ ThinkPlace solution is designed specifically to facilitate innovation workshops with space for up to 100 participants. The solution has previously been deployed to manage virtual co-design sessions, workshops, focus groups, meetings and training. In this case, Airlabs helped the energy company by supporting stakeholder collaboration.
As the energy sector enters a phase of significant disruption from multiple directions, energy companies of all sizes are looking improve the quality of your innovations. More inclusive growth with minimal social or environmental impact is expected to prevail in the near future.
For ThinkPlace, the collaboration was an opportunity to clean up the “dusty reputation of digital engagement” brought about by disjointed video calls that can be frustrating in a professional environment. In the circumstances of Covid-19, where most companies are looking for ways to collaborate digitallyThe ThinkPlace suite of services is likely to be in high demand.
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