Business Model Innovation Challenges

Launch Date: 2008

Expected Wrap-up Date: Spring 2014

Innovation outside of the core business provides fresh growth opportunities; however, success can be difficult to achieve because this type of innovation generally requires creation of a new, or significant modification of an existing business model. The aim of this ROR is to increase success rates for innovation outside of the core business by identifying challenges associated with business model innovation and developing tools to manage these challenges.  

Through its work, the Team has identified that major business failures are proportional to hidden assumptions in planning, as opposed to major changes on the product offering. 

Proposed project deliverables include:

• Process for determining how far a new business model is from your core
• Method for surfacing and testing both tacit and explicit business model assumptions
• Method for identifying the need for a new business model
• Improved Business Model Canvas (based on Osterwalder) and rationale
• Tools/methodology for populating the Business Model Canvas
• Techniques for selling a new business model to your team

The group is studying and determining solutions to business model innovation challenges by doing paired case studies in (ideally) 10 IRI member companies. Seven case studies in three member organizations have been completed.  Members can help by sharing stories of companies initiating business model innovations that did and did not work.

Why Join Business Model Innovation Challenges?

Help us improve our understanding of the best practices associated with business model innovation. IRI members can support this ROR by piloting the team's revised Business Model Canvas in your business.  For more information, please email blenkle@iriweb.org

Members may also participate in this project as a case study research site. The actual case study involves one-hour interviews, mostly in person, among 5-8 key informants (one hour for each informant). You’ll receive individual feedback from our team, plus a copy of the final research project. Confidentiality of the organization and project will be scrupulously maintained.