Innovation is very much needed in this market. Let us understand the deeper question before seeking innovation from the organization. When I grew up, for almost every day I had one choice for break fast, idli, a traditional south indian dish made of rice. Nobody in the family, asked a question why not cereal one day since no one in the family heard of cereal when I grew up. The break fast creativity revolved around idli since every one in the family were fine with that dish. When you are fine with what you got and you do not have an exposure to alternatives, then there is no requirement for the innovation nor creativity.

Who was talking about fuel efficient cars in 1998? Who is not taking about fuel efficient cars in 2008? Today, a WSJ report suggested the most required today’s killer applications for Detroit. That is, 40 mpg minivan/SUV, 50 mpg mid size car and 30 mpg truck. I’m sure the smartest automobile engineers from Detroit area will meet today’s requirement in next 3-5 years.

Great minds are working on the problem. There is a requirement for innovation.

All fossil fuels are made of hydrocarbons and can we get the hydrogen from water and mix up little carbon and manufacture the octane instead of digging up? Can we add a small catalyst in the existing fossil fuel and let the existing internal combustion engine to use only 1/100th of the octane with catalyst to produce the same energy? Thoughts of this kind are going on millions of minds and facing road blocks.

There is a real requirement out there for the fuel efficiency and alternatives are limited. Human mind potential is unlimited but the current exposure in altering the quantum configuration is very limited. What a clearly defined business requirement? You can not get more clearer requirement than this.

One solution to this problem is innovation. Both problem and solution are known, then what is the problem? Innovation is abstract solution must be applied to the problem contextually.

Take this situation and apply to the information technology organization. First identify the requirements for innovation with in the organization? Is it cost saving, revenue generation, market penetration, agility and etc? As I stated in my other article, for the close business model, there is a need for imaginary boundary for innovation within the organization and the imaginary boundary is clearly drawn by using this requirements.