Continuous improvement has been the backbone of operational excellence for decades—but today’s pace of change has surpassed it. In this Supply Chain Byte, Lisa Anderson explains why manufacturers must move beyond traditional continuous improvement and embrace collaborative innovation. By working across functions, partners, and even customers, companies can accelerate breakthroughs, upgrade capabilities and stay ahead in markets that are shifting at lightning speed.

Incremental change is no longer enough. If you consider shipbuilding, the U.S. builds 3-5 ships a year. Even if you double output which is dramatic in comparison to continuous improvement, it is nowhere near enough. Instead, we need to extrapolate the effect. For example, going from 1 to 100,000 or 3 to 300,000. Radical and collaborative innovation has become a must.

Recently, an executive order, known as the Genesis Mission, was signed that allowed for a government wide integrated artificial intelligence platform that will transform scientific research and speed discoveries. In essence, it will accelerate scientific breakthroughs by training AI on vast federal datasets, providing supercomputing access, and fostering public-private partnerships to boost U.S. tech leadership and national security. It unites the U.S. Department of Energy as energy is foundational to power AI, the U.S. National Laboratories which is essential with data, technical expertise and supercomputers to bring together minds, powerful computers and the data for success. To learn more about how AI can drive new thinking and results, download our eBook, AI & Advanced Technologies: How AI Powers Smart Supply Chains and Smarter Decisions.

What should we be thinking about? Start by looking at your business differently. Look at it in a way that will massively accelerate breakthroughs and upgrades to achieve customer value and powerful business results. Instead of – or in addition to – continuous improvement, we must do a 90-degree turn and deliberately innovate and test unchartered waters. Bring new and conflicting opinions into the conversation, try what seems impossible, and radical innovation will turn into breakthrough results. 

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How Innovation Fuels Success