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Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Published in: "Harvard Business Review - OnPoint", 2001

Abstract

This is an enhanced edition of HBR article R0102D, originally published in February 2001. HBR OnPoint articles save you time by enhancing an original Harvard Business Review article with an overview that draws out the main points and an annotated bibliography that points you to related resources. This enables you to scan, absorb, and share the management insights with others. The high cost of experimentation has long put a damper on companies'' attempts to create great new products. But new technologies are making it easier than ever to conduct complex experiments quickly and cheaply. Companies can now take innovation to a whole new level, contends Stefan Thomke, if they''re willing to rethink their R&D from the ground up. Thomke argues that new technologies affect everything, from the development process itself--including the way an R&D organization is structured--to how new knowledge is created. So companies that are trying to be more innovative face both managerial and technical challenges. Drawing on his research in the pharmaceutical, automotive, and software industries, Thomke introduces the following four rules for enlightened experimentation: organize for rapid experimentation; fail early and often, but avoid mistakes; anticipate and exploit early information; and combine new and old technologies. The article uses real- world examples to explain each rule in detail. It also suggests how this system of experimentation will affect other industries and examines the implications for knowledge workers.

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Abstract

This is an enhanced edition of HBR article R0102D, originally published in February 2001. HBR OnPoint articles save you time by enhancing an original Harvard Business Review article with an overview that draws out the main points and an annotated bibliography that points you to related resources. This enables you to scan, absorb, and share the management insights with others. The high cost of experimentation has long put a damper on companies'' attempts to create great new products. But new technologies are making it easier than ever to conduct complex experiments quickly and cheaply. Companies can now take innovation to a whole new level, contends Stefan Thomke, if they''re willing to rethink their R&D from the ground up. Thomke argues that new technologies affect everything, from the development process itself--including the way an R&D organization is structured--to how new knowledge is created. So companies that are trying to be more innovative face both managerial and technical challenges. Drawing on his research in the pharmaceutical, automotive, and software industries, Thomke introduces the following four rules for enlightened experimentation: organize for rapid experimentation; fail early and often, but avoid mistakes; anticipate and exploit early information; and combine new and old technologies. The article uses real- world examples to explain each rule in detail. It also suggests how this system of experimentation will affect other industries and examines the implications for knowledge workers.

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