Posted on 05/04/2007 8:46:04 AM PDT by Swordmaker
Not so long ago, no conversation about innovation would be complete without the story of 3M inventor Art Frys eureka moment that led to the Post-it Note. Today, that tale, which verges on cliche, has been almost universally replaced by the story of the iPod, Apples omnipresent icon of design.
It should come as little surprise, then, that Apple tops the BusinessWeek-Boston Consulting Groups list of the Worlds Most Innovative Companies for the third year in a row. That sort of staying power speaks volumes about the sort of innovation that matters today. Unlike the Post-it Note, which proves the value of lone inventors, the iPod epitomizes todays innovation sensibilities. These include the ascendance of design, the focus on the users experience, and the power of ecosystems: The iPod is a hit because it works so seamlessly with the iTunes software. The companys much-anticipated iPhone, which launches in June, will likely keep Apple high on our list next year too.
There are some surprises this year, including four new companies in the top 25Disney, Boeing, Genentech, and Cisco Systems. In other cases, the resilience of corporate reputation was surprising. Wal-Mart Stores suffers from slow growth, but still commands respect for its supply-chain innovations. Dell wears the brand halo of an innovator for its efficient direct-to-consumer model, though it suffered through a management shakeup and fell from No. 14 to No. 22. And what of 3M? It fell too, from No. 3 in 2006 to No. 7 this year.
(Excerpt) Read more at bwnt.businessweek.com ...
Maybe what this list really points out is how few genuinely innovative larger firms there are aside from Apple and Google - sheer size quickly becomes a limiting factor.
It's a seven billion a year industry. Besides, relative to the importance things like crappy coffee (Starbucks, #14)?
Anyway, I finally read the methodology. They just randomly surveyed managers. A good chunk of them probably don't even know what Nintendo's up to.
“I am a Priate KIng
And it tis, it tis
A wonderful thing
to be a Priate King.”
Play with the big and and get the same crud they hand to the other big boys.
No thanks. And I say that as a former QAE/COTR , procurement offical.
iWeb works with other hosts than .Mac... save to a folder and upload.
Actually, if you look at the Doge/Chrysler line over the last few years - LOTS of new (mostly completely new) models.
Chrysler invented the minivan
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