Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want (Hardcover)

~ Curtis R. Carlson (Author), William W. Wilmot (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

As CEO of SRI International, Carlson has consulted with hundreds of organizations on becoming more effective and profitable. He has distilled that experience into a thorough treatise on the innovation process. The book cites dozens of examples of innovative ideas brought to fruition by innovators from Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs. It outlines, in workbook fashion, the critical decision-making process--the Five Disciplines of Innovation--required to think innovatively along with the quantitative tools that one needs to become an innovator, regardless of one's profession. The authors deliver this in easily digestible outlines of what Carlson believes to be a tried-and-true process of how companies can effectively innovate. Tips for jump-starting the creative process, a brainstorming method based on why office mates chat around a water cooler, and how to create a value proposition along with understanding market and customer needs are all addressed in a readable, easy-to-understand tone. Weaving in stories of companies that have successfully innovated, such as Dell, with those that haven't, such as Polaroid, the authors offer a well-reasoned approach to innovation. Gail Whitcomb
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“Innovation—mystery or mastery? For Carlson and Wilmot, the answer is definitely the latter. Following the example of Deming’s approach to quality—another of those magically powerful substances—they lay out a thoughtful, practical methodology for managing innovation projects through to successful outcomes. Sure, in that one percent inspiration there may be the occasional moment of mystery, but for those of us operating in the ninety-nine percent perspiration part of the field, it’s terrific to finally get a great user’s manual.” —Goeffrey Moore, author of Dealing with Darwin: How Great Companies Innovate at Every Phase of Their Evolution


From the Hardcover edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Crown Business (August 8, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307336697
• ISBN-13: 978-0307336699
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,927 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and engaging , June 5, 2007

By	Marty "martyr2566" (Palo Alto, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Everybody talks about "innovation" these days, but here's a practical guide to getting it right. Carlson writes in an engaging manner, with real-world examples. It all just seems to make sense when you read it. Any company or organization out there that wants long-term success would do well to follow the five disciplines described in this book.

53 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practitioners guide to extraordinary customer value creation, October 2, 2006

By	Dale Lampson (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This practical and accessible book eloquently argues that innovation is much more predictable and achievable when the right process is used to guide those involved in the innovative effort. The authors leave no doubt as to what the process is, or who is involved. It's the 5 Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want. And these disciplines involve everyone in the firm--not just a few guiding superstars. Rather then a long list of new and complex concepts, the 5 Disciplines will probably appear as common sense to most readers. The authors forcefully argue that innovation is what enables the world's inhabitants to choose between living in scarcity or abundance, and that the best guide to innovation in the post-industrial "Exponential Economy" is to focus on Customer Value Creation (CVC). This is a book for practitioners, not theorists, although the latter will find the models offered provide fertile ground for validation and refinement. For the practitioner, the 5 Disciplines unfold in short, easy-to comprehend chapters that invite immediate application to one's current place of employment. Sprinkled liberally in the 300+ pages between the covers are suggestions for immediate application of a principle just presented and short stories that illustrate the authors' practical experience in putting their proposals into action. While SRI is most likely a place very unlike any firm at which you've ever worked, the book's slight bias towards fundamental research and innovation (vs. incremental product enhancement) entices the reader to always think first about what's most important. To, as the authors suggest in the early pages, put your innovative energy into new pain killers, not vitamins. At the end of the day, you want the results of your innovation to alleviate real pain, to not be just a generic undifferentiated "nice-to-have". This book is an excellent guide to anyone, or organization, ready to sign up to this goal.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Innovation: The Five Disciplines for Creating What Customers Want, February 28, 2007

By	Techie Bibliophile (United States) - See all my reviews

It has been often suggested that innovation comes from an isolated Aha! Carlson and Wilmot strongly contend that successful innovations come from a disciplined approach that creates value through new products, processes, services, or even marketing campaigns. One of their messages is to work on ideas that are profitable not just interesting. They suggest quantifying value in order to identify important innovation opportunities. They teach the reader how to create well tuned value propositions, and even those 10-minute elevator pitches. The authors provide examples their Need, Approach, Benefits per costs, Competition thinking process. This is not one of those magical matrices, it is a realistic approach that requires understanding customer and market needs, identifying costs and benefits, as well as, the value to investors and management. I thought this was a great book even before Business Week (18 Dec 2007 p.156) identified it as one of the top 2006 Business Books. "Innovation: The five disciplines for creating what customers want" is an easy to read, useful volume that helps readers to focus on the value of their idea or innovation as compared to alternatives. I would like to use this book in a course to help students to examine their business ideas