Inspire innovation: the new space to create as a team
Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2024 5:22 am
Several months ago, a space called Inspire Innovation at Walmeric was created . This has become not only a meeting point but also something that brings together all Walmerians. In this space, everyone can share the different innovative ideas they have so that they can be developed together with the team.
Rocio Garaizar, Product Director
This is why in this interview, Product Director, Rocío Garaizar , answers key questions about the new meeting place for all Walmerians, where they will be able to create fantastic products/solutions that meet the needs of customers.
1. How was Inspire Innovation born at Walmeric?
Inspire Innovation was born as an initiative with two main objectives. The first is to create a space in which all members of Walmeric can collaborate, regardless of the area to which they belong. A “place” to be united and connect with the rest of the colleagues. The second objective, and no less important, is to continue being a benchmark for technological innovation. We have great professionals who come from different sectors who come up with ideas with a lot of innovation potential, thanks to this we can take advantage of all the potential to promote originality.
2. How do you think team collaboration can drive technological innovation within our company?
This can be a key way to drive technological innovation within Walmeric . When different people with diverse knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives work together on a project, fresh and creative ideas are generated that can lead to innovative solutions. These collaborations between different areas encourage diversity of ideas, breaking down biases that exist within each team; also encouraging learning from each other, creating constructive solutions and giving greater agility to carry out different projects at the same time.
4. What strategies have you found most effective for integrating different skills and perspectives in team-based technological innovation projects?
The first thing that has been created is a common and collaborative space, in which it has been explained very well that any idea, however crazy it may seem, is welcome and spam database that all of them will be taken into account and valued. Once people see that all their ideas can be accommodated, motivation increases considerably. The second step has been the selection of different ideas and the creation of multidisciplinary teams. We try to ensure that there are no more than 2 people from the same area in the same team. When collaborators work with people with whom they do not share daily work, they open their minds more. Then, the teams have been given guidelines on the minimum that the project should have and the deadline for developing it, as well as leaving the organization in their hands, giving them the confidence and freedom of their ability to work as a team. As the person responsible for the initiative, I hold meetings with the different groups to monitor the projects and to give them support at any time they need it.
5. What is your opinion on the importance of diversity in technological innovation teams and how it impacts the final results?
After more than 7 years at Walmeric, I believe that whenever we have worked taking into account the opinions of people from different teams when creating solutions, these have turned out to be much more powerful and effective.
I'll give you an example to make it easier to understand: if we were to create a product solely from the AI area without taking into account what the client needs (sales area), how this product is going to be operated (operations area), how it is going to be integrated with the rest of the products so that it is in tune (development area) and how we are going to sell it (marketing area), something good would surely be created but with shortcomings that we could have avoided if we had taken into account the opinion of the rest of the departments.
Therefore, I believe that the variety of perspectives of multidisciplinary teams fosters creativity by increasing resilience to proposals and thus improving decision-making when creating a product, and all of this directly impacts the final result of the product.
Rocio Garaizar, Product Director
This is why in this interview, Product Director, Rocío Garaizar , answers key questions about the new meeting place for all Walmerians, where they will be able to create fantastic products/solutions that meet the needs of customers.
1. How was Inspire Innovation born at Walmeric?
Inspire Innovation was born as an initiative with two main objectives. The first is to create a space in which all members of Walmeric can collaborate, regardless of the area to which they belong. A “place” to be united and connect with the rest of the colleagues. The second objective, and no less important, is to continue being a benchmark for technological innovation. We have great professionals who come from different sectors who come up with ideas with a lot of innovation potential, thanks to this we can take advantage of all the potential to promote originality.
2. How do you think team collaboration can drive technological innovation within our company?
This can be a key way to drive technological innovation within Walmeric . When different people with diverse knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives work together on a project, fresh and creative ideas are generated that can lead to innovative solutions. These collaborations between different areas encourage diversity of ideas, breaking down biases that exist within each team; also encouraging learning from each other, creating constructive solutions and giving greater agility to carry out different projects at the same time.
4. What strategies have you found most effective for integrating different skills and perspectives in team-based technological innovation projects?
The first thing that has been created is a common and collaborative space, in which it has been explained very well that any idea, however crazy it may seem, is welcome and spam database that all of them will be taken into account and valued. Once people see that all their ideas can be accommodated, motivation increases considerably. The second step has been the selection of different ideas and the creation of multidisciplinary teams. We try to ensure that there are no more than 2 people from the same area in the same team. When collaborators work with people with whom they do not share daily work, they open their minds more. Then, the teams have been given guidelines on the minimum that the project should have and the deadline for developing it, as well as leaving the organization in their hands, giving them the confidence and freedom of their ability to work as a team. As the person responsible for the initiative, I hold meetings with the different groups to monitor the projects and to give them support at any time they need it.
5. What is your opinion on the importance of diversity in technological innovation teams and how it impacts the final results?
After more than 7 years at Walmeric, I believe that whenever we have worked taking into account the opinions of people from different teams when creating solutions, these have turned out to be much more powerful and effective.
I'll give you an example to make it easier to understand: if we were to create a product solely from the AI area without taking into account what the client needs (sales area), how this product is going to be operated (operations area), how it is going to be integrated with the rest of the products so that it is in tune (development area) and how we are going to sell it (marketing area), something good would surely be created but with shortcomings that we could have avoided if we had taken into account the opinion of the rest of the departments.
Therefore, I believe that the variety of perspectives of multidisciplinary teams fosters creativity by increasing resilience to proposals and thus improving decision-making when creating a product, and all of this directly impacts the final result of the product.