There are many objectives that can be tackled in a lab type environment, not all of which involve the incubation of a totally new concept. A lab style environment should be somewhere that people can fundamentally think differently in a low risk, high support setting. Learn about the different outcomes that can be accelerated through the use of a labs style approach.

1. Published By:
WZARD INNOVATION LTD
INNOVATION LABS

2. INNOVATION LABS
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Background
Wzard Innovation Ltd has been launched by the multi-award-winning team who delivered a
successful innovation practice for top 3 insurer Liverpool Victoria and now help organisations
to accelerate their own innovation and automation programmes.
The team have practical experience in the actual deployment of technologies into challenging
business environments, understanding the importance of processes and toolkits for wider
business implementation not just the technical delivery.
We are a small team, passionate about change and accelerating your journey at a pace which
is tailored to your organisational needs.
Introduction
Many companies have created or have been involved with innovation labs of one sort or
another or are in the process of creating one in the hope of finding that unicorn solution that
helps and dominate the market. Many people enter this process with a narrow view of what
an innovation lab might be.
In truth there are many objectives that can be tackled in a lab type environment, not all of
which involve the incubation of a totally new concept. A lab style environment should be
somewhere that people can fundamentally think differently in a low risk, high support setting.
The “Lab” is not necessarily one big thing or place that people come to, but for some
companies the objective is to have many labs running at multiple levels of the business to
accelerate thinking. For this you need a central Innovation Practice (or Centre of Excellence)
to provide a consistent approach and help rollout labs that achieve successful results.
It is entirely possible to create a lab environment at very low cost and use the existing
knowledge from people within your organisation and not only explore the future model for
products and services that may take your organisation down the road, but also allow you to
review the way that things that you do today might be done in a new breakthrough manner
that leaps ahead of your competitors.
The INCUBATION Lab
Outcome Expected is a tested proposition.
Incubation is typically used to describe the type of lab that explores the viability of a direction
that you already know or takes a company, typically a start-up, and tests the marketability
and customer demand for a known product or idea. In this style of lab the key Objective is
really to see how you can adopt or adapt to the new thinking within your organisation without
squashing the idea with your existing rules and concepts.

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The SOLUTIONING Lab
Outcome Expected is a Prototype.
A lab that’s main purpose is to find a solution for a known or perceived customer problem is
a very different beast. In many industries there are known gaps in customer need that often
do not get addressed because the traditional product development cycle for an organisation
typically just churned out more of the same, possibly cheaper, possibly through a different
website, or about with someone in the company thinks is great but which doesn’t really
address the customer need.
A solutioning lab should start with a very clear problem within the market space, such as SME
businesses struggle to understand the opportunities or needs of insuring their operation. This
example is a real one and has been highlighted by industry reports which indicate that there
is underinsurance which amounts to billions of pounds.
The INTERNAL OPERATIONS Lab
Expected Outcome is a cultural shift.
One of the hardest things to change in a large company is the way we do things around here.
An internal operations lab addresses this elephant in the room. It is one of the hardest
challenges for larger organisations, as the people who have risen to the top and manage the
processes tend to be very attached to the way that they’ve always done it, it has been drilled
into them sometimes over many years that you do not challenge the process.
In this style of Lab, one of the keys to success is allowing those people who are relatively new
to the organisation to express the key pains of working for you. You not only have to allow
them to tell you, but you also must create an environment where it’s okay say what’s wrong.
What Next?
When starting out it is inevitable that people will be insecure, and there will be a fear of
failure. Addressing these challenges requires the right leadership and an environment that
will allow the lab to succeed. The team will learn together as activities proceed, gaining the
confidence needed to adapt the environment as they proceed.
Utilise external help to facilitate, structure and identify the right approach to fit your specific
needs, this is never a one-size-fits all proposition, set up for success with the right approach,
effective leadership support, and the right environment, and your team will deliver the rest.

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The Wzard Innovation Team
Rod Willmott
Wzard Innovation
Chief Wzard
rod@wzard.co.uk
07450 273103
@rwbdjr
Rob King
Wzard Innovation
Chief Operating Wzard
rob.king@wzard.co.uk
07711 250545
@Rob_King_
Rod Willmott, who started the Fast Track
team in 2012, now leads Wzard. He has
been involved helping organisation change
the way they think since the start of his
career and over the course of the past 30
years has learnt to help organisations
adapt to the fact that change is ever more
pressing
Career focus has been on business system
creation and replacement, leading the
thinking on introduction / creation of an
innovation practice.
Rob King, a certified Six Sigma Master Black
Belt with 25 years’ experience in helping
organisations to develop in new
technologies, drive operational efficiency,
deliver lean transformation programmes,
manage strategic operations and aid the
creation of a clear business strategy.
Since 2013 the growth of Robotic Process
Automation has been a key focus area,
working closely with key suppliers to test
and deliver a variety of solutions.