ABSTRACT
An impeller approach identifies early what the solution could be based on discussions from the ‘meadow of experts’ already in the problem area. A ‘bee’ is a new type of thinker that can harvest the meadow and, along with an entrepreneur, traditional innovation team and stand-alone delivery vehicle, can commercialise the solution far faster than the traditional problem-focused approach.
Starting with a solution forces everyone involved to look again at the problem and determine whether the right questions are being asked and answered in the first place. The solution helps to clarify or confirm the question in the same way that an answer to a crossword puzzle helps make the clue seem obvious.
This ‘obviousness’ can manifest itself in the realisation that 80 per cent of the solution may already be available. It may be that it is not something that is commonly used in the sector or that it involves a combination of elements or technologies to make it work. But the fact that these are all available means that the route to market is suddenly shorter.
