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At last, a simple innovation process you can use to boost your company’s profits and arouse your people’s enthusiasm for innovation

Eliminate the fears and frustrations of innovation by learning and implementing a 7-step process that minimises risk and optimises success by making what works well even better

Practically every CEO says that innovation is important.  Despite this, only 4% of CEOs have actually implemented a system of innovation for their organisation. The key issues: fear of failure and  they just don’t know how.

Based on IBM’s last three global CEOs studies, CEOs consistently said that coping with change was their most pressing challenge.   In the IBM CEO Study 2010 , CEOs pronounced Creativity as the most important leadership attribute.    The most creative leaders invite disruptive innovation.  They encourage others to drop outdated approaches and take balanced risks.   They are open-minded and inventive in expanding their management and communication styles.   And they are particularly able  to engage with new generation employees, partners and customers.   They are ‘with it’ in every sense of that phrase.   

Now, in his power-packed program, Dr.YKK will share with you his simple-to-implement 7-step process for systemising innovation with minimum risk.   This includes optimising success by leveraging on the Global Brain via the Internet.

Dr.YKK’s entire  program is designed to increase your chances of innovation success and minimising risks by :

• Understanding and embracing the tools of Internet technology;
• Providing you with examples of Copycat Innovations that have impacted the world;
• Eliminating the fears and frustrations of innovation in your people;
• Infusing your people with enthusiasm for Innovation;
• Creating a crystal clear vision of what you want to achieve through your business innovation
• Identify any hidden challenges that may obstruct you in realising your vision
• Leave you with a practical plan for fast-track innovation that will minimise risk and optimise your business success.

What is Copycat Innovation?

Copycat Innovation is about adapting a proven solution to come out with an innovation, thereby minimizing risk and optimizing success. In short, it is about taking what works best and improving on it.
Copycat Innovation is not about a full-scale imitation of an existing product, service or process.  Creativity and innovation are required.   It has a structured methodology.

Copycat Innovation does not challenge copyright. Nor does it involve patent infringement.   Copycat Innovation takes advantage of R&D carried out earlier and involves the borrowing and developing of existing products, services, marketing systems and technologies to carve a competitive niche in the marketplace.

Why Copycat Innovation?

Coming out with ‘breakthrough ideas’ and ‘completely new’ innovations is both tempting and glamorous.   After all, success could mean market domination. However, such a strategy carries big risks.   Moreover it usually demands massive efforts and resources.   It is an activity that is complex, costly, and quite often shows very little promise of a return on investment. Work on the successor of the successful product has to start immediately.  This means that the successive research budget must be increasingly higher than the original innovation. Examples of this approach are Intel, 3M and P&G.

With globalisation and the advent of the Internet, there is an easier, simpler and proven new path to minimising risk and optimising success. This path is termed “Copycat Innovation”.  Examples of this approach are Apple in developing the iPod, iPhone and iPad series of products, Samsung’s business strategy  and banking.

The fact is this approach is not new. It has been carried out by countless successful companies and organisations.   But no one had given it a generic name until now.   Dr.YKK,  ‘The Chief Mind Unzipper,’ has named this approach Copycat Innovation. He has developed a 7-step methodology for Copycat Innovation, a methodology that taps into the awesome power of the Global Brain via the Internet.
In short, Copycat Innovation offers probably the best approach for your organisation in sustaining and growing your competitiveness and strategic positioning in the market-place because:

• Simple to implement
• Low risk,  as you are adapting or refining a proven solution
• Low-cost,  as the research and development work has already been done for you
• Requires much less resources including people, time and money efforts
• A fast-track route to commercialisation
• Legal and ethical

Examples of Copycat Innovation

• Apple :  Apple launched the iPad in 2010 by refining and adapting technologies from many sources . For example, the first Tablet computer was built by Microsoft in 2001. MIT created the Touch Screen technologies and the hand motion systems for flipping pages or moving screens. Of course, Apple introduces many innovations to the iPad too.

• Samsung: Samsung founder Lee Kun-hee’s formula of being the first in the market with a copycat product when there's a new opportunity has helped turn Samsung into a top global brand over the past decade or so, boasting a market value of $143 billion, bigger than Intel and Hewlett Packard and equal to the combined value of Sony Corp, Nokia, Toshiba and Panasonic Corp. This is because being an original innovator and creating a new market requires lots of risk and takes a long time to achieve profitable results.

• Xerox: Xerox has created , Open Xerox an online technology portal, providing instant access to the latest Xerox innovations and allowing anyone to test pilot technology and provide feedback directly to lab scientists and engineers.  It provides a website to encourage customers to play a part in the exploratory research that serves as a source for new products, applications and services, an indirect form of copycat innovation.

• Grand Homes : Grand Homes survived the housing bust and remained profitable by copycatting the People First strategy of Southwest Airlines . In fact, it was so successful and profitable that the company was named America's Best Builder by the judges at Builder Magazine. Copycat innovation enabled the company not only to survive but to thrive during the most severe housing crisis in the US.

• Banking: Commerce Bank is one of America's best-performing financial institutions, with a stock that grew more than two thousand percent in 10 years.  Yes, 2,000 %!    Commerce Bank’s strategy is to employ Copycat Innovation from the retail business. It is the most convenient bank, with a fanatical commitment to "wowing" its customers. Commerce Bank is famous for its “Penny Arcade” where kids have a lot of fun on an interactive screen while depositing their savings in coins.

The 7-Step Methodology to Copycat Innovation:

1. Identifying the Core issue;
2. Taking the Michelangelo approach;
3. Making the best better;
4. Innovating the wheel;
5. Selling the Copycat Innovation;
6. Implementing the Copycat Innovation;
7. Recognition and Celebration.

Your Copycat Innovation facilitator:

Dr. Yew Kam Keong , better known as Dr.YKK, the Chief Mind Unzipper,  will lead you through the Copycat Innovation process in a fun-filled, participative and stimulating way. He will help you to bring out viable and practical innovation for your organisation.

A word of warning though – you may never implement innovation the same way again!

Dr. YKK is acknowledged as a Distinguished Talent on Creativity & Innovation by the Australian Government.   A best-selling author and masterful storyteller, Dr YKK is an international speaker, trainer, and innovation consultant.   He has worked with governments, multinational corporations and SMEs.   His best-selling book “You Are Creative” has been reprinted 14 times and published in 5 languages.

Dr.YKK was the only person from among the British Commonwealth countries to be selected to serve on the pioneer panel of Eight International Creativity expert advisers to Lego on its global project “The Next Generation Forum”.

Contact Dr.YKK  - Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it M: +61438485683