CONTACT SALES
TECHNICAL SUPPORT

4 Keys to Innovation Center Success

For organizations to thrive within the new digital economy, innovation needs to be at the core. The better an organization is at fostering a truly collaborative environment, the higher the likelihood for meaningful innovations.

Properly equipped innovation centers are surfacing as one of the most popular approaches. How specifically you go about building this environment can play a pivotal role in determining effectiveness.

1. Consider logistical aspects of the space.

Since the number of people involved can fluctuate significantly from project to project, having partitions or movable walls can prove beneficial. The key here is to find a balance that makes participants comfortable while enhancing collaboration. You want an environment where people speak openly, and where they are encouraged to voice their ideas and concerns.

Early thinking focused on building completely open spaces. However, for numerous reasons, this approach is less than ideal when innovating. After all, throughout the innovation cycle you need to protect information, and sometimes this means being very secretive. You want to collaborate with the necessary people on the team, but you want to avoid telegraphing to people outside of the circle. Not everyone needs to know what you are trying to do.

2. Understand technology requirements.

Selecting the right technology starts with understanding the important role communication and collaboration play in the innovation center’s sustainable success. Deploying the right audiovisual equipment can play a meaningful role in any innovation center. Innovation centers need a mix of displays and tools designed to work through ideas such as electronic whiteboards. In some instances, video walls are equally important components.

Adding AV equipment to the mix cannot be an afterthought. Having proper acoustics, lighting and environmental controls are key components to getting the most out of these technologies. Additionally, having the ability to bring up and predominately display research – without interrupting the collaborative flow as the team is brainstorming – is significant and often requires access to network bandwidth.

For firms specializing in hardware design or component prototyping, having access to virtual or augmented reality tools within the space can improve outcomes. For instance, integrating 3D printing and rapid prototyping capabilities. Or at least something that prompts these activities such as software that projects high definition virtual models on wall displays.

3. Embrace constant evolution.

The best innovation centers remain a work in progress. For example, when innovation is a firm’s core competency, the ability to integrate biometrics into the equation can make a meaningful difference. Specifically, biometric data makes it possible to monitor how the levels of collaboration change throughout the day. This type of data helps to fine-tune team performance.

The integration of wearable technology also represents a significant opportunity as innovation centers continue to evolve. Wearables provide a unique ability to communicate and capture ideas, so that engineering teams can engage in the testing process while seamlessly gathering data. Likewise, a field representative could use a wearable to capture a customer problem and live stream the feed to the engineering team within the innovation to brainstorm a solution on the fly.

4. Address ongoing challenges (often through mobility and software).

Although some of the specific resources can vary by industry, the one commonality is the need for a digital collaborative forum. Understandably, the fact that each of us buy different brands and gear with unique performance capabilities creates challenges. After all, for these spaces to work, all the devices need to be able to work under the same platform.

Compatibility and standardization are crucial. Understandably, manufacturers want proprietary solutions so that you buy their entire catalog of accessories. However, this can create limits that hamper an organization’s effectiveness. Fortunately, as we empower team members to use their smartphones to complete actions, the application congruencies are bridging the gap.

 

What's your perspective?

Tell us the topic you would like to hear more about

More Perspective
4 MINS

The Metaverse: A world of opportunity

When Gartner cites the metaverse as one of its top strategic technology trends for 2023, the technology has to be taken seriously. Indeed, according to forecasters, it looks like big business for...

|
2 MINS

Dark Rides, The Next Generation (Part 2)

In an earlier blog, Dark Rides – The Next Generation – Part 1, we explained the importance of upgrading dark rides to meet increasing visitor expectations and explored the three key trends –...

|
3 MINS

Dark Rides, The Next Generation (Part 1)

Dark rides have been an important and popular attraction in theme parks for generations, but now experiential technology is taking them in exciting new directions — and the new generation of rides...

|
2 MINS

The evolution of the video wall

Video walls as art - How far can LED technology take the video wall? Video walls have reached an exciting tipping point. The latest developments in LED video walls are helping designers create custom...

|
3 MINS

How to Use AI to Augment Your Creative Potential

Artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t the stuff of science fiction anymore. In fact, it’s powering billions of processes and workflows for companies worldwide. It’s become a key component in almost...

|
3 MINS

The Future of Onsite AV Support

The world of audiovisual technology is changing, and effective design, planning, engineering and installation of a holistic AV solution is now a prerequisite to doing business in an increasingly...

|
6 MINS office-shakehands

Planning to Hire an AV Company?

Exceptional projects demand an exceptional team. When engaging an audio visual (AV) solutions provider with so many companies out there… how do you choose? From design, to procurement, commissioning...

|
3 MINS

Are You Ready for ISE?

Taking place in Amsterdam February 11-14, the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) exhibition is a premier event focused entirely on audiovisual (AV) and systems integration. If you have a project on the...

|
2 MINS

Is Your AV Deployment Secure?

The need for security impacts everyone. And, unfortunately, unmonitored access points can quickly lead to a costly data breach. The massive Target breach from a few years ago was the result of an...

|
1 MINS

Does 5G Matter for Your AV Deployments?

If you pay even the slightest amount of attention to technology trends, you already know that the hype around 5G is rapidly gaining steam. The question is what does the eventual movement from current...

|
4 MINS

Looking Back at a Decade of Opportunity

Each time we hit a new decade, it is always fun and often rewarding to take a look in the rearview mirror to see how the company has progressed. The past 10 years represent a decade of significant...

|
2 MINS iStock-1152574617

What's on Your Wishlist?

Do you have a project on the horizon? Is your goal to captivate your audience? In the spirit of the holidays, we have created a wish list of the qualities a company should consider when selecting an...

|
2 MINS james-pond-XO9uCZZaipE-unsplash

Dark Rides Expand Branding Opportunities

Brands are more important today than ever before. Why? Today’s consumer likes to relate to a brand – it is part of the experience they desire. This is true whether they are buying a product or...

|
2 MINS iStock-165683086

Dark Rides Protect Your Park's Future

Nostalgia has its place even with the Millennial crowd. There is something comforting about a known experience. It helps the guest even temporarily relive cherished childhood memories. That is the...

|
3 MINS dtorlando-01_(1)

7 Things You Need to Do During IAAPA

There is a lot of excitement at IAAPA, and without a plan the entire experience can quickly become overwhelming. Sensory overload is always a real possibility! Having participated in these events for...

|
5 MINS blog-image-01_(1)

Are You Ready for IAAPA?

As the attraction industry’s biggest expo, IAAPA is always a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on what we have done over the past year, as well as a time to meet with existing and prospective...

|
2 MINS iStock-863497498

Do You Really Need an AV Consultant?

As the experience economy continues to mature and evolve, it is has become increasingly more important to embrace creative and meaningful ways to visually interact with team members and customers....

|
2 MINS iStock-1093674926

Are You Ready for AV-As-A-Service?

The cloud-based as-a-service market has been one of the fastest growing sectors over the past 5 years. So much so that it’s estimated that organizations will spend $94.8 billion on these cloud-based...

|
1 MINS iStock-658188828

How Interactives Can Become Viral

We have talked in detail about the significant role that interactive audiovisual deployments can have as guests engage and ultimately embrace the immersive experience. What we haven’t discussed is...

|
1 MINS iStock-911030486-1

Addressing Learning Disabilities

Today’s educators are far more in-tune with the need to adjust lessons to meet individualized student needs. Addressing learning disabilities is a prime example.

|
2 MINS iStock-1065240764

Future of the Digital Workplace

The digital economy is here and with it comes a new way of conducting business. Technology is at the core of almost every job. Smart offices have become the norm with an influx of highly interactive...

|
2 MINS shutterstock_576827212

Collaboration and Communication

When properly leveraged, audiovisual (AV) technology is at the core of most highly effective collaboration and communications efforts in today’s digital world. After all, AV technology has the...

|
2 MINS podcast imageNEW-01

Unpacking the XR Revolution (New Podcast)

We are in the beginning stages of a true revolution – the extended reality revolution. Although some components have been around for a handful of years, the current level of maturity, understanding...

|
3 MINS iStock-169938237-1

Why Businesses Favor a Huddle Room

The global market is rapidly evolving, and if organizations hope to compete – or better yet thrive – they need to rethink their physical environments. Gone are the work weeks where workers file into...

|
1 MINS iStock-1043605040

Reinventing Spaces: Retailtainment

Modern retail venues are constantly evolving – merging entertainment with shopping to create lifestyle destinations for people to shop, eat, drink, socialize and work. They are ultimately redefining...

|
2 MINS monitor-1054708_1280

Why Audiovisual Solutions Matter

In today’s digital economy, how businesses leverage technology is often a key differentiator. While various technologies play a role in fueling this evolving environment properly deploy audiovisual...

|
2 MINS elc400_N5_medium_(1)

What is a Huddle Room?

As Millennials started replacing Boomers, they brought with them the idea of open office environments. And, while these open spaces created an aesthetic the new professionals desired, it also shined...

|
2 MINS victor-garcia-qm9pHqVt7KA-unsplash-2-2

Optimizing Design with AV in Mind

When creating a distinctive structure for a client, it is easy to get caught up in the aesthetics of delivering a truly unique design capable of setting a facility apart from the pack. However, doing...

|
2 MINS jeshoots-com-722888-unsplash-1

Putting an End to Terminal Boredom

Airport terminals can be busy and heavily congested environments, especially during peak travel times. However, even though terminals are often filled with people rapidly moving from point A to point...

|
Scroll to Top