Practical Innovation: Turning Innovative Ideas into Operational Solutions
Practical Innovation: Turning Innovative Ideas into Operational Solutions
Kristi is a dynamic explorer of strategic innovation that drives transformational change. She is the executive leader of Kenco Innovation Labs, a dedicated team focused on industry digital transformation and innovation, identifying over $60M in cost saving opportunities in the previous five years. With 30+ years of logistics and supply chain experience, Kristi leads the combination think tank and practical working physical lab partnering with entrepreneurs and startups to pilot solutions and deliver business value through practical application of innovation for the 200+ customers that Kenco serves in North America.
June 8th, 2022
Watch the full webinar in the video above, or read the recap below.
How do you go from a great idea to it actually delivering and working? As VP of Innovation and Research and Development at Kenco, Kristi Montgomery works to put into practice innovative procedures and practices to better improve Kenco’s services as a 3rd-party logistics provider. Kenco’s current major innovation project involves working with California-based Phantom Auto to install remote forklift drivers in warehouses around the country, removing workers from risky environments and allowing Kenco to recruit new talent from remote locations.
Kenco’s remote forklift driver initiative had to start somewhere, and innovating as a service provider—as opposed to product iteration—can present a unique challenge. For taking steps toward making innovative ideas into reality, Kristi gave two major recommendations: start simple and gather feedback from those in the day-to-day work.
Start Simple
For Kristi, her first prototype is a powerpoint presentation. Fight the compulsion to develop a “bright shiny object” that will astonish focus groups and decision-makers. Starting small allows for appropriate feedback for iteration and effective rapid prototyping. Further taking small steps can prevent delays and roadblocks, moving an idea closer to fruition. In one case at Kenco, having a roadmap for innovation with realistic iteration goals allowed for a prototype presentation in just two weeks from ideation, then implementation within six months. The new procedure ultimately saved a customer over three million dollars in the first year alone.
Gather Feedback
The most valuable feedback doesn’t come from leadership, but instead from those who do the work day-to-day. Gathering input from those who will be most impacted by a change helps ensure the new system or service will be the most effective improvement it can be. Oftentimes, the best ideas can come from the workers themselves. Kenco was established with the mentality of continuous improvement, and Kristi wants to see a culture of innovation extend to all of Kenco’s employees. Through an online portal, any Kenco employee can propose an idea or invention that could improve Kenco’s work, and quarterly challenges supply prompts for solutions to specific challenges the company is facing.
When gathering feedback, the most beneficial answers require the right questions. Asking “what’s your biggest pain point” will often simply be whatever has been the current struggle of the week. Instead, asking questions with an emphasis on vision—”what do you want your warehouse to look like in five years?”—can generate the best insights. If you’re looking for the right questions to ask, or you want to bring your ideas into reality, contact us to learn more about our innovation services at Bridge Innovate®.
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