Goodyear and Suppliers Driving Better RandD Via Web 2.0
Dennis McCafferty | Date: 01-26-10 | Comments: 0
- Goodyear’s "innovation module" taps suppliers to solve problems and strengthen collaborative relationships.
Blown
tires tend to make NASCAR racers a tad testy. So given that it supplies all of
the tires at every track, Akron, Ohio-based Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is
on the spot every week to make sure its products hold up without any mishaps at
crucial moments of competition. To meet this challenge, the company invests
significant time and resources to continue designing products that provide
better tread design, puncture-resistance, and longevity -- not just for NASCAR,
but the general public.
Much
of the needed research and development involves complex chemical analysis, and
in-depth probing of manufacturing strategies. One example: The development of
advanced chemical and polymer formulations -- or compounds -- which are capable
of delivering the specific, desired physical properties needed to meet the
demands of a new tire product. Oftentimes, the innovation for meeting these
challenges comes from the brainpower and sweat equity of suppliers.
So
given all of this, Goodyear recently came up with a novel way to develop new
innovations in product R&D: It essentially tapped into very much in-vogue
Web 2.0/social network tools to assemble fresher ideas and winning plans.
To do
so, Goodyear worked with Imaginatik Idea Central, a software/professional
services company based in Boston,
to create what it calls an "innovation module." The innovation module
paved the way for the recent launch of a "Supplier Innovation Event,"
in which 32 strategically picked suppliers were invited to address 17 technical
challenges that Goodyear's in-house staff devised. Nearly 200 responses
resulted over six weeks. Specifically, Goodyear challenged its suppliers to
help extend the tire performance boundaries of low rolling resistance, and
develop products with better traction on the tread design that lasted longer.
This created a venue for suppliers to introduce material developments they were
brewing in their own labs.
The
motivation behind the project went beyond simply asking for better ways to
produce products. Goodyear is ultimately seeking to shift the cultural dynamic
of the supplier/buyer relationship, from one focused mainly on cost factors to
that of a value-oriented, collaborative partnership to inspires innovation.
"Activating
this process has enhanced the dialogue with our suppliers," says Peter
Shepler, a Goodyear project leader overseeing the effort. "They've always
been eager to provide value. Now, we've opened a new channel by identifying the
technology challenges we face to meet business objectives. If they're able to
solve a problem we face, then the push to the marketplace is strong."
