Our Innovation Research Process

Every project is unique, which is why we don’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach. We’re committed to customizing and adapting our methodologies to ensure that you can achieve your goals and objectives in the most efficient and comprehensive manner possible. Yet, a starting point is always needed. The graphic below represents the high-level process that we engage for the majority of the work that we do.

Phase I: Frame the Problem

Some business challenges are straightforward, such as “Please help us understand what new features need to be included in our next generation product.” Others are more ambiguous, such as “We want to know how people feel about the electricity and utility power that they use in their daily lives.” We welcome both types of problems and everything in between.

When we begin a project, we sit down with your team to get each of their perspectives on the problem that we’re trying to solve. We want to know:

• What they feel completely in the dark about
• What they think they know about the solution to the problem at hand
• How they anticipate using the results of the project to propel your organization forward

Answers to these questions drive how the project is scoped, the methodologies chosen to solve the problem and how customers participating in the project are sampled and segmented.

Phase II: Understand the Current Situation

We don’t believe that anyone can effectively envision the future without having a good grip on the reality of the present. This phase is all about data collection and analysis. It involves:

• Doing customer research
• Performing secondary literature review
• Mapping the competitive landscape
• Conducting trend research
• Facilitating stakeholder interviews

When this phase is complete, you have a solid understanding of what the challenges and unmet needs of the current situation are. With this new perspective, you can clearly see the opportunities for change and innovation.

Phase III: Translate Insights into Opportunities

This phase is about interpreting how the findings from the previous step of the process are relevant and applicable to your current goals, as well as the constraints that you need to work within to address those objectives.

This “translation” activity gets manifested in multiple ways. For less complex initiatives, recommendations might be made in a report detailing changes a company should make to their product or service offering. For big-picture or more intricate initiatives, various workshops may be facilitated to define short and long-term strategies for addressing the problem we’re tasked to solve.

At the conclusion of Phase III, our clients know what to do next to best leverage the outcomes of our work together.

Phase IV: Take Action

By Phase IV, the bulk of Sylver’s work is complete, and in many ways, your work has just begun. Sometimes periodic support is needed to guarantee that you are staying true to your customers’ needs as you proceed through the development process. Or you might need assistance in keeping the excitement for these new initiatives alive within your organization. We can help by scheduling periodic reviews with your development teams, or by creating training programs based on our research for your marketing teams or sales staff. Just like everything in our process, we’re open to experimentation and customization. We are committed to making sure you get the largest return on investment on the work done with our company.