Digital Shoring for Networked Innovation

Research reveals digital technologies can help innovators find each other

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Networked innovation

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By giving digital proximity to organizations with a potential common purpose, companies can leapfrog the natural limitations of physical industry clusters.

Digital shoring:• Unlocks new ways of working with partners

• Addresses strategic priorities to facilitate better innovation and collaboration

• Introduces digital proximity to overcome the limitations of physical industry partnerships

What is digital shoring?

Digital shoring—the latest evolution of organizational shoring approaches—builds on digital technologies and capabilities to help innovators find each other.

Companies are under pressure to innovate faster than ever

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Accenture research

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We undertook:

Developing and executing a successful networked innovation strategy

• In collaboration with Oxford Economics• 452 senior executives (mainly C-suite)• 9 industry clusters from 3 industries:

SurveyLife Sciences and Health

Chemicals and Process

Automotive

• Sample of 180 industry-related professionals

• 6 industry clusters from 2 industries:

Interviews • 24 industry leaders and experts

Twitter analysis

• Worked with the Accenture social media analytics team

Life Sciences and HealthAutomotive

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Accenture research: Survey

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A survey of 452 senior executives revealed that a variety of obstacles stand in the way of gains from participation in industry clusters. But executives believe that digital tools can overcome these challenges.

Our research found that executives believe:• Industry clusters can enhance relationships

• The benefits of industry clusters are difficult to attain

• Digital can overcome physical location limitations

What is an industry cluster?

A geographic concentration of interconnected businesses, suppliers, and associated institutions in a particular field

*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

Understanding executives’ experiences with industry clusters

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Industry clusters can enhance relationshipsExecutives recognize the benefits of industry clusters

Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. *Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

Tomorrow’s complex products are not going to be made by the technologies a large company develops alone under its own roof. Collaboration between different actors, large and small, competitors and partners, is crucial for innovation.

Jayson Pankin, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, AutoHarvest

““

said innovation of new products and services was the main benefit of building relationships with other companies globally*

66%report benefits in sharing information with organizations outside their industry cluster*

61%said a top benefit of clusters is building professional relationships and a network for the future*

69%

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The benefits of industry clusters are difficult to attain

Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved. *Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

Executives struggle to successfully extract benefits

reveal uncertainty over the benefits of collaboration in their industry cluster*54%noted a lack of variety of potential collaborators within their industry cluster*46%said a non-collaborative culture was a top three industry cluster challenge*36%

To operate globally using digital tools, new skills are required.

Frank Bobe, entrepreneur-in-residence, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

““

7Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.

Digital can overcome physical location limitationsExecutives believe in digital solutions

who ranked a non-collaborative culture among their top three cluster challenges believe it can be solved digitally*

82%who ranked attracting talent among their top three cluster challenges believe it can be solved digitally*

77%who reported difficulty translating cluster relationships into valuable outcomes believe that digital tools could help*

65%

Our globally dispersed members work 20 percent physically in face-to-face meetings, and 80 percent virtually using different digital tools such as teleconferencing technologies.

Steve Crumb, executive director,

GENIVI Alliance

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*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

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Accenture research: InterviewsUnderstanding how digital technology enables networked innovation

We interviewed 24 industry leaders and experts:

• Subject matter experts from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, London Business School, INSEAD Singapore, Melbourne Business School and Cambridge Judge Business School

• Industry leaders from multinational companies and industry associations

• Experts from local chambers of commerce, technology and innovation organizations

There is a link between investing in digital collaboration tools and better engaging with the Generation Y talent in workplaces.

Adam Kingl, executive director of learning solutions, London Business School

“ “Collaboration…needs to be done in an unbiased, unfettered way with everyone having a chance to participate in a level playing field; whether grassroots entrepreneurs or corporate titans.

Jayson Pankin, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, AutoHarvest

“ “

9Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.

Six-month Twitter analysis: 180 executives, two industries, six geographic regions

average number of industry-related hashtags that appeared in the top 10 most far-reaching1 hashtags*

8.5Twitter conversations with users followed by Basel executives who were located outside Europe*

55%average proportion of connections with users located outside of immediate geographic surroundings*

70%

Twitter is especially helpful during conferences, as people actively tweet during these events using certain hashtags. That helps cut through the clutter of conferences, and it also allows people to initiate new relationships and find the thought leaders.

Sarah MacDonald, executive vice president, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council

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1Note: Reach refers to the overall number of Twitter users who potentially saw the tweet or hashtag

*Source: Accenture Digital Shoring Research 2015

Accenture research: Twitter analysis

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Digital shoring benefits:Opportunity one: Live in the global villageThe global village consists of a formal network that brings together many organizations in a common pursuit, and informal networks, where employees tap into available tools, such as social media, to form their own digital global communities.Opportunity two: Know your neighbors betterDigital technology is not an alternative to physical presence but an important amplifier of its benefits.

Where next?The path to networked innovation

Look beyond existing business boundaries. Whether using formal industry networks or informal social media-based communities, organizations can create a path to networked innovation.

Ask yourself:• Who are the right partners

for collaboration?• How open is our

organization to outsiders?• How can our employees

be ambassadors for digital shoring?

• Are today’s digital tools good enough?

11Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.

Read interviews from industry leaders and experts:

Digital Shoring for Networked Innovation

Related reading

• Frank Bobe, entrepreneur-in-residence, Wyss Institute, Harvard University

• Steve Crumb, executive director, GENIVI Alliance

• Adam Kingl, executive director of learning solutions, London Business School

• Sarah MacDonald, executive vice president, Massachusetts Biotechnology Council

• Jayson Pankin, co-founder, president and chief executive officer, AutoHarvest

www.accenture.com/digitalshoring

12Copyright © 2016 Accenture All rights reserved.

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