Are We Entering an "Innovation Upturn"?

In 2002, with the technology sector still reeling from the bursting of the dot-com bubble, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates observed that smart companies were quietly driving an "innovation upturn". Out of that troubled period came the iPod, MySpace and a host of other innovations that in many ways set the scene for the boom years that followed.

So too in the current downturn are some British companies refusing to go on the defensive. They are instead actively investing in innovation, preparing for future growth by streamlining their operations and finding unexpected ways of reaching out to and engaging with potential customers.

One company at the forefront of such innovation is Boss Design, creator of bespoke seating collections for offices, hotels and the conference market. A leading player in the UK and global seating industry, Boss Design recognised as early as 2002 that their operations and manufacturing processes were failing to meet the same high standard as their product offering.

A key partner in transforming Boss Design from underachiever to global performer was the K3 Group, the ERP software specialists. With the assistance of K3, Boss Design successfully integrated SYSPRO at every stage of their business process, transforming everything from sales through product configuration, production and assembly.

Eager to promote their role in fostering innovation at Boss Design and elsewhere, K3 recently embarked on a major online PR campaign. In keeping the spirit of innovation that drives their business - and aware of the potential for traditional case studies to bore rather than entertain their audience - K3 chose to frame this campaign as a series of humorous mockumentary videos. Following one failing manager’s journey through a host of SYSPRO success stories, 'The Factory' series has gone on to gain a sizeable following on YouTube and to generate new inquiries for K3 from some unexpected sources.

Episode Four of The Factory, released today, is available for viewing along with the previous three episodes at http://www.k3scs.com/the-factory/.

About K3

Based in Manchester, K3 is the UK’s largest provider of manufacturing software for small and medium sized enterprises in a variety of industries including Aerospace, Automotive, Pharmaceutical, Electronics, Fabrication, Food and Beverage, Machinery and Equipment, Medical Devices and Wholesale Distribution. SYSPRO is K3’s flagship Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, providing integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Planning and Scheduling, Analytics and E-commerce functionality.