...opportunities and threats to assist 3M in making business strategic plans and decisions (Renault 2015). Whereas, opportunity-based theory is used to support the behavior of 3M’s leaders in discovering and taking advantages of possibilities in the business without regarding to resources currently controlled (Pramanik 2015). SWOT Analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats existing in the business of 3M. In term of strengths, 3M has a diversified business because of their broad range of products and 6 different types of business segments provided. For example, the various products include Post-It Notes, Scotch Tape, high-tech LCD films and so on while the business segments include Healthcare, Industrial & Transportation, Consumer & Office, Display & Graphics (D&G) and so on to figure 1 in appendix list. Besides, 3M has also a strong Research and Development (R&D) where they spend more than a billion dollars on R&D in a year, around 20% of this budget supports its 32 technology centers. At the same time, 3M also employed approximately 1000 researchers that work in each of the technology centers to improve new product development (Gerybadze n.d.). In addition, there are various R&D centers established such as central research function in 1937, Technical Forum in 1951 and so on based on the 3M case study. Furthermore, another strength of 3M Company is that it has strong innovation and made 3M included in the list of 50 most innovative...
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...3M Case Study (4) “3M has been known for decades as an entrepreneurial company that pursues growth through innovation. It generates a quarter of its annual revenues from products less than five years old. 3M started life as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company back in 1902. Its most successful product - flexible sandpaper - still forms an important part of its product line but this now comprises of over 60000 products that range from adhesive tapes to office supplies, medical supplies and equipment to traffic and safety signs, magnetic tapes and CDs to electrical equipment. Originally innovation was encouraged informally by the founders, but over more than a century some of these rules have been formalized. But most important of all there has built up a culture which encourages innovation. And because this culture has built up a history of success, it perpetuates itself.” 3M is a global innovation company that never stops inventing. Over the years their innovations have improved daily life for hundreds of millions of people all over the world. They have made driving at night easier, made buildings safer, and made consumer electronics lighter, less energy-intensive and less harmful to the environment. Every day at 3M, one idea always leads to the next, igniting momentum to make progress possible around the world. Innovation is a way of life. It’s a deliberate, ongoing and persevering process of discovery, a curiosity for the new and a passion for making things better...
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...Innovation, ideas and solutions for a modern world 1 Introduction – A Century of Innovation 3M is a global diversified materials science company and a powerful, diverse and integrated enterprise. Although 3M identifies its core competency simply as “applying coatings to backings”, the company’s operations extend far beyond this. 3M, famous for its consumer brands such as Scotch® Tape and Post-it ® Notes, also creates thousands of industrial products used by manufacturers and service providers to create their own products. From its beginnings in 1902 as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, 3M has grown to achieve sales revenue of $US25.3 billion and an operating income of $US3.5 billion in 2008. The company has over 79,000 employees with approximately 13 percent employed directly as technical staff. As a truly global presence, 3M services almost 200 national markets, and operates subsidiary companies, such as 3M Australia, in more than 60 countries. Almost 64 percent of 3M’s entire sales revenue originates from international operations. With a vision “to be the most innovative enterprise and preferred supplier in the markets we serve”, 3M prides itself on its history of innovation – reinforced through its brand promise, “practical and ingenious solutions that help customers succeed”. Key values underpinning 3M’s continual success include its commitment to: • Satisfy our customers with superior quality and value • Provide investors with an attractive...
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...Case study An analysis of 3M, the innovation company Introduction Any review of the literature on new product development and innovation management will uncover numerous references to 3M. The organisation is synonymous with innovation and has been described as ‘a smooth running innovation machine’ (Mitchell, 1989). Year after year 3M is celebrated in the Fortune 500 rankings as the ‘most respected company’ and the ‘most innovative company’. Management gurus from Peter Drucker to Tom Peters continually refer to the company as a shining example of an innovative company. This case study takes a look at the company behind some of the most famous brands in the marketplace, including Post-it® Notes. It examines the company’s heritage and shows how it has arrived at this enviable position. Furthermore, the case study attempts to clarify what it is that makes 3M stand out from other organisations. Background Originally known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, with its headquarters in St Paul, Minnesota, 3M was established in 1902 to mine abrasive minerals for the production of a single product, sandpaper. From these inauspicious beginnings, the company has grown organically, concentrating on the internal development of new products in a variety of different industries. The latest review of the company’s position reveals that it manufactures over 60,000 products, has operations in 61 countries, employs 75,000 people and has achieved an average year-on-year growth...
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...3M has been known for decades as an entrepreneurial company that peruses growth through innovation. It generates a quarter of its annual revenues from products less than 5 years old. Long before “reinvention” became a buzzword of American business, 3M already had made change a central part of its corporate culture [1]. Many say the company’s success over the years is linked to its ability to change as 3M, its products and the world marketplace evolves. Once 3M top management has long felt that the 3M innovation process was being focus on incremental improvements to existing product lines. They urgently wanted to improve matters, and wanted especially to improve 3M's ability to respond to the "unarticulated needs" of customers by providing breakthroughs and services. Among many methods of innovation that the 3M used to improve their capability of making breakthroughs, The Lead User process offered a promising solution to that problem. Von Hipple (1999) marks that the Lead User market research method is built around the idea that the richest understanding of new product and service needs is held by just a few "Lead Users." They can be identified and drawn into a process of joint development of new product or service concepts with manufacturer personnel. In this research after a general description of innovation definition, the 3M Company is introduced as the research case study. In the fourth part the culture and methods of innovation that made or used by the 3M is discussed. And...
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...Case Studies in Entrepreneurship 3M 3M has been known for decades as an entrepreneurial company that pursues growth through innovation. It generates a quarter of its annual revenues from products less than five years old. 3M started life as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company back in 1902. Its most successful product - flexible sandpaper - still forms an important part of its product line but this now comprises of over 60000 products that range from adhesive tapes to office supplies, medical supplies and equipment to traffic and safety signs, magnetic tapes and CDs to electrical equipment. Originally innovation was encouraged informally by the founders, but over more than a century some of these rules have been formalised. But most important of all there has built up a culture which encourages innovation. And because this culture has built up a history of success, it perpetuates itself. 3M started life selling a somewhat inferior quality of sandpaper. The only way they could do this was by getting close to the customer - demonstrating it to the workmen that used it and persuading them to specify the product - an early form of relationship selling. This was the first strategic thrust of the fledgling business - get close to the customer and understand their needs. However, the company was desperate to move away from selling a commodity product and competing primarily on price and its closeness to the customer led it to discover market opportunities that it had the...
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...1) 3M is an exploration firm because rather than doing better in a given domain, it always strives to change domains. It has enjoyed global growth and has a reputation for remaining a “hothouse of innovation”. 3M has a defiantly non-corporate nature and though the company is gigantic, yet it is very innovative and shows enormous growth potential as though it were a small endeavor. It has developed a wide category of innovative products such as waterproof sandpaper, masking tape, Post-it notes etc. Therefore, we can say that 3M depends highly on innovation and it prospers by finding completely novel ways of doing things rather than doing the same things a little better. 2) Product teams at 3M primarily consists of technical individuals and process engineers. The role of process engineers includes: Help ensure that the particular product under development is made efficiently. Provides teams with feedback about the company’s manufacturing capabilities. Implement systems that improve the different stages of the production process. Help in improving quality standards The drawback of having a process engineer is that, process engineers cannot help much if the team is research based. The process engineers are not able to contribute much when the structure of the team is such. On the other hand, the benefits include that the manufacturing process is optimized and the costs pertaining to operations are kept under check. 3) Architecture: The firm follows...
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...Focus Questions for “Innovation within the Organization” 1.) Radical innovations are technologies that allow firm to differentiate themselves from competition and become leaders in newly developed markets. As radical innovations are speculative in nature, it is essential for firms to constantly conduct numerous research and development projects to increase the likelihood a commercially viable one is discovered. Within the article “Innovation’s New Math,” Gary Hamel offers the innovation pipeline as a focused method for a firm to develop radical innovation projects and avoid the financial strain of having too many risky ventures operating at once. Hamel highlights the need for companies to allow communication lines for all employees to provide input on processes and technologies. In establishing such communication lines, successful ideas can be enhanced and distributed throughout the company. Hamel furthers the innovation pipeline by keying on creating internal competition among segments of the business. Hamel believes firms should set aside funds 2.) Prahalad and Hamel’s article “The Core Competence of the Corporation,” serves as a distinctive guide for managers to enhance their company’s core competencies. The article highlights strategic architecture as a primary driver in augmenting core competencies. Through strategic architecture managers identify their company’s core competencies and create a focus on the cultivation and enhancement of those strengths...
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...Innovation Organisations: The 3M Way Damian Gordon Recommended Reading 3M formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company Founded on the North Shore of Lake Superior at Two Harbors, Minnesota in 1902 With over 76,000 employees they produce over 55,000 products, including: adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electrical materials, electronic circuits and optical films Richard Drew June 22, 1899 – December 14, 1980 American inventor who worked for 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented; – – – Masking tape, Cellophane tape, and Duct tape. Masking Tape In 1923 3M employee Richard Drew visited an autorepair shop in St. Paul, Minnesota. 3M produced and sold sandpaper and Drew was in the shop to test out a new batch. Masking Tape When he entered the shop employees were expressing disappointment at a failed attempt to paint a car in the two-tone style that was becoming popular at the time. Masking Tape Typically how the effect was achieved was by painting part of the car in one colour while covering the other parts with butcher paper The butcher paper was usually held in place with a heavy adhesive tape. Unfortunately, removing the adhesive tape peeled away part of the paint job. THE IMPORTANT BIT: Rather than just sympathise with his customers and move on, Drew decided to do something about it. Masking Tape His company 3M had a lot of know-how in creating adhesives...
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...Insights on Innovation – A primer from 3M 3M is widely recognized as a model of innovation. From an abrasives company, 3M has grown to generate $4 billion in net income on nearly $27billion in sales with 30% of sales consistently generated from products made in the last 5 years. 3M has nearly 60 business units grouped into six segments ranging from consumer and office to industrial and transportation. 3M does not make a secret of its success. Here are their steps to drive new products to market: 1. As a science based company they have a culture formed from a history of innovation and risk taking. Risk taking is encouraged and failure is seen as a natural part of creating new products. In fact, sandpaper without the abrasives led to adhesive tapes—consumer, medical, electrical and eventually audio and video tapes. 2. Management is focused on customers and their problems. They seek to truly understand what customers want. In some cases customers cannot explain their needs well so deep understanding on 3M’s part is what delivers a meaningful new product or improvement. Adhesives on the upper quarter of the back of small squares of paper? Yes, Post-It Notes. 3. Managers set stretch goals that require creation of new products at a rate that represents 30-40% of sales within a 4 year period. With a focus on new products in plans, the organization is driven to think and act in a new products direction. 4. Employees are given great freedom to pursue...
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...theoretical and practical. Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Corporation (3M) is one of the companies that have successfully implemented differentiated product strategy that gives priority to innovation as a competitive advantage offered. This company believes that innovation to be the cornerstone of 3M’s future success. Current management has continued to embrace and expand these policies and philosophies. That is why researchers interested in evaluating policies and 3 M that philosophy is based on the innovation in the implementation of the strategy of differentiation 2. Motivation Motivation researchers conducted a study of control for differentiated strategies in Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Corporation (3M) because the researchers wanted to know more about the factors that influenced the design of the system and also the policies and philosophy rooted in the innovations made by 3M Corporation. By studying and examining the existing policy and philosophy that is rooted in innovation from the company, researchers can get a clearer picture of how to do a proper evaluation and what steps should be taken when problems arise in the future. 3. Research Question Evaluate the policies and philosophies of 3M from the standpoint of helping the company implement its strategy, rooted in innovation. 4. The Aim/Objectivity To provide evaluation policies and philosophies used by the 3M Corporation in implementing the strategy of differentiation that...
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...functions previously held in Western countries are now being transferred to countries with cheaper labor such as IT support now done in India (neoIT, 2007) and the People’s Republic of China is nowadays by some referred to as ‘the factory of the world’ (Chang 2006). China’s WTO accession accelerates the trend giving hope for a greater market access and a more predictable commercial environment. In 1984, 3M established its China branch and was the first foreign-invested enterprise established outside the Shenzhen special economic zone. Then, the US multinational 3M Company developed its business and worked on developing a research and development (R&D) center in Shanghai like many other MNCS (158th set up in Shanghai by multinationals). Recently, 3M even doubled its China's R&D center size and staffing, giving birth to an important R&D hub for 3M's global business enabling the company to better supply products needed in the industries of electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, shipping, aviation, medical care, housing and leisure," company officials said. Today, 3M has 11 companies and 19 offices across the country, employing more than 5,000, showing a long-term commitment for the Chinese market. Through those trends, we can notice how R&D is now important in the globalization process. Li-Hua and Khalil (2006) argue that the international business environment is affected by globalization and this emphasizes the importance of studying synergies and differences...
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...Definitions Description of the case study “Bank of America (A)” * The case study describes how Bank of America is creating a system for product and service innovation in its retail banking business. Emphasis is placed on the role of experimentation in some two-dozen real-life "laboratories" that serve as fully operating banking branches and as sites for testing new ideas and concepts. Focuses on: 1) 2) 3) how learning from experimentation can be maximized; incentive and reward systems that motivate employees to experiment in "life" environments; the challenges of managing innovation in an industry that eschews risks, failure, and change. *Reference: http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=603022 Harvard Case Study: Bank of America 1. Introduction / Definitions Process: which activities are to be taken, in which order* Organization: who (person, team or department) is involved (who is responsible for what)?* Management: how to get things done (how to keep the process running effectively)?* Culture: which habits and traits support the process and the people involved (which values are necessary to be successful)?* *Reference: www.wpelz.de/d_index.html, Guide for the case study "Bank of America" 2 Harvard Case Study: Bank of America 1. Introduction / Definitions Innovation: Innovation is...
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... 8. Questions for group discussion 9. References 1 Harvard Case Study: Bank of America 1. Introduction / Definitions Description of the case study “Bank of America (A)” * The case study describes how Bank of America is creating a system for product and service innovation in its retail banking business. Emphasis is placed on the role of experimentation in some two-dozen real-life "laboratories" that serve as fully operating banking branches and as sites for testing new ideas and concepts. Focuses on: 1) how learning from experimentation can be maximized; 2) incentive and reward systems that motivate employees to experiment in "life" environments; 3) the challenges of managing innovation in an industry that eschews risks, failure, and change. *Reference: http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=603022 Harvard Case Study: Bank of America 1. Introduction / Definitions Process: which activities are to be taken, in which order* Organization: who (person, team or department) is involved (who is responsible for what)?* Management: how to get things done (how to keep the process running effectively)?* Culture: which habits and traits support the process and the people involved (which values are necessary to be successful)?* *Reference: www.wpelz.de/d_index.html, Guide for the case study "Bank of America" 2 Harvard Case...
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...Harvard Business School 9-395-016 January 3, 1995 3M: Profile of an Innovating Company As a perennial winner in Fortune magazine’s annual poll of American CEOs to determine “The Ten Most Admired Corporations,” 3M was almost universally recognized as one of the world’s most consistently innovative companies. Indeed, Fortune described it as “a kind of corporate petri dish that fosters a culture of innovation.” In an era when large companies were struggling to reignite employees’ entrepreneurial spark, 3M was the benchmarking standard. Yet, in November 1991, as “Desi” DeSimone assumed the job of CEO in the midst of a worldwide recession, he was more focused on 3M’s uncertain future than on its glorious past. Beyond the stagnating sales and declining margins he knew would be reflected in his first annual report (see Exhibit 1), DeSimone was aware that the company faced some longer term challenges. With a portfolio of over 100 core technologies being leveraged into some 60,000 products which it sold in 200 countries, some observers were beginning to ask whether this $14 billion giant with over 88,000 employees could continue its extraordinary innovation-powered growth and expansion. It was a question that the new CEO knew he would have to confront honestly. A lot more than the continued admiration of his Fortune 500 peers depended on it. The Beginning: Foundations of 3M’s Values In 1902, on the basis of a report that deposits of corundum, an abrasive mineral, had been found...
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