Learning about innovation in my industry & market

Marketplace Answer:

Great to have you here! As an executive at [xxxxx]—a leading motorway retail and forecourt service provider—you’re in a unique and fast-evolving space where consumer expectations, sustainability pressures, and tech integration are reshaping the industry.

Let’s walk through a structured way to help you and your staff get innovation-ready before jumping into strategy and resource allocation.

🌱 Step-by-Step Guide to Prepare [xxxx] for Innovation

We’ll use the Connect – Learn – Practice – Innovate framework, tailored specifically for your context.

🔗 1. CONNECT: Understand the Why

🚘 Your Industry Challenges:

• Rapid evolution of EV infrastructure

• Rising pressure for sustainability and carbon neutrality

• Changing consumer habits around mobility, food, convenience

• Increased competition from integrated retail and tech ecosystems (e.g., Shell Recharge, Amazon Go, bp Pulse)

📊 Why Innovation Is Hard in Retail/Fuel/Forecourt:

• Legacy operating models and fragmented systems

• Tight margins make long-term bets difficult

• Cross-functional silos limit collaborative innovation

• Overemphasis on efficiency (exploit) vs. future bets (explore)

👉 What to do now:

• Run an Innovation Self-Assessment to map current maturity across SPOC (System, People, Org, Culture)

• Schedule a free 1-2-1 with:

• 🧠 Organisation Partner

• ⚙️ Technology Partner

• 🛒 Market Partner

📦 InnovMates Products to Start With:

• Discovery Catalogue (Free consultation, assessment, and events)

• Driving Innovation Culture Change

• Organizational Capability for Innovation

📚 2. LEARN: Build Shared Language & Capability

✨ Learning Outcomes to Focus On:

Outcome	What It Means for xxx
LO1	Understand why innovation is needed—beyond tech: value creation, future resilience.
LO2	Learn to distinguish product (new meal options), business model (subscriptions, loyalty), system-level (EV ecosystem).
LO3	Frame innovation as a capacity, not a campaign.
LO4	Learn how to build routines and leadership rituals to support innovation.
LO5	Reflect on your innovation challenges and opportunities by type (offerings, customer experience, supply chain).

📦 InnovMates Learning Hall Courses:

• Innovation 101: Foundations of Innovation

• Case Studies in Business Model Innovation

• Customer Journey & Experience Design

• IoT for Business Innovation

• Driving Innovation Culture Change

• Market Research for Innovation

🎧 And for mindset shifts: Listen to Catalina Cernica’s approach to value-creating innovation oai_citation:0‡definition of innovation from catalina cernica.pdf.

🧪 3. PRACTICE: Start Small, Learn Fast

Let’s turn learning into capability by testing real concepts:

• Practice Hall: Simulate innovation scenarios before launching new offerings

• Explore vs Exploit: Map where xxx is investing today vs. where it needs to explore

• Run an MVP Workshop: e.g., Try a new value proposition for EV drivers or high-frequency food shoppers

📦 Recommended Products:

• Strategy & Business Model Innovation Workshops

• Customer-Centric Innovation Programs

• Agile & Lean Innovation Implementation

• Innovation Training & Certification Programs for frontline & middle management

🧭 Challenge your teams to reflect:

How much of our time is spent “exploiting” what we already know vs. “exploring” future value?

🚀 4. INNOVATE: Get Strategy-Ready

Once you and your teams are aligned:

• Clarify the innovation types that matter:

• Product/service (e.g., fresh food offering)

• Business model (EV bundles, loyalty)

• System-level (charging networks, retail-partnership integration)

• Set your Innovation Operating Model

• Use insights from Oxford’s Strategic Innovation Programme to map your strategy oai_citation:1‡Chapter 1.docxoai_citation:2‡OXF INO OMU1 Video 1 Transcript.pdf

📦 Products to Build Strategy:

• Organizational Capability for Innovation

• Driving Organizational Structure for Innovation

• Innovation Leadership for Executives

🎯 WHAT TO DO NEXT?

✅ Immediate Actions:

1. Run the free Self-Assessment (Discovery Catalogue)

2. Take “Innovation 101” as a leadership team

3. Book a 1-2-1 with our experts (Org, Tech, Market partners)

4. Explore Practice & Learning Hall bundles from [InnovMates Product Portfolio] oai_citation:3‡InnovMates_Product_Portfolio_1.pdf

✨ You’ll then be ready to develop a powerful, custom-fit innovation strategy grounded in your staff’s learning and reflection.

Would you like me to create a learning roadmap for different staff levels (exec, ops, store managers, marketing, etc.) or a suggested innovation pilot calendar?

Always here to simplify and support your innovation journey 💡

Take the First Step Toward Innovation Success

Schedule a Consultation or Free Demo Today!