Innovation Factory

Systematically test business ideas. From concept to validated business model.

New business models development, digital products launch, and staying one step ahead of the competition—that’s the plan. But reality often looks different: ideas get stuck in the concept phase, innovation projectsfail due to internal structures, and promising approaches never reach the market. You lack a protected space where your team can systematically develop, test, and validate business ideas—without being overwhelmed by day-to-day operations. Without this framework, innovation potential remains untapped, resources are poured into the wrong projects , and real growth opportunities pass by unnoticed.

Duration
6 - 9 weeks
Format
Project
Target audience
C-level, project teams

Innovation Factory

The Solution

Your company doesn't need another innovation initiative that fizzles out after three months. It needs an Innovation Factory: a structured, protected space where new business models and digital solutionsare systematically created, validated, and brought to market readiness. Over 6 to 9 months, we guide you and your team in identifying business ideas, testing them with real customers, and developing them iteratively. The process combines methods from Lean Startup, Design Thinking and agile product development into an innovation system that reduces uncertainty early on and only advances the strongest concepts to the scaling stage. The result: no PowerPoint concepts, but validated business models with real market feedback.

Benefits

  • Eliminate risks early through systematic validation of every business idea before you invest significantly
  • Allocate resources effectively by consistently focusing on the most promising ideas and quickly discarding dead ends
  • Establish an innovation culture by building a repeatable innovation process that extends beyond individual projects
  • Faster to market through iterative development, continuous customer feedback, and data-driven decisions

Approach

  1. Creating an innovation environment: Together, we define the framework—clear ground rules, dedicated resources, and a team given the freedom to think in truly new ways.
  2. Identifying business opportunities: Through research, trend analysis, and structured workshops, we track down the most relevant fields of innovation and market opportunities.
  3. Formulating and validating hypotheses: Every business idea is broken down into testable hypotheses and confronted with real customers and market data—fast, lean, and with an open mind.
  4. Developing and market-testing prototypes: In iterative 2–4 week cycles, we create initial prototypes and MVPs that are tested directly in the market for viability.
  5. Scaling or stopping: Only business models that prove themselves in the market are scaled. The rest are consistently stopped—without wasting resources.

Results

  • Documented innovation pipeline with identified and evaluated business opportunities as a strategic basis for decision-making
  • Validated business ideas including hypotheses, test results, and real market feedback from potential customers
  • Functional prototypes or MVPs that have already been tested in the market and show initial traction
  • Business cases and financial scenarios for the sound evaluation and prioritization of business models
  • Scaling plan with concrete recommendations for action to transition viable ideas into operational business
  • Established innovation process that your company can continue to run independently and apply to new subject areas

Speak with our experts!

Let’s work together to identify where the greatest potential lies and which measures will deliver the greatest added value for you.

Tim Schüning
Director Digital Business Consulting
Contact us!
Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have questions? We have the answers.

What distinguishes the Innovation Factory from a classic innovation workshop?

A workshop delivers ideas on sticky notes. The Innovation Factory systematically brings these ideas to market validation over the course of months. You don't get concept slides, but tested business models with real customer feedback and measurable traction.

How much internal capacity does my team need to plan for?

Expect a dedicated core team of 2–4 people investing about 30–50% of their working time in the Innovation Factory. We take over the methodological management and ensure that the workload remains predictable and that day-to-day business does not suffer.

What happens if none of the business ideas prove successful in the market?

That is exactly what the process is built for: identifying what doesn't work early on, before high investments are made. Even if individual ideas fail, you gain validated insights into your market, an established innovation process, and a team that has learned how to experiment in a structured way.

Can we also use the Innovation Factory for existing products that we want to develop further?

Yes. The approach is suitable for both completely new business models and the further development of existing products for new markets or customer segments. The decisive factor is that there is a hypothesis that needs to be validated.

How do we measure the success of the Innovation Factory?

We define KPIs together throughout the innovation process: number of validated hypotheses, customer interviews, conversion rates of prototypes, time-to-market, and ultimately the economic viability of the scaled business models. Progress is made transparent in every cycle.