LIVING LAB
A Living LAB is an open innovation tool and an action-research methodology that supports the development of new products and services. The approach is a project management method integrating end users under realistic conditions through co-creative processes and supporting a collaborative ecosystem of non-natural partners.
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Whether you are a private company or a consortium of partners, the reasons for setting up a Living LAB are generally to:
- Reduce the development and marketing cycles of products and services (time to market);
- Reduce investment risks (cost to market);
- Better understand the conditions of adoption of a new product/service by a community of users;
- Promote links with user communities;
- Develop the stakeholders open innovation capacities.
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The missing link between research and the commercialisation of a product and service
A multi-stakeholder ecosystem that gives everyone the same rights to innovate
The key value of a Living LAB is to develop reliable and trusted intermediation between non-natural stakeholders (public authorities, private companies, civil society) who may have divergent interests but whom the LAB will bring together towards common objectives in an egalitarian decision-making mode in terms of innovation.
An iterative process in a realistic environment
The Living LAB is deployed in physical or virtual spaces where the living conditions of users are real or recreated using technologies or other simulation tools in order to validate what these users actually do and not what they say they would do when put in that situation!
Questions/answers on the methodology
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How is a Change LAB deployed?A Change LAB is implemented using around ten collective workshops. Workshops take place for 3 to 4 hours and are held every 2 to 3 weeks to encourage fruitful discussions between the participants and move the project forward collectively and consensually. Missions are carried out between the workshops in order to collect information in the field in order, for example, to validate certain findings with other employees of the company or to experiment with the prototyped solutions on the floor and collect the results. As the Change LAB progresses, contribution contracts are also defined by each participant to promote the acquisition of skills necessary for the success of the collective project.
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You are already in a continuous improvement process. What could a Change LAB bring you?The launch of a continuous improvement initiative is done by directly targeting a problem whose parameters are generally known. This excludes the period of collective exploration to discover other issues and solutions aimed at improving the state of the system in which the project must be implemented. The Change LAB approach encourages the collective exploration of complex issues by creating working groups representative of the entire organization. It will therefore be complementary to traditional continuous improvement approaches by making it possible to select the best models for a given organization. A Change LAB will in particular support ICT implementations by ensuring collaborative work among stakeholders that promotes ownership through participation, without hindering development.
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What is the value created by a Change LAB in digital?The value created by a Change LAB is multiple: Reducing transformation cycles through rapid ownership of the change process; Strong anchoring of the culture of change; Developing a culture and skills of collaboration; Strengthening accountability of all actors in complex initiatives; Creating or strengthening relationships with the organization's stakeholders; Increasing the efficiency of the use of the digital project development plan; Ongoing identification of future opportunities for digital innovation.
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What are the prerequisites for launching a Change LAB?1/ Motivating participants To make a difference, every program participant must see a gain in the experience of open collaboration. For example, we can define the "champions" of the program, responsible for maintaining cohesion and involvement in the group. 2/ Identify a location The sustainability of a place in the company identified as the "Change LAB" helps to strengthen the support and sustainability of the transformation undertaken in the organization. This physical space available in the company can also be a space open to everyone (cafeteria, lobby, etc.). 3/ Explicitly support the initiative The support of the other participants but also and above all of the management team of the company is essential to the success of the operation. The identification of a LAB manager directly involved in the implementation of activities in the field will be instrumental to the success of the operation. It will be necessary in particular for the transfer of animation and observation skills within the company.
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What are the first 3 rules to put in place for the success of a Change LAB?Communication, Communication, Communication! Communicating what is happening in the Change LAB to the rest of the company, even to its suppliers and its customers, is an essential lever for change in the natural environment of the organization and makes it possible to motivate non- participants to be part of the continuation of the project during its deployment. The organization must therefore establish adequate means of communication so that the people affected by the implementation of the digital project are kept informed of the progress of the Change LAB. This is particularly true when the participants in the process represent only the minority of end users of the technology to be implemented.
Want to know more?
Download here our white paper (only in French) presenting best practices for setting up a Living LAB with your partners