Introduction
Innovation in SMEs must not be left to chance. Synergie-Services has identified 35 innovation fields and grouped them into three strategic clusters: margin-increasing, revenue-accelerating and cash-flow-relieving. This structure enables companies to focus their innovation activities on the areas that offer the greatest economic leverage.
Each innovation field is clearly described in terms of expected impact, implementation complexity and time frame. This allows companies to put together and balance their innovation portfolio deliberately. Experience shows that successful mid-sized companies typically work on 8–12 innovation fields at the same time, spread across all three clusters, to achieve a balanced result.
Key aspects
Cluster 1: Margin-increasing
Twelve fields, ranging from process automation and energy efficiency to workforce productivity. These fields have a direct effect on the cost structure and the EBITDA margin. Typical impact: a margin improvement of 3–8 percentage points.
Cluster 2: Revenue-accelerating
Twelve fields, ranging from product innovation and market expansion to content marketing. These fields drive top-line growth and open up new revenue streams. Typical impact: 15–30% revenue growth over three years.
Cluster 3: Cash-flow-relieving
Eleven fields, ranging from working capital optimisation and investment planning to IT cost optimisation. These fields improve cash flow and financial flexibility.
Conclusion
The 35 innovation fields give your innovation management structure and focus. Identify your priority fields in the Innovation Tracker.