Guidelines for Developing Innovations in Management by Using Design Thinking Concept

Abstract

The global situations in terms of technology, competition, and the domestic and international business environment have changed rapidly. Organizational leaders must be ready to manage these situations, which are challenging for them to understand and adapt to them in a timely manner. This article reviewed the principles and methods of applying design thinking in adapting innovation, and presented the guidelines for implementing this concept by describing five key steps: 1) a survey to create a deeper understanding of the work; 2) an indication/determination to frame problems from involved parties in the work process, and to collect the information received from everyone as well as to find a link to group the problem patterns in the workflow; 3) brainstorming to collect and screen ideas by stimulating the idea of proposing a possible method or approach that will help to comprehensively and deeply consider the problem and also aid to find a concise problem solution; 4) prototype development, in the aspect of management innovation, aiming to create a problem solution prototype or a new working system prototype that will require pilot testing before actual implementation; and 5) implementation, which is the step of testing the prototype to find accuracy and to quickly fix possible problems. Even though it is discovered that the prototype can solve the problem or be a good guideline, it still cannot be completely confident until the prototype is actually tested throughout the organization. This article presented solutions to recurring business problems in creative ways and increases productivity in the workplace by developing new processes and workflows through the use of design thinking that will lead to creating a competitive advantage over competitors.