How to Evaluate your New Ideas Innovate Forward Research Innovation and Commercialization Dr. Paul F. Smith Vice President Xerox Innovation Group March 22 nd , 2012 1
Xerox research global footprint Xerox Research Centre Europe Xerox Research Centre of Canada Fuji Xerox Japan Palo Alto Research Center Xerox Research Center Webster Xerox Research Centre India 2 2
Xerox Research Centre of Canada Technical Highlights 35 year history of taking materials from lab to market • 1000+ scientific publications • • 1500+ patents 3 3
Capture Assess Evaluate Decision 4
Capturing the Idea Invention Disclosure Full Legal Name (First, Middle, Last) of submitter Employee No. Xerox Outside Phone No. 1 Organization (Unit/Div./Dept./Section) Bldg. No./ Mail Stop Budget Center Electronic Mail Address Employee No. Xerox Outside Phone No. Full Legal Name (First, Middle, Last) of submitter 2 Electronic Mail Address Organization (Unit/Div./Dept./Section) Bldg. No./ Mail Stop Budget Center Descriptive title of invention Name & or Number of Xerox Program (if any) YES (Indicate source of outside funding) Outside funding NO Identify encumbrances YES (Indicate where) Was any portion of the invention developed outside the US? NO YES (Indicate where) NO Any foreign filing considerations, i.e., would we want to market this invention outside the US? Where would we manufacture? 5
Describe the problem: How was this problem tackled before your invention? Problem to be solved Summary of the invention: Describe briefly what the invention is and how it works in 5 – 8 lines. Abstract of the Invention Related concepts: Check the Xerox Patent database at Also check the ID summaries (available from the same web site) and all patents (not just Xerox ones). What have you found in a data base search of the topic? Give patent or ID number of the most relevant items. Reduction to Practice? Prototype: Has a model, a prototype, or experiment of the invention been built, made, run or tested? Yes No No Detect ability: Would the invention be readily detectable in an other company's product or service? Yes Protectable – Trade secret? Xerox product: Is the invention used by Xerox or is there a definite plan for use in a future product(s)? Yes No If so, please identify the program(s) or product(s), and introduction dates. Disclosures: Has this concept been disclosed to vendors, consultants, outside parties, partners, etc.? Indicate the date(s) of any previous or planned future disclosure external to Xerox, and identify the type of disclosure (by agreement, demonstration, paper or presentation given, market probe, published article, etc., and if convenient, please provide a copy of the agreement, paper or article). Is this already in the public domain? Opportunity for licensing revenue : Who could be interested in it? How is this better than alternatives? How to profit from the invention? Describe your invention : Describe how to make and use the invention and its novel embodiments . Cover the process, method, materials with sketches, flow charts, usage, etc. What are the advantages of your invention for Xerox? 6
Assessing the Idea Invention Idea Disclosure Technical Office of Patent ≤ 2 or hold ≤2 or hold Advisory Panel General Application rating rating (TAP) Council (OGC) Decision 3+ rating Docket No. Assignment to L Assigned Patent Counsel E Patent Counsel works with Inventor G A Patent Status D-File & L Monitored Patent App Filed Patent OGC Management 7
Evaluating the Idea Define / Refine the product or concept Customer Feedback “ If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse” Henry Ford Identify “ Enabling Technology Advances” (ETA’s) - The showstoppers - critical aspects of the technology that must be proven to ensure success - Need to be able to measure the ETA’s - Once ETA’s are understood, required resources are known OVERALL GOAL : Generate enough information on the critical parameters to enable an informed / unbiased decision 8
Evaluating the Idea - Resources Resourcing - Xerox Technology Incubator Network (XTIN) - CO-OP Student - NSERC Postdoctoral Position - University Interaction (fundamental research) - Skunk Works? - The 10 – 15% time opportunity 9
Evaluating the Idea – setting the ground rules The Home Run – Avoiding the Approach! Use design of experiments to ensure a scientific approach (Design for Lean Six Sigma) Need to define the latitude of the idea. Single points are not enough to claim success Note: Joe Carter scored the home run, but it was the people who got the singles onto base that gave the winning runs. Just a home run would have tied the game 6 - 6 ! 10
Evaluating the Idea 11
Evaluating the Idea The TRL Process 12
The Decision “The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure” Sven Goran Eriksson Team success is based on the team getting the data needed to make a decision in the time period – NOT on whether the project moves on or stops Creates a different way of thinking about the project – a decision to stop is not related to failure. Celebrate the decision whether Go or No Go based on the process taken and the team developing the necessary data. OVERALL – Make a fast, accurate, results based decision 13
Capture Assess Evaluate Decision Celebrate the way the team worked 14
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it” Alan Kay 15
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