the inncommerce guide for smes for smes_uk.pdf · 2018-10-10 · inncommerce guide for smes . 3 ....

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Gamified Training for Successful Commercialization of Young SMEs’ Innovation

THE INNCOMMERCE

GUIDE FOR SMEs

Version 1.0 – 16/05/2018

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

InnCommerce Guide for SMEs

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Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3

Overview of the InnCommerce Project .................................................................................. 4

InnCommerce Training: Building Competences for Commercialization of Innovation ............ 6

InnCommerce Resources: Project Website and Gamified Platform ....................................... 8

Guideline for Using the Gamified Platform ............................................................................ 9

Guideline for Creating Individual Learning Pathways .......................................................... 13

Recognition of competences: Certificate of Achievement .................................................... 15


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Introduction Guidelines for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are developed by the partner team of the Erasmus+ project “Gamified Training for Successful Commercialization of Young SMEs’ Innovation” (InnCommerce, ref. number: 2016-1-UK01-KA202-024348). The project’s main objective is to support young SMEs in commercialization of innovations by improving their knowledge and skills in promoting and marketing innovative products or services. This aim is achieved through the development and launch of the Gamified learning platform containing the learning materials related to the field of innovation. This Guidebook aims to explain the nature of the InnCommerce learning materials and encourage SME learners to use them. It is mainly intended for EU micro, small and medium sized enterprises who want to learn more about introducing innovative products/services to market and gaining commercial success. The Guidebook contains six sections, providing:

- An overview of the InnCommerce project - Reasons for using the InnCommerce learning materials and tools - An overview of the contents of the project website and the e-learning platform - Guideline for using the e-learning platform - Guideline for creating personal learning pathways - Requirements for receiving a certificate of achievement on the course completion

We hope that these Guidelines will help SME managers and employees effectively use the InnCommerce gamified platform and learning materials.


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Overview of the InnCommerce Project Europe is gradually becoming a more innovative continent. Innovation has been placed in the centre of Europe 2020 strategy for its key role in business expansion, employment creation and economic growth. However, emerging challenges to innovation require additional efforts from the EU (State of the Innovation Union, 2015). Innovation Union Scoreboard (2015) states that EU innovation growth has been increasing at an average annual rate of 1.0% between 2007 and 2014. Still, the growth has not been equally strong across all innovation dimensions and indicators. Europe has been getting stronger in Innovation Enablers (open and excellent research system +3.9%, human resources +2.2%) and Firm Activities (intellectual assets +2.1%, firm investment +1.9%). These numbers show that both external and internal environment of companies have been more favourable for innovation. Nevertheless, a notable decline in EU SMEs’ Innovation Outputs has occurred. The share of SMEs with product/process innovations has shrunk by 1.7% and that of the marketing/organizational innovations by 3.3%. Sales of innovative products have been sluggish. In this period, they declined by 0.8%. In the year of 2014, innovation output stayed significantly below the average measured by the EU Summary Innovation Index. The discrepancy between innovation inputs (enablers and firm activities) and innovation outputs proves that Europe still has to tap into its innovative potential and is yet to poise itself better to be able to fully cash in on its innovative products and services. Commercialization of innovation is becoming an urgent problem. The Innobarometer survey (2015) confirms European SMEs experience difficulties in bringing innovative products or services to market. It also states that small and medium-sized enterprises face more constrains to commercialization of their innovations than bigger companies. Lack of marketing expertise has been a problem in commercializing innovations for 39% of SMEs, compared to 23% of bigger enterprises. Among SMEs, young firms (0-5 years old) have the highest potential for innovation, growth and jobs creation (DynEmp, OECD). At the same time, young SMEs represent the most vulnerable group due to the following reasons:

- high fail/ low survival rate – in a majority of EU Member States only 40% to 60% of firms born in 2008 survived until 2012 (Annual Report on European SMEs 2014/2015);

- shortage of skills related to planning and managing innovation process and bringing innovative ideas to market (same as above).

The data analysis reveals a need for training which will provide young SMEs with fail-safe methods of introducing innovative products/services to market and gaining commercial success. According to 32% of SMEs, such training would be the “type of public support with most positive impact on their companies” (Innobarometer 2015, p. 54).


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Pondering on the fast-paced business lives of teams working in young SMEs and analysing their time constraints and attention spans, we firmly believe a gamified and practice-oriented approach represents the most advantageous way of equipping them with the skill set they need to be successful. The InnCommerce project aims to foster commercialization of young SMEs' innovation by improving their knowledge and skills in promoting and marketing innovative products or services through gamified training, specifically tailored to their needs. The specific objectives include:

- Developing curriculum and e-learning content addressing the challenges young SMEs face in commercialization of innovative products and services;

- Providing young SMEs with an open educational resource complete with learning materials on the innovation process with special focus on commercialization of innovation;

- Delivering clear guidelines for young SMEs and C-VET institutions on using the developed materials and resources in their practice;

- Collecting SMEs’ best practices in applying marketing strategies for successful commercialization of innovative products and services.

The InnCommerce project is targeted at: - EU SMEs which are 0-5 years old – their owners, managers and employees involved

in the innovation process and responsible for marketing innovative products and services;

- Continuing VET providers – C-VET centres and individuals offering C-VET services to enterprises, developers of C-VET curriculum, continuing VET trainers and learners.

Business strategies for commercialization of innovations vary across countries and industries. Young SMEs would benefit from a project aimed at introducing the most successful ones to them. This project is a concerted effort on a transnational level to bring added value up to the European economy. By achieving its objectives, the InnCommerce project contributes to strengthening the innovation performance of EU SMEs, thus supporting economic growth and employment creation in Europe. www.inncommerce.eu


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InnCommerce Training: Building Competences for Commercialization of Innovation The value of innovation is manifested in the ability of a firm to commercialize its new products and/or services; in other words, in the ability to get return on investment in innovation. The InnCommerce gamified training package will help you develop this ability by improving your knowledge, skills and competences related to effective management of the innovation process. Entrepreneurial activities surrounding commercialization of innovation often start with idea generation and finish with a product launch. Therefore, the InnCommerce training encompasses all stages of the innovation process, reflected in ten modules (Table.1).

INTRODUCTORY BLOCK

Module.1 Commercialization of Innovation and the Process of Innovation

BLOCK I. EXPLORATION PHASE

Module.2 Industry and Competitor Analysis

Module.3 Customer Analysis

BLOCK II. DEVELOPMENT PHASE

Module.4 Idea Generation and Assessment

Module.5 Concept Development and Prototyping

Module.6 Testing and Refinement

BLOCK III. EXPLOITATION PHASE

Module.7 Productization

Module.8 Branding and Value Creation

Module.9 Launching

Module.10 Raising Innovation Potential and Revenue Streams

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

All Modules References and links to external resources relevant to the topics of the modules

Table.1 List of InnCommerce modules

Going through these modules, you will gain holistic understanding of the innovation process: from industry analysis through product development and production to marketing and successful sales. Although the sequence of the modules reproduces, to a large extent, the linear model of innovation, the content of the modules argues for innovation as iterative process, in which the stages of innovation overlap or repeat multiple times. From this perspective, a company which is developing a new product, should incorporate insights from each of these stages into the original conception of the innovation and, if necessary, return


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to the previous stages to avoid downstream problems impeding commercialization. Such approach makes it easier to target corporate research and development toward commercial goals. The InnCommerce training will provide you with a good knowledge base for learning how to apply this approach in practice. Each In-Commerce module contains a syllabus, where you can find a brief description of the module, intended learning outcomes, learning activities and estimated workload. The syllabus is followed by a presentation supplemented by voice memos. The script is also available as a file for download. A deeper look into the topic of the module is provided in the reading material, supplemented with references and links to external resources. Each module concludes with a series of game-like exercises, which help to achieve the learning outcomes. The gamification approach to learning design, utilized in the InnCommerce training, is the key to the development of competences for commercialization of innovation. When you enroll in the training on the Inn-Commerce platform, you get immediately immersed in the narrative of the game. It compares the growth of a business to the growth of a tree. Like a tree that needs different elements to grow (such as water, light, minerals salts, carbon dioxide, and fertilizers), your business needs good knowledge, skills and experience to grow and succeed. The narrative leads you through the entire learning content, making the process of learning interesting and engaging. The platform indicates your progress toward the completion of each module by coloring the leaves of the tree, shows the points you have got so far, involves you in game exercises, awards you with badges and provides bonuses which could help you achieve a better score in your final test (like “rolling the dice” and winning advantage for the final test). The development of competences is also supported by the InnCommerce Collection of Best Practices. This book includes fifteen practices, which give examples of effective approaches EU SMEs use for successful commercialization of their innovative products. These best practices provide insights into different stages of the innovation process: industry and customer analysis, idea generation, concept development, branding, value creation and launching of a new product. Within each best practice, you will find an overview of the applied approach or method and a case study of the interviewed company. Rather than providing ready-made solutions for action, these best practices offer a pick-and-choose menu of options that you can consider when developing your own strategy for bringing innovative products to market.


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InnCommerce Resources: Project Website and Gamified Platform The InnCommerce website is the main source of information about the project. Here you can find a detailed project description, information about project partners, press releases of project activities, an overview of the project outputs and links to their full versions.

Figure 1. InnCommerce website: Home page

The InnCommerce e-learning platform contains all learning materials, namely:

• Tutorial to the InnCommerce gamified training • Ten modules (as listed in Table.1), each of them including:

- Syllabus - Video presentation - Links to inspiring videos - Reading material with a list of references - Links to additional video materials - Links to additional reading materials - Exercises and quizzes

• Final test “PassTheQuestion” • Certificate area, where you can access your Certificate of achievement after

completing the training

The section below explains in more details how to use the gamified platform and how to create your own learning pathway through the InnCommerce training.


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Guideline for Using the Gamified Platform For the gamification of the learning content of the InnCommerce project the open-source platform Moodle is used that allows creating personalised learning environments. The InnCommerce training platform can be accessed through the website of the project http://www.inncommerce.eu/. The platform is available in 6 languages: Bulgarian, English, Finnish, Hungarian, Polish and Spanish.

Figure 2. Access to the InnCommerce e-learning platform

In order to enter the course, you have to go through a simple registration process, create your personal account with username and password, and enrol for the course. Note that after registration you will receive a confirmation email. Since then, when you want to access the course, you just use the Log in button.

Figure 3. Log in to the Inn-Commerce platform

http://www.inncommerce.eu/


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The first time you enter the course, a Tutorial for the InnCommerce experience will automatically appear. It explains the main gamification elements used, the rules of the game and serves as the starting point of the course. Important note: Read carefully the Tutorial before you start your InnCommerce experience to better understand what to expect during the course. If you get to a point where you are not confident what you are supposed to do, you can go back to the Tutorial any time you want. After reading the Tutorial you are redirected to the home page of the course. There you have three options to go through the course and access module contents. First option: By clicking on each leaf of the tree, you can access the content of each

module. The number written inside the leaf corresponds to the number of the module in the course. When clicking on the leaf, a brief description of the module appears. If you are interested in the topic, you enter the module.

Second option: Using the navigation panel on the right side of the screen you can choose which module and activity you want to access (syllabus, video, exercises).

Third option: Using the navigation arrows under each activity which can take you to the previous activity, to the next activity, to the first activity in the course or to the last activity in the course.

Figure 4.1. Navigation panel


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Figure 4.2. Navigation arrows

Each module contains Syllabus, Presentation Video, Reading materials, Exercises. You can go sequentially through the various parts or to start from whatever part you want. When you finish an activity, a tick appears to indicate it is completed.

Figure 5. Module activities

While advancing in the course, the leaves of your business tree will become greener. The leaves will show you the completion rate of each module. Depending on the completion rate, the leave of each module will become 0%, 25%, 50% 75% or 100% green in colour.


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Figure 6. Completion of modules

The InnCommerce training is developed as a game designed to grow a business tree, gathering knowledge. Therefore, any activity you complete will give you points. The maximum score you can get completing all mandatory and additional content is 950.

Based on your achievement and progress completing the course, you can get badges showing the level of development of your knowledge as well as the opportunity to roll the dice to win power-ups for the advanced final test, "PassTheQuestion". The final test is the last challenge to prove your knowledge. Pass the test and receive recognition of gained skills and competences.

Figure 7. Final test


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Guideline for Creating Individual Learning Pathways The InnCommerce training has been planned as a continuing VET opportunity for working people – young SMEs’ owners, managers and employees. It has been designed in a way allowing for work-place learning with the only prerequisite of having a laptop or a computer connected to the Internet. The learner follows the course structure and instructions performing modules and learning activities whenever and where-ever is most suitable for him/her. InnCommerce training course is based on four methodological approaches as follows:

• Constructive alignment which can be defined as “an outcomes-based approach to teaching in which the learning outcomes that students are intended to achieve are defined before teaching takes place”;

• Competence-based learning which allows students to gain knowledge, skills and competences through completion of learning activities at their own pace, depending on their ability to master a skill or competency;

• Practice orientation - The InnCommerce course is focused on the practical side of commercialisation of innovative products and services and present practical tools appropriate for implementation in real business situation;

• Gamification - InnCommerce online training course is based on the competences developed while performing gamified exercises and other learning activities in Moodle e-learning platform.

Structure of the InnCommerce training course has been developed on the principles of modular approach suggesting that each module represents a separate and complete learning unit leading to specific outcomes. The modular approach makes the InnCommerce training more flexible, as it will provide for personalized learning pathways addressing the learners’ needs. A personal learning path is an approach that emphasizes learner-specific goals related to the learning objective. It also refers to the path that a learner elects on their own after assessing knowledge on a subject. The InnCommerce personalized learning pathway has the following benefits for the learner:

• Meet the needs of each learner allowing them to choose which learning activity they complete and when;

• Gives wider choice and flexibility of ways of learning, which include video presentations, reading material, exercises in mandatory and optional content;

• Increase motivation to learn – opportunity to choose the activities you have to complete reduces learner boredom, frustration and overload. This allows learners to focus on relevant for them information which makes them more motivated to learn.

Steps to follow for creating an individual learning pathway:


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1. Set learning goals as well as create periodic milestones for progress into an individual learning plan: Before starting your InnCommerce experience develop an individual learning plan which outlines personalized learning objectives. These objectives should be clear, realistic and measurable.

2. Examine carefully course content and modules, goals and expected results. Once you are familiar with the course match your needs with the appropriate modules.

3. Choose learning options which suit your interests, abilities and learning styles, and which will provide you the opportunity to realise your potential and achieve the goals set. Variety of learning options gives you the opportunity to benefit from the course and create a learning path that is ideally suited for your needs.

4. Assess existing skills and knowledge: You can complete each module exercise multiple times. So, if you want to skip a module because you consider you have the right knowledge on the topic, check your knowledge with the relevant exercises from the module. The results will confirm your knowledge or will show existing gaps that need to be filled.

5. Enjoy your InnCommerce experience, gain knowledge and make your business tree grow green, strong and leafy!


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Recognition of competences: Certificate of Achievement The InnCommerce course ends with a final assessment – the test “PassTheQuestion”. It will be graded on a pass/no pass basis. It will be successfully passed, if more than 50 % of the answers are right in the final test. The final test will be accessible from the beginning of the course, and you can access and respond to the 20 questions whenever you want. You do not need to have points to access the final test, the points you achieve during the course give you hints and extra time for this final test. Important note: you have only one chance to receive recognition of acquired competences. You can access the test only once. So, before you start your attempt, be sure that you are well prepared. Those who pass the test successfully will receive the InnCommerce Certificate of Achievement.

Figure 8. InnCommerce Certificate


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www.InnCommerce.eu

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