P.I.C. Innovation Process

1. P.I.CThe C.E.S.A.R
Innovation Process

2. 1 2
4 3
Innovation is a change in the behavior of market agents, as producers and consumers of anything:
Processes, products or services. In an interconnected economy (by information and knowledge) and
intensive (by services and processes) a major part of what can be defined as innovation involves
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) which transforms artifacts and experiences into
answers to market demands.
The C.E.S.A.R. Innovation Process (known as PIC) inspired by the principles of user-centered design is
based on the premise that ICTs serve to meet people´s demands within certain contexts, purposes and
strategies and that successful user experience is a condition for the entire innovation process. Thus,
PIC emphasizes an understanding of people who are (or will be) users of the company-client´s
products and services, the study of what is valuable for these individuals and how they live whereas it
will be then possible to develop experiences of uses that will improve their quality of life.
P.I.C The C.E.S.A.R Innovation Process
Identify users and investigates
how the product can be used
and in which circumstances.
Problems and opportunities
identified by the research
inspires the solutions, which is
the goal of this phase.
By building prototypes it is
possible to identify limits and
restrictions as well as the
potential of the generated
solutions.
The last step is validation (in the
lab or in the field) of the
prototyped concepts with the
users.

3. During this first step, the team responsible for the PIC builds jointly with the client an understanding of the demands,
market strategies and existing innovation processes, if any. At the same time, the team reviews existing or similar
solutions by benchmarking preliminary studies. Also during this phase, the team will review competitors´ strategies
for thetheme under study.
Thedefinition of atheme is the result of threeactivities which are performed continuously:
Context diagnostics:
Trend follow up:
Definition of an initial strategy:
it is performed by several well
documented studies both internal and externally, i.e., at the
company, its relationship with competitors, partners and
o t h er in du s t r y an d ma r k et re la t ed ro l es .
Includes areas such as technology,
behavior, design, culture and politics, noting changes in
trend patterns in order to find opportunities for innovation.
directly aligned with the
company´s strategy, it is used as a reference for the
opportunities which arise from crossing diagnostics with
observed trends.
In the process represented by the above illustration, Gate 1 is the stage in which the work proposal for
executing the innovation process is evaluated bythe client.
This basic cycle is continuous, wheel like, up to the conclusion of an innovation process at the company-client. The entire
process can be customized according to the nature of client demands and his/her strategic and operational planning. In the
following illustration, the same process is shown in detail, phase by phase, until it is execution. It can represent the
development of created artifact(s), implementation of service(s) and or experiences elaborated during the process.
In the above illustration, the phases Studies and Research, Ideation, Prototyping and Evaluation show details of the PIC
main activities. The process begins with the development of a theme and the definition of a problem/need statement of
areas as determined by theclient during a consulting meeting held with theinnovation institute collaborators.
At the conclusion of this phase, C.E.S.A.R. will present a work proposal to the company-client for executing the PIC. The
proposal includes a timeline for the research, ideation and prototyping phases
1. Studies and Research
Gate1
client
CESAR
Understanding
the demand
Preliminary
viability
studies
Research,
ideation,
prototyping
timeline
Proposal scope
of the work
Ideation
documentation
Quantitative,
qualitative
research
Business
model
Viability,
technological,
functional
and economic
studies
Usability
testing and
services
evaluation
Prototyping
of artifact,
services or
experience
Product
specifications
documents
Scenarios
for use
documents
Ideation
execução
Studies and research
Gate1 Gate2 Gate3 Gate4
execution
Prototyping and evaluation
client
CESAR
Understanding
the demand
Preliminary
viability
studies
Research,
ideation,
prototyping
timeline
Proposal scope
of the work

4. 2. Ideation
Once the studies and research phase is completed, the team
responsible for the PIC begins the ideation process using the following
sources:
[1] Quantitative and qualitative research about the theme either
designed by the team or acquired by third parties; [2] client´s own
knowledge and needs; [3] the experience of the consulting team,
member of the main team; [4] available academic knowledge about the
state of theart and vision of thefuturefor the area.
The C.E.S.A.R teams are trans-disciplinary, i.e., they are professionals
with diversified profiles who treat innovation as a solution to market´s
problems. Although some of the problems to be solved can seem to be
engineering problems, most of them are multi-faceted and require knowledge to be drawn from several areas. For
instance, sometimes a problem seemingly is a technical problem such as reducing an application´s hosting costs
and it is interpreted froma macro point ofview, completely changing the initialbusiness model by relaxing non critical
clauses of theServiceLevel Agreement.
To understand the emerging behaviors of consumer/user requires research efforts focusing on the contexts of
his/her daily practices. The innovation process design involves several methods whose aim is to collect data on a
product´s final users or a process´s audience, and can include:
- (detailed study of individuals or groups routine practices by observation, videography,
interviews and analyses of artifacts;
– seeks to understand the habits and purposes of users in order to collect data on functional
requirements and usability ofproducts or services;
– uses direct interaction techniques especially for the survey of subject aspects surrounding the
products or services;
– applied to quantitativeresearch based on a largesample of users.
In situ ethnography
In lab focus groups
Interviews
Diverse statistic methods
Versatility
The PIC can be used in
projects with distinct themes,
budgets, timelines and also
diversified teams.

5. The ideation meetings (which include the Project executing team and C.E.S.A.R. consultants) are directly fed by
research which has either been already performed and/or underway.
Using techniques such as brainstorming and placestorm their main
goal is to define concepts, technological environments and scenarios
which arerelevant to thefollowing phase, prototyping.
At the end of the ideation phase, the C.E.S.A.R. team will deliver an
ideation document to the client containing the following sections for
each proposed idea:
- Summary of ideas and scenarios for use of the artifact or service
applications;
- Basic technical characteristics and analysis of competitors
offering similar artifacts or services;
- Premises and restrictions for developing the idea;
- Business model for marketing the idea and perspectives for
product or serviceevolution at both medium andlong terms.
Gate 2, shown in the side illustration, represents the phase where the
client validates theideation documents.
Once approved, the ideas can be more detailed by technological, functional and economic viability studies, and the
eventual formulation of a business model for the product. These studies aim to add value to the already conceived
ideas and can involve inviting others to join the consulting and experts´ teams involved in the process. This occurs
because of the process´s open format in which many individuals can collaborate with suggestions, criticism and
indications for directing the research and thus avoiding a focus in one singletrain ofthought.
Also considered in this phase are the product and/or service development technical difficulties, its eventual
implementation as well as issues related to intellectual property. Gate 3, shown in the side illustration, represents
validation ofthe Viability Studies Report by the client.
Flexibility
Due to its flexibility, the PIC can be successfully used either in its full, 4-
phase format or less, according to Project needs and client demands.
Ideation
documentation
Quantitative,
qualitative
research
Business
model
Viability,
technological,
functional
and economic
studies
Gate1 Gate2

6. After leaving Gate 3, prototyping of the artifacts, services or
experiences begins. This phase includes planning and a
definition of a roadmap resulting from the business cases and
the development of prototypes at several levels of similarity as
per the artifact, service or experience specifications. In this
phase, low similarity prototypes (made of paper, cardboard or
Styrofoam) are welcome because they are low cost and
provides good results during usability testing.
Once the prototype is ready, the concept elaborated so far, still in this
phase, will be tested as far as user-friendliness, efficiency of use and user
satisfaction. It is here that errors are welcome since changes during the
prototyping phase can be readily performed without incurring high costs.
This means that, the sooner the error is identified, the cheaper will be the
correction. The prototyping phase is the ideal moment to err and to make
timely corrections.
This last phase involves, among other activities, definition of users profile; survey the
risks associated to testing and planning of mitigating actions; determination of a
timeline for activities to be performed; survey hardware and software resources and
others of any nature that will facilitate the execution of the tests; recruit users; plan the
tasks to be performed by participating users; establish lab test procedures and analyze
theresults.
C.E.S.A.R. has two usability labs equipped with all materials and devices needed to
perform several types of use tests. These labs are strategically located in order to be
able to service both the Northeast and the South/Southeast regions in the best way
possible; their location also helps C.E.S.A.R. testing teams be closer to the users
under study.
3. Prototyping
4. Evaluation
Business
model
Viability,
technological,
functional
and economic
studies
Usability
testing and
services
evaluation
Prototyping
of artifact,
services or
experience
Gate2 Gate3
Usability
testing and
services
evaluation
Prototyping
of artifact,
services or
experience
Gate3 Gate4

7. At the end of the tests and analyses, the project team delivers the results to the client using a workshop format which may
includetesting simulations anduseofavailable prototypes. Gate4 represents approval of deliveries upto this point.
After negotiating the products´ acceptance conditions, a Final Report which includes a documentation of all phases of the
process, from thematization to test results and evaluations, is delivered to the client for approval. This report can be in the
PRD (Product Requirements Document) format and includes adescription ofscenarios for use of the created products.
The PRD will also include the CIP final phase, execution and even though it is not a construction document (i.e., hardware),
development (i.e., software) or implementation and implantation (i.e., services).
Once the final report is ready, the client has the option of contracting with
C.E.S.A.R. for executing the concepts elaborated and validated in the innovation
process, thus increasing the chances of a harmonious relationship between
concept, development and market life.
The possibility of executing a PRD by C.E.S.A.R. means that the team is more than
a think tank and is capable of conceiving innovative processes, products and
services in close partnership with its clients. Our engineering skills in ICT go well
beyond that: From chip design and construction of embedded systems to
conception, design, development, implantation, evolution and operation of
information systems. Also, design, mobility, performance and application safety, software reuse, methods and processes
for software engineering, testing of operational systems and many others areas in the ICT value chain are mastered by
C.E.S.A.R. teams. The adequate development of these activities demand trans-disciplinary teams that meet the needs of
innovativedesign acting on three interdependent and interconnected spheres: People, technology and business.
Product
specifications
documents
Scenarios
for use
documents
execução
Gate4
execution

8. C.E.S.A.R is a non-profit institution founded in 1996. It offers
solutions that include the entire innovation generation process in and
with ICTs. From the development of an idea, through conception and
prototyping up to the execution of the projects for enterprises,
diverse industries as well as defense, telecommunications, electro-
electronics, commercial automation, finance, media, energy, health
and agribusinesses. C.E.S.A.R interconnects multiple innovation
centers in a knowledge and connections network to develop projects
with a view to the future, speed and quality. The institution has built a
portfolio of varied products and services in order to meet its
numerous clients located in different parts of thecountry.
Among the institutions that work or have worked in partnership with C.E.S.A.R for the user-centered innovation are Motorola,
Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Vivo, Oi, Positivo, Dell, Visanet, Bematech, Bradesco, Unibanco, Banco Central do Brasil, Siemens,
Philips, and CHESF.
C.E.S.A.R has over 580 professionals, counting on experts, master's degrees, doctorates and consultants located in the cities
of Recife, São Paulo, Sorocaba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Curitiba. They are a team of experts who understand the
relationship between people, technology and business. The institution also has state of the art labs for Design & Usability work,
Digital TV and interactive media as well as embedded systems which accelerate the prototyping process and development of a
variety of solutions for its clients.
The Institution is also recognized by its experience in all steps of the process of capture and application of resources for
incentives to R&D in the country. From a survey of needs up to the final accountability report, C.E.S.A.R. generates and
manages the entire ICTs innovation generation process for its clients, leaving them free to manage the evolution of their own
business.
According to FINEP, C.E.S.A.R was twice considered (2004 and 2010) the most innovative science and technology institution in
Brazil. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT), in 2007, C.E.S.A.R was the center for innovation
that received the largest volume of resources as per the Informatics Law for the development of R&D projects in Brazil. This is a
reflection of one of the institution´s goals which is to make capturing and use of incentives for innovation an added value for the
business accomplishments ofits partners andclients.
O CESAR
Talk to us
No matter what is your business, size
of the company or problem you are
trying to solve, rest assured that
C.E.S.A.R can be a part of the
network that is helping you to
innovate.
E-mail: negocios@cesar.org.br | Site: www.cesar.org.br
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