Networking: An Important Step in Collaborative Innovation

NineSigma, a firm that links problems of one firm to solutions of another, finds extensive networking to be essential. Manufacturing Business Technology magazine writes about the process:

“NineSigma starts by combing its database of more than 800,000 solution providers for potential candidates to solve the problem. In addition, Stiros [NineSigma CEO] says, “We have relationships with a number of professional and technical associations that redistribute our RFPs to their members, and that brings another 750,000 entities into the process. We also find that the people we send RFPs to are redistributing them to people they think might be able to solve a problem. In fact, 40 percent of the responses to our RFPs come from entities that we did not contact initially.””

What is astonishing to me is how well NineSigma uses professional and technical associations to gain business. Clearly, it is their business model that focuses on collaboration that allows such a good fit. Typically associations are very wary of companies using the membership lists to sell to. NineSigma has obviously broken that barrier because of the ability to communicate their business model in a way that is compatible with an industry association’s goals.

Have you tried to develop business through associations? What did you have to do to be successful? Were you focused on a collaborative process that helped many companies fulfill their goals? Hey! Wait a minute…what about protecting intellectual property? More on THIS iin my next post.

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