Boral – Client Interview
Director of Innovation
Boral uses its Stage-Gate Model to develop new building materials, technology platforms and commercialize supporting products. Some examples include its highly successful “new-to-world” polymer composite siding. Boral’s former Director of Innovation elaborates on her experiences managing the company’s innovation processes which included identifying new technologies, industry opportunities and partnerships.
When Recognized Practices Become the Obstacle to Portfolio Management Project Selection Success
Jennifer Willson, former Director of Innovation at Boral interviewed by Stage-Gate International
Jennifer Willson was most recently Boral’s Director of Innovation where she managed the company’s innovation processes which included the identification of new technologies, industry opportunities, and partnerships. Over her career she has successfully led the development and commercialization of several building materials technology platforms and supporting products, utilizing a Stage-Gate® idea-to-launch process. As Director of Innovation at Boral, Jennifer led the development of Boral Composites’ highly successful “new-to-world” polymer composite siding product and helped this new business develop its first comprehensive product portfolio.
SGI: Let’s start by telling our readers a little about yourself and your company.
JW: When I graduated with my masters in chemistry I intended to work in the pharmaceutical industry. Instead, my first job was with Fiberglas Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Owens Corning, and I’ve been in building materials ever since. It’s not a glamorous industry but its products are essential to the construction, comfort, and aesthetics of the structures in which we live and work. I like product development and the intricacies and complexities that it encompasses – customer and partner engagement throughout the development process, cross-functional involvement, delivering value to customers and growth to companies. I’ve had the good fortune to work for a few companies in this industry. My most recent role was Director of Innovation for Boral. Boral is a global construction and materials company based in Australia. The US subsidiary is a leading manufacturer of brick, roof tile, manufactured stone veneer, and composite trim and siding.
SGI: What is your favorite new product out right now and why?
JW: I’ve been impressed by a few “really cool” incremental improvements that automakers have made to their vehicles recently. Two examples come to mind: the vacuum cleaner in the 2014 Honda Odyssey and the foot-activated tailgate in Ford vehicles. Both improvements are a result of understanding how drivers/occupants interact with their vehicle and then the manufacturer adding functionality to address an unmet and possibly unarticulated need. While neither idea is game-changing, these features help differentiate their product from the competition.
SGI: In your opinion, what is the single biggest portfolio management challenge that organizations face today?
JW: Today’s biggest challenge in portfolio management is working on the right projects, ones that truly are strategically aligned with the goals of the business. Sometimes the link between product development and strategy gets overlooked, especially in businesses with mature technology, where strategic discussions tend to focus on capacity planning. When this happens the firm can lose sight of what is important and what should be occupying the minds of those planning, doing and evaluating product development.
SGI: What advice would you give to others on how to tackle this challenge?
JW: I think the challenge should be addressed with a mix of common sense, and dialogue between and amongst functional areas and stakeholders, with an eye on the ever-changing marketplace (the competition, trends, technology). All of this is easy to say and can be difficult to put into practice. It starts with an innovation and product development strategy that is tied to an overall business and/or corporate strategy. Equally important is to understand where the market is likely going and what core competencies can be leveraged and/or acquired to meet strategic objectives. I also think it’s difficult to get anything right the first time. It’s important to have a working document and a plan that can be modified as more information is obtained and corrections are required. Plan, execute, evaluate, course correct, execute, evaluate and …..
SGI: What do you think Summit attendees were most interested to learn about in your presentation?
JW: Boral is highly resource-constrained, a common feature shared by many businesses today. My presentation provides insight on a very practical and low tech approach we developed to address a situation that often comes up when trying to finalize the “best” and “right” ideas for your company’s product developers to work on. This is vital when the reality is you cannot work on everything but everything you work on is critical to the future success of the business. I am quite proud of the process we developed. For those who find that at times the tools they are using are unsatisfactory in helping to make the final cuts, they may also find this method quite valuable.
SGI: Looking into your crystal ball what do you think will be the greatest challenge facing product portfolio managers 10 years down the road?
JW: In my many years in R&D, the question of which projects/products to work on has always been important. I don’t see this being any different in the next 10 years. Regardless of how well a company thinks it is managing its existing portfolio, change will certainly occur. The product portfolio should be a living tool that is adjusted as new information is obtained. With time, and experience (a few wins and missteps) companies will get better at it.