Enabling Innovation in eResearch

Richard FerrersAustralian National Data Service Melbourne

Nicholas May RMIT University Melbourne

Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Will eResearch disappear?

Should eResearch be a function of ITS?

What should an eResearch organization look like?

Innovation & eResearch?

Application of Innovation and Teamwork models

Within the eResearch Context

Provide a model for innovation in eResearch

Overview

Adoption & Diffusion

• Market Segments• Adoption Characteristics• Everett M. Rogers

Crossing the Chasm

• The Chasm• Total Product• Geoffrey A. Moore

Disruptive Innovation

• Sustaining vs. Disruptive• Clayton Christensen

Value Innovation

• Change of Value Proposition• Blue Ocean Strategy• W. Chan Kim and

Renée Mauborgne

Industry Models of Innovation

Perfo

rman

ce

Time

Disruptive

Sustaining

Novelty with Utility

CostValue

60s

80s

90s

00s

Sustaining– Improves ‘Performance’– Existing Technology– Targets most profitable

Customers

Disruptive– Changes the ‘Value Proposition’– Not wanted by Majority Segment– Promise Lower ROI– Simpler, Cheaper – Lower Performance– Adopted in Emerging Markets

The Innovation Spectrum

– Examples:• Portable Computers• Different Data Storage Formats

– Examples:• Faster Computers• Higher Capacity Data Storage

Service-Focused– Listens to Customers– Targets Largest Segment– Gives Customers

‘what they say they want’– Delivery Oriented

Project-Focused– Works with Customers– Explore Non-Standard Needs– Learning Oriented

Organizing for Innovation

– Good at… Sustaining Innovation – Good at… Disruptive Innovation

Team Structures

Grouped by DisciplineDirected by Senior SpecialistCoordinate via SpecificationsControl passed Sequentially

Functional

Grouped by DisciplineDirected by CoordinatorCoordinate via LiaisonsControl by Communication

LightweightGrouped by TaskDirected by Project ManagerCoordinate via Co-locationControl by Charter

Heavyweight

Grouped by TeamDirected by Team ManagerCoordinate via Co-locationControl of Resourcing

Autonomous

eResearch is the…• ICT that supports the research lifecycle

eResearch & Innovation?

eResearch Organizations…• need to support a diverse market of researchers• need to cope with increasing opportunities for ICT disruption in

research lifecycle• need to enable sustaining innovation across a range of technologies• need to enable continuous, disruptive innovation in a dynamic

environment

A Model for Innovative Organizations in eResearch

Sustaining Organization

photo adapted from ‘train-tracks-sweden’ by Project 404 on www.flikr.com, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ - CC BY-NC 2.0

Heavyweight Team

Listens to Researchers’ Needs

Upgrade & Improve Existing Solutions

Service & Delivery Focused

ITS & Library@ RMIT University

Disruptive Organization

photo adapted from ‘Split / Merge’ by Domiriel on www.flikr.com, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ - CC BY-NC 2.0

Heavyweight Team

Exploit Shift in what Researchers’ Value

Explore New Solutions

Project & Learning Focused

eResearch Office@ RMIT University

Resourcing Organization

photo adapted from ‘gate in morning fog’ by Brian J. Matis on www.flikr.com, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ - CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Lightweight Team

Assess Opportunities for Disruption

Allocate Resources to Disruptive Projects

Not Formalized @ RMIT University

Assessment Organization

photo from ‘Closed !’ by Craig Sunter on www.flikr.com, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ - CC BY-ND 2.0

Lightweight Team

Assess Maturity of Disruptive Technologies

Manage the Transition of Technologies into Sustaining Organization

Not Formalized @ RMIT University

Punctuated Disruption

Spin Out

Discover

Refer

Merge

• Transient Teams• Concurrent Projects

Sustaining

Resourcing

Disruptive

Examples @ RMIT University

NanoTardis• Punctuated Disruption• Resources allocated to:

– Small project team– Mature MyTardis for ITS– Ensure Compliance– Develop Support Model

• Deployment supported by ITS• Model for future MyTardis

DeploymentsITS

PMO

Dev Team

Continuous Disruption

ReferHand Over

Discover

• Permanent Organization

• Concurrent ProjectsSustaining

Assessing

Disruptive

Examples @ RMIT University

Data DOIs• Continuous Disruption• eResearch Office

– Identified in eRO project: ANDS MODC

– Raised at Research Data Planning (RDP) meeting

– Integrated into Research Metadata Publication process

• Management of RMIT University’s Data DOIs supported by Library

LibraryRDP

eRO

A Model for Innovative Organizations in eResearch

Punctuated Continuous

ReferHand Over

Discover

Spin Out

Discover

Refer

Merge

Sustaining

Assessing

Disruptive

Resourcing

What are your experiences with…• eResearch Organizations• Disruptive Projects• Innovation Life Cycles

Questions?

Richard Ferrersrichard.ferrers@ands.org.au@ValueMgmt

Nicholas May nicholas.may@rmit.edu.au@eResEngineer

https://sites.google.com/site/eresearchinnovation/

1948

Disruptive Innovations in Photography

1888

19751976

2005

2009

2012

Steven Sasson builds the first digital camera

Kodak founded

US sales: 85% of Cameras & 90% of Film

US sales: Ranked No. 1 for Digital Cameras

2007iPhone released

Kodak files for bankruptcy

Kodachrome discontinued

Polaroid camera released

2008Polaroid files for bankruptcy

1997Philippe Kahn builds the first phone camera

Photo by John Kratz from Burlington NJ, USA (Kodak Brownie Target Six-20) [CC BY-SA 2.0]

References

1. Diffusion of Innovations• Everett M. Rogers. Diffusion of Innovations. Simon and Schuster, 5th edition, 2003.

2. Disruptive Innovation• Clayton Christensen. The innovator’s dilemma: when new technologies cause great firms

to fail. First eBook Edition, Harvard Business Review Press, 1997, ISBN: 978-0-875-84585-2.

3. Diffusion of Technology• Geoffrey A. Moore. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to

Mainstream Customers. Adobe E-Book Reader edition v 1, HarperCollins, 2001, ISBN: 0-06-018987-8.

4. Team Structures• Steven C. Wheelwright and Kim B. Clark. Revolutionizing product development: quantum

leaps in speed, efficiency, and quality. Simon and Schuster, 1992.