InImpact: The Journal of Innovation Impact

Publisher Future Technology Press
Vol. 7 No. 1 Innovation through Knowledge Transfer 2014
Volume Editors KES International
Journal ISSN 2051-6002
 
Article TitleCGI International Limited A company transformed through engaging in KTPs
Primary AuthorRobert Whiting, University of Leeds
Pages 216 - 221
Article ID inkt14-018
Publication Date 10-Nov-14
AbstractCGI was an SME, like many, that was strongly sales driven and gradually losing its skilled technical staff with no up and coming new blood to replace them. The robust scientific/technical knowledge as to how and why the product performs in a fire situation was almost non-existent in the company, where the formulations were empirically based and relied on trial and error to achieve given properties, a very cumbersome process. This severely restricted the companyÕs ability to develop new products that would ensure growth in the future, leaving them vulnerable to those competitors, large multi-nationals, who were in a better position to introduce superior products thus adversely affect CGIÕs sales, maybe even put them out of business.

Also; changes in regulation, requiring more stringent product quality and testing, required CGI to take action quickly before it was too late. Over a period of 6 years CGI embarked on a series of KTP projects addressing different parts of the business transforming it into a world class manufacturer of high quality fire safety glass. Not only are they now competing competitively with other suppliers but introducing new glass formulations unique to the industry offering much higher specification than was previously available.

Fundamental to this was the ability to partner with a leading University who had the research portfolio and skilled Academic staff who were ready, willing, able and highly enthusiastic to embark on a journey of discovery which would help take the company from a sales oriented business to a forward thinking and market leading technically innovative company.

All this was made possible by the highly knowledgeable and capable KTP Associates who knuckled down to the challenges of their projects. So highly regarded was the first Associate that he was employed by CGI as the Research & Development Manager leading new product development activities. He was instrumental in defining the scope of the subsequent KTPs, acting as company supervisor for one of them. Similarly the next two Associates were employed by the company in high profile roles continuing the ongoing product improvement and new product development activities to meet or exceed market needs. However we shouldnt forget the KTP scheme as without KTP it is highly likely that none of this would have happened and where would CGI be now??

This case study will look at how the 3 interrelated KTPs transformed the business, the Academic incentives and rewards and Associate benefits.
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