Snowmobile
Many markets are in fact highly competitive environments, in which it is key to survive. Often organizations have a strong drive to outperform other players in the market and to continuously improve their own market position. As such most markets do not differ much from for example product development, science, or even an air fight between jet pilots. The goal is to respectively develop what everyone wants, to come up with what everyone wants to know, or to do that what is required to survive and beat the opponent. This illustrates the many parallels to be found between a market, product development, science and air fights between jet pilots.
A key element in all development taking place is the creation of novelty, also referred to as innovation. If everybody always does the same things, there is no question of dynamics in a competition. This makes business become predictable and the way things evolve hardly leaves room for surprise. Innovation is the essential factor for creating chances to get into a leading role; if others are more succesfull it also allows for losing this role again. The novelty created can influence the course of a competition significantly, and as such determines the success or failure of those involved. Creating novelty is key to excelling in a competitive environment.
Often the creation of novelty is the result of an understanding of a variety of things that seemingly have no relationship with each other (analysis), to be combined into novelty (synthesis). The result is often highly synergetic; the quality of the process of analysis and synthesis often determines the quality of the novelty created. Continuous further optimization of the process of analysis and synthesis is the essence of becoming and remaining successful in a competitive environment. Outperforming the others on the playing field in the process of analysis and synthesis, allows for a party to excel. The late Colonel Aviator John Boyd, a pronounced strategic thinker of the United States Air Force, illustrated the process of analysis and synthesis by means of a mental exercise. The excersise as presented by Col. John Boyd, in an original audio recording:
Innovation is not magic; it is a skill that can be acquired, maintained and further developed. Building metaphorical snowmobiles is a way to excel in this. Continuis improvement of the process for building metaphorical snowmobiles for a market, and in doing so outperforming others on that market, results in obtaining a leading role on that market. The importance for IDI Snowmobile to in the excel in high competitive environments is illustrated by referring to the metaphorical snowmobile in its name. IDI Snowmobile continuously develops itself further, focusing on the creation of novelty that suits the needs of the market, and performing in a manner required to excel.