How has 3Ms innovation process evolved since the company was founded?

Why, if at
all, does 3M, known as a hothouse of innovation, need to regain its historic closeness to
the customer?
Technician bypass purchasing agents in order to better understand product needs. Walked
into factories and workplaces and talk directly to workers. Then, one developer
discovered some success ignoring company order. Causing the attitude. It is better to seek
forgiveness than to ask for permission. A get-out-of the way attitude on attitude on the
part of management towards product developers.
The entire team did not face any risk if the product failed. Their love for discovery drive
for innovation.
15% time to explore new ideas.
Dual ladder
Cross-pollination or bootlegging
Place a heavy emphasis on R&D.
YES.
In the 1990s as the innovation was stagnating, most of the innovations were extension of
existing product lines, management came up with a protocol that 30% of 3M's revenue
should come from innovative products that did not exist four years ago.
To identify market needs and trends, fit customers need, to sell their products, Customers
are their target and to make profit from.
3Ms proves has evolved significantly since its founding.

3M Corporation has small laboratory or research and development section with some
technicians and doing experiments on sandpaper and developed some core technology at
that time for 3M like masking tapes. After such core technologies development 3M
achieved global reputation and become hothouse of innovation. However the process
grows slowly and allows 3M to recognize user needs because 3M researchers contact
different employees in factories.
In 1990s 3M have 30 key technologies and get much market growth and for more
development and product 3M employing more engineers and scientists. 3M corporation
goes high in innovation but they are not able to found what customer need is because of
least interaction and closeness with customers and users. This is because 3M need some
marketing research and identifies customer needs rather focusing on products and
technical stuff.

The innovation process at 3M has typically been a focus for those in upper management.
The company adopted a get-out-of-the-way attitude towards the product developers.
These developers in turn have worked according towards innovation. Each team was
assigned a process engineer. The engineer was responsible for making sure that the
product was efficiently made. This system ensured that the entire team did not face risk if
the product was unsuccessful. The product developers would visit the factories and
workplaces to talk to the workers to foster new ideas for products. However, the
developers were not given any product royalties. This policy was in place because the
company strongly believed that innovation was driven by the sheer love of it. Instead, the
developers were given rewards for innovation and grants for projects. In addition, there
was also a dual-ladder approach in place. This approach provided the senior technical
employees with career opportunities and advancement without switching to the
management sector. In the 1990s, when innovation was stagnant, the innovation stemmed
from extending existing product lines. During this slump, management developed a
policy that 30% of the revenue should be from innovation products that didnt exist four
years ago. To meet this goal, the company had to change its approach. Some of the
medical products department switched to the lead user research process. When this
process was a success to the medical products department, this process was applied to
other divisions in the company. Despite these successes, 3M does need to regain
closeness with the customer. The company does not interact with customer and therefore,
it is unable to establish the customers needs. The company needs to identify market
needs and trends to regain a close relationship with the customers. They should shift
some of their focus from products and technical aspects and spend more manpower on
market research and identifying the customers needs.