Throwing Resources at It Is Never the Answer
My years on the leadership team of SC Johnson’s specialty chemicals division taught me a critical lesson about innovation. We were the fastest-growing slice of a $10 billion portfolio, yet the cry for more resources was constant.
By focusing our innovation pipeline, we proved you win by moving five great projects a mile instead of fifty so-so projects an inch. Like most companies, we didn't need more people or a bigger budget to accelerate growth. We only needed to focus on a handful of key priorities.
That experience wasn't a one-off. After heading out on my own, I validated and expanded those learnings into a complete framework working with companies across a broad range of industries.
- $300M Energy Equipment Manufacturer: Paralyzed by 50+ projects, we implemented WIP limits that slashed cycle time by 70% and cut research costs by 25% within one year.
- $10B Global Manufacturer: We restored predictability with rapid project planning, achieving a 95% on-time delivery rate and securing millions in earlier revenue.
- Industrial Systems Supplier: By strictly aligning design with customer needs, we dropped system costs by 30% and significantly increased EBIT.
The Methodology Behind AcceleTrak
Mike's latest book, Unlocking Innovation Productivity, codifies this system. It’s an easy-to-read field manual for leaders who need to turn R&D investment into predictable cash flow. Those who enjoy learning through stories can also check out his first book, Simplifying Innovation.
Click for Framework Details or The Results Companies Achieve
Mike frequently shares these insights as a speaker and contributor to publications like Industry Week, CFO, and Research-Technology Management.
But Methodology Needs Infrastructure
The results above were game-changing wins for the companies we worked with. But they still revealed two critical gaps:
Gap #1: Discipline Can Erode Quickly. Maintaining "high-flow" habits (like WIP limits) is difficult because management attention is a finite resource. Without constant vigilance, teams revert to "firefighting," allowing weak projects to clog the pipeline and starve high-value opportunities of resources.
Gap #2: Fragmented Data Creates Administrative Overload. Relying on manual tools like Excel and SharePoint creates data silos and administrative overhead. This lack of a unified source of truth forces top talent into redundant data entry and allows projects with poor business cases to dilute your focus.
Enter the AcceleTrak OS
The biggest constraint in any company is management attention. We developed the AcceleTrak OS to free your team from firefighting and chasing information. Instead, giving you the infrastructure needed to lead.
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Integrated Infrastructure: Moving beyond traditional consulting approaches, the system hard-codes "high-flow" habits directly into your New Product Development Operating System.
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Pipeline Optimization: The process begins by optimizing the total number of project opportunities currently in flight to prevent overloading.
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Automated Data Capture: It automatically pulls data from your team’s existing deliverable workflows, reducing administrative burden.
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Single Source of Truth: This builds an uncorrupted digital thread or ground truth for your innovation data.
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Executive Visibility: By connecting with your ERP and CRM, it provides leaders with the undeniable data needed to end the "busyness" and focus on delivering board-level ROI.
Ready to stop fighting fires and start managing flow?
High-growth innovation requires more than just better ideas—it requires the infrastructure to execute them. We partner with organizations where the stakes are high and the commitment to sustained returns is absolute.
Software alone won't fix a broken process. That’s why we start by understanding your specific flow constraints. Once we’ve identified the levers for your growth, I show you how the AcceleTrak OS automates that discipline to make it permanent.
If you want a results-oriented system rather than just another strategy binder, let’s see if we’re a match.