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      Introduction

      System-driven innovation, like the System of Profound Knowledge that my grandfather taught, is a new mindset that you have to commit to. . . . Your market’s going to change, your business is going to change. It gives you such an amazing advantage, because it teaches you how to look at and deal with those changes by thinking differently.

      —Kevin Cahill, from the interview in the appendix

      Executive Director of the Deming Institute

      Grandson of Dr. W. Edwards Deming

      The aim of this book is to teach you how to create a Meaningful Difference with your career, team, company, and community. This is accomplished through the Innovation Engineering system for thinking smarter, faster, and more creatively.

      The need to think smarter, faster, and more creatively is broadly accepted in today’s fast-changing world. What is not understood is how to do it. Innovation Engineering teaches you and everyone you work with a reliable system for creating fresh ideas and, even more important, how to turn them into reality more successfully. And, as you will learn in chapter 13, when just 10% of your team, company, or community has UNSHAKABLE belief in their ability to innovate a culture of innovation is created.

      Innovation Engineering defines innovation in two words: Meaningfully Unique. When a product, service, work system, or job candidate is Meaningfully Unique, customers are willing to invest their time, energy, and money into it.

      The never-ending quest for meaningful uniqueness is at the heart of this book, my life, and the Innovation Engineering movement.

      Each of our students defines meaningfulness differently. Some find meaning in improving manufacturing, government, or even junior high school teaching systems. Others find meaning from creating smarter methods for rehabilitating prison inmates, caring for nursing home residents, anchoring North Sea oil rigs, or growing the impact of a nonprofit. Some students find meaning in the invention of amazing new food products, medical devices, internet services, financial services, or industrial equipment.

      The breadth and depth of application we are observing, from employing the Innovation Engineering mindset and methods, are both amazing and humbling.

      Innovation Engineering

      Innovation Engineering is a new field of academic study and management science. It reimagines how change is led, managed, and delivered. It accelerates the creation and development of more profitable and successful products and services. However, new products and services are just 10% of the innovation opportunity; 90% of the innovation opportunity lies in systems for working smarter. These include operational systems, production systems, sales and marketing systems, finance and legal systems, strategic alignment systems, idea decision systems, rapid research systems, and the list goes on and on.

      Ideas for growth and efficiency implemented successfully are the outward manifestation of Innovation Engineering. The more meaningful impact lies in the transformation that occurs within each person. When employees and leaders are confident that they can innovate, a chain reaction of positives occurs. They feel good about their jobs, companies, and careers. And, they have hope for the future, as they know they can change and adapt as the world around them changes.

      What makes Innovation Engineering reliable is that it’s grounded in data, backed by academic theory, and validated in real-world practice. Collectively, it’s the number-one documented innovation system on Earth. More than 35,000+ people have been educated in Innovation Engineering classes, and over $16 billion in growth and system improvement projects are in active development.

      Innovation Engineering Case Study

      One small example of Innovation Engineering effectiveness is Brain Brew Custom Whisk(e)y. It’s a collaboration between my Eureka! Ranch team and Edrington Distillers of Scotland (distillers of the Macallan, Highland Park, and other super luxury spirits).

      Using the Innovation Engineering system, we have invented and patented a Time Compression technology that crafts amazing whiskies and bourbons in 40 minutes (not years or decades).

      The technology enables such richness of flavor with easy drinking smoothness that our products win 2 to 1 and 3 to 1 in head-to-head taste tests versus luxury scotches and bourbons. Two of our bourbons won top honors—double gold medals—at the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition, and one was a unanimous choice Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

      Even more exciting, the new technology enables the creation of custom whiskey. As we say, “The world doesn’t need another whiskey, but everyone needs their own whiskey.” Time Compression technology makes it possible for everyone to create their own unique mash bill and then apply a blend of Old World, New World, and craft aging styles for a one-of-a-kind original taste. To learn more, visit brainbrewwhiskey.com.

      We understand that traditionalists may see Brain Brew Custom Whisk(e)y as being disrespectful to “the way it’s always been done.” However, the target audience for our innovations consists of forward-thinking craft spirits enthusiasts who are more interested in taste than tradition. Brain Brew is the ultimate demonstration of the Innovation Engineering mindset—traveling from invention and through development to test market in 10 months and winning top honors in international whiskey competitions in 18 months. Our marketing slogan is a variation of the famous Apple commercial: “Some call us the crazy ones . . .” It articulates our courage and commitment to our mission.