September 2021

Transform a Brilliant Idea Into a Thriving Collaboration

Knowing if, when, and how to launch a new multi-stakeholder collaboration, such as an alliance, association or consortium requires careful thought and planning to ensure a structure that maximizes the opportunity to succeed. Inventures offers a no-cost assessment that will help advise you on how to move your collaboration forward.

Case Study: Forming and Launching a New Initiative in the Security & Safety Industry

In 2017, Bosch Building Technologies approached Inventures with a novel concept: create a service model for physical security and safety devices. This concept would encompass a vast array of devices, including surveillance cameras, access control devices, fire alarms and smoke detectors. This new service model would require the collaboration of many companies to develop the necessary specifications, create a collaborative approach to common challenges, and ultimately establish a thriving ecosystem with the size and credibility needed to ensure success for the industry.

Four Helpful Hybrid Event Tips

In this uncertain time, one option to ensure the event goes on is to organize a hybrid event. A hybrid event does not necessarily mean you add a streaming camera in the middle of a conference room or general session; it can be two events in one, with some opportunity for the online participants to meet the onsite participants. We share four helpful tips.

Client News: West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association Launches New Working Group

The West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association (WCLBMA) recently launched their Northern California Second Growth Working Group (WG) to benefit young member executives, managers, salespeople, and employees based in Northern California as they transition into leadership positions within their respective companies and, also as future WCLBMA board directors.

Transform a Brilliant Idea Into a Thriving Collaboration

Knowing if, when, and how to launch a new multi-stakeholder collaboration, such as an alliance, association or consortium requires careful thought and planning to ensure a structure that maximizes the opportunity to succeed. Do you need a new organization? Maybe you only need to collaborate with others for a project? Which type of organization do you need?

No-cost Collaboration Assessment

Inventures offers a no-cost assessment* that will help advise you on how to move your collaboration forward. Through our interview process, we’ll assess and qualify your objective, guide you on the conditions that are ripe for a collaboration, and if desirable, we can help define the opportunity to maximize success.

Our goal is to help you find the right approach and accelerate innovation by leveraging our 25+ years of experience in launching and leading technology collaborations. Reach out to us to start moving your collaboration forward.

For qualified opportunities determined through a phone screening.

Back to top

Case Study: Forming and Launching a New Initiative in the Security & Safety Industry

In 2017, Bosch Building Technologies approached Inventures with a novel concept: create a service model for physical security and safety devices. This concept would encompass a vast array of devices, including surveillance cameras, access control devices, fire alarms and smoke detectors. This new service model would require the collaboration of many companies to develop the necessary specifications, create a collaborative approach to common challenges, and ultimately establish a thriving ecosystem with the size and credibility needed to ensure success for the industry.

In order to determine the best way to deliver this new concept to the industry, strategic analysis was required. Inventures collaborated with Bosch on the first phase of the Inventures Alliance Formation process – Assess & Align. In this phase, Inventures and Bosch reviewed all of the possible collaboration entity options. Would a limited liability corporation, a joint venture, or a technology alliance be the right entity type for global collaboration? Once a technology alliance was selected, work began to define the foundation for the alliance including an initial mission, vision and value proposition for prospective alliance members. Based on the results of the first phase, Bosch decided to proceed with the formation process and move on to second phase, Structure.

During the Structure Phase, Inventures and Bosch, worked with four additional founding stakeholders: Hanwha Techwin, Milestone Systems, Pelco and VIVOTEK, to create the legal and structural framework for the proposed new alliance. Additionally, a funding platform was developed and the mission, vision, and value propositions were refined and membership tiers were assigned benefits with input from the founding stakeholders. Once the organizational structure was set, the stakeholders agreed to progress to the final phase, Launch Preparation.

During this phase of the formation process Inventures and the founding stakeholders:

• Developed a 12-month operational plan
• Incorporated the new organization
• Activated a bank account and financial management system
• Instantiated the Board of Directors and held the first Board meeting
• Created a website
• Publicly launched and announced the new alliance
• Recruited additional members

The culmination of this work is the Open Security & Safety Alliance (OSSA). OSSA launched with the five founding stakeholders and early adopter members Ambarella, Inc., Anixter Inc., AndroVideo, Kings Security Systems Ltd and NetApp. These companies began sharing their knowledge and expertise within this global alliance to build standards, specifications, best practices, references and implementation guidelines that will be required to meet the vision and mission of OSSA.

Since the launch of the OSSA in 2018, Inventures has provided a variety of services designed to help the alliance meets its mission and grow its ecosystem. OSSA relies on our membership management, financial services, marketing services, member meeting services, tradeshows and events, executive leadership, global headquarters services, workgroup collaboration and web/IT services. These services enable OSSA to stay focused on its mission to create a framework to provide standards and specifications for common components for data security and privacy, and a drive for improved levels of performance for security and safety solutions.

Back to top

Four Helpful Hybrid Event Tips

In the new normal, events is one of the most affected industries. Organizers have had to rely strictly on online events, be it Zoom, WebEx or any of the multitude of internet meeting alternatives. Now that we can see a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations increasing around the world, masking and other health guidelines, people are slowly getting back to in-person events.

In this uncertain time, one option to ensure the event goes on is to organize a hybrid event. A hybrid event does not necessarily mean you add a streaming camera in the middle of a conference room or general session; it can be two events in one, with some opportunity for the online participants to meet the onsite participants. Consider these four helpful tips:

1. Set your objectives: Sometimes this step is lost in the details of managing an event, but having objectives helps define what elements of the hybrid event will be necessary. Consider whether you need to set different objectives for both in-person and virtual audiences, or an overall objective for both.
2. Select the hybrid model that is best for you: Once you have set your objectives, select the right hybrid model for your event. Possible models include a basic one-day event that live streams in-person activities to your online audience, or a hub model that has in-person attendees at different locations that are simultaneously meeting and, at times, sync up for general sessions to share information or to listen to keynote speakers.
3. Technology requirements: Pick the technology provider that delivers the connectivity and interactivity required to meet your objectives without breaking your budget. Larger scale events may require a virtual platform and a production company capable of providing solid streaming and internet services. Smaller events might work with one of the well-known online meeting services. Whatever you choose, be sure you make rehearsals part of your pre-planning schedule. This will ensure your speakers are familiar with the system as well as help to time your event more effectively.
4. Provide participant networking opportunities: Many technology platforms offer an app that allows for all event attendees, either onsite or online, to communicate via instant messaging, video calls and other communication options. Keeping your audiences engaged and in touch helps the feeling of an inclusive event.

According to a recent Forbes’ article, hybrid events are here to stay. Whether that will prove true is yet to be seen. In the meantime, it is best to work with an event manager who is familiar with all of the options. Whether your event is for 10, or 10,000, Inventures can help you determine your needs and goals and create a customized plan. We're with you every step of the way.

Back to top

Client News: West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association Launches New Working Group

The West Coast Lumber & Building Materials Association (WCLBMA) recently launched their Northern California Second Growth Working Group (WG) to benefit young member executives, managers, salespeople, and employees based in Northern California as they transition into leadership positions within their respective companies and, also as future WCLBMA board directors.

The WG is a forum for cooperation and participation where participants represent disparate views but with a common interest in the results of the WG. The charter of the group is to inform, instruct, and assist in methods, concepts, products, and general philosophy of the retail lumber and building material industry. Members will ultimately benefit by becoming smarter and more effective at their jobs. The group’s activities will:

• Educate and improve selling and management skills and techniques
• Provide networking and social opportunities to meet and share ideas with industry/member peers
• Provide a "young leader and mentor" program
• Develop a "young innovators" program
• Promote the goals and objectives of the Association
• Celebrate accomplishments
• Recognize valuable contributors and contributions

Whether it's a new working group, technical program or marketing project, the Inventures team can provide the leadership needed to develop, refine, guide and support new programs for associations and alliances. We’ll help implement and track progress of programs and manage the resources to achieve an organization’s goals and objectives. Learn more about Inventures’ management services.

Back to top

Copyright © Global Inventures, Inc.