The drive for innovation itself is a curiosity.

What determines us and peer companies to innovate?

Often it is about competitiveness. Sometimes it is about our sensitivity to the environment and the way we interact with it. Other times it is about an inner willingness to achieve a better state of living. In the end, it is the combination of all these forces, reasons and states.

During our software development activity, we found ourselves motivated by different key drivers toward innovation. It is all about improving processes, products, experience and lifestyle.

I find it useful to outline a set of six innovation drivers that are constant at SOFTECH, Cluj:

#1. Imagining new solutions is a key innovation driver within our team. A new solution may come as a result of a new perception on how things interact or as a result of inspiration. It is often an untamed process. As with many things in life, the solution is extracted when the team is triggered by a problem, a bottleneck or a so-perceived impasse.

#2. Developing new products is the tangible innovation driver, as it ends up with a clearly defined product. A new software product will serve a specific industry or a certain end-user category.

#3. Developing new technologies is driven by our science and engineering capabilities. While questioning the usage, utility and safety of existing systems, a new technology is being shaped.

#4. Redesigning processes goes hand in hand with the development of new technologies. It usually represents a new workflow, with different timings, different steps and different support along the flow. The final goal is a higher level of productivity, of effectiveness and a better time and cost balance.

#5. Improving the lifestyle of the communities we live and work with, is a constant ambition. Innovation comes along in order to lead us to the next evolutionary step.

#6. Achieving better UX (user experience) is part of the life improvement process, directly connected to our field of activity – software development. In the last years, it has been a huge trigger for innovation, as users tend to have diverse experience while interacting with technology products and systems.

For a more detailed discussion on why this team is interested in innovative projects, and why we are keen to work with other industry experts, the door is open.