Culture Of Innovation @JDA

Ideate: It was a late Friday evening—that time of day when most people usually leave behind their work for the week. But that evening, things were different at JDA Bangalore. Desks were illuminated, and a chorus of voices excitedly talking could be heard down the hall. Acronyms like ML, IOT, AI, NLP were used at an alarmingly high frequency.

It was the sound of innovation, the sound of ideas being born into reality. As I walked around, I could see JDA associates immersed in projects throughout the office floor. These innovation zones housed some of the most advanced technology available today (and in the future): Arduino devices, mixed reality gears - the type only seen in science-fiction movies - high tech heat/load/sound sensors, next-generation assistants such as Amazon Alexa and Google home, etc.

Energy was high and creativity at its peak, as JDA Bangalore, along with JDA Hyderabad, geared up for an innovation festival called: JDA Crystal Ball, an event across the company’s two India-based Centers of Excellence, established to tackle the constant shift in technology head-on through our best asset – our people.

The enthusiasm was contagious; everyone wanted to be part of this momentous JDA event. The teams worked days, nights and multiple weekends to not just to ideate but to convert their ideas into a prototype, into a proof of concept. Some teams had moon-shot ideas while the others were solving incremental problems. However, everyone had a single-point mindset to ‘Passionately Innovate’. Innovate how we work, innovate how our customers work, innovate how their vendors work.

Execute: Crystal Ball was a three-month effort toward creating a funnel for ideas that will fuel JDA’s transformation and customer experience. What an amazing event it was! Proof of concepts, not just ideas, ruled the floor with concepts spanning across a large spectrum of subject areas such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cloud technologies impacting supply chain, supply chain optimization, etc. What had begun as simple “what if” transformed into a success that exceeded almost everyone’s expectations, and the JDA executive team applauded the visionary work of the collective teams.

Dream: Now, what’s next? Will anything change after this? Was this a onetime event? It cannot be! In fact, Crystal Ball was a catalyst for unleashing the hidden passion and talent of so many JDA associates. As with any journey, the first step is the hardest, but we’ve now taken it…and there’s no looking backward.

The impact of Crystal Ball can be seen, and felt, in every corner of JDA India. Those who presented their ideas are working to take them to next level. Some are talking about patents, and others are working on how to productize their ideas. This is attitude of innovation is infectious; we all feel it, we all want to be part of it. Those who were not able to present their ideas are highly motivated for the next time around (because we know there will be a next time!). Associates are staying late or coming to office during the weekends, not for their day-to-day stuff.. but 'to innovate'. This changed mindset, I believe, is the biggest achievement of the Crystal Ball showcase.

I can’t thank more to the JDA leadership for giving us this excellent opportunity (and the Crystal Ball Award for being the best idea in Bangalore :-)). I can confidently say that our leadership has kick started a new culture at JDA… The Culture of Innovation!!!