FORTH Sprint
'FORTH Sprint' is where ‘Design Thinking’ is being complemented with ‘Business Thinking’. A smart combination of outside-the-box and inside-the-box thinking. FORTH Sprint is the sprint version of the 20 week long FORTH innovation approach. Or expedition (see picture) may be a better word. FORTH Sprint is Design Sprint plus!
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The ‘Business Thinking’ part is an addition to both the start and the end of the general Design Sprint process.
FORTH* is an abbreviation of the 5 steps in the process (see picture):
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Full steam ahead,
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Observe & learn,
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Raise ideas,
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Test ideas,
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Homecoming.
​​​Steps 2 to 4 basically incorporate the Design Thinking process route and step 1 and 5 are the added Business Thinking steps. It means that a regular Design Sprint is now extended with a 'pre-phase' that ensures management is both involved and committed to an innovation assignment and a 'post-phase' delivering actual business cases.
The FORTH Sprint starts with a (free of charge) ‘Innovation Focus Workshop’ with higher management, where the core team will be introduced, sprint planning will be designed, innovation opportunities will be identified and the resulting innovation assignment will officially be signed off.
At the end part (step 5) it is extended with a post-phase of designing actual business cases based on the outcomes and actual business numbers.
Dutch master innovator Gijs van Wulfen* designed and developed the FORTH approach to ensure higher levels of success rate where failure rates are very high and enormous amounts of resources are being wasted by the current 'stage gate' like processes. Sustainability = Innovation and we need higher levels of success faster!
3 extra benefits of a FORTH Sprint
Conclusion
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A FORTH Sprint brings a higher level of innovation succes, reducing risk, mngmt buy-in and concrete business case(s). Achieving greater success improves the bottom line.
Design Sprint helps teams tackle product and marketing challenges. FORTH Sprint adds a higher level of preparation, concerted focus and actual business cases as output of the process. Both have bonus side effects like improving teamwork, learning new skills and fostering an innovation culture.
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A FORTH Sprint is a Design Sprint complemented with business thinking. It may take just a bit more time, but compensates with higher levels of success!
* The founder of the FORTH innovation methodology, Dutch master innovator Gijs van Wulfen, still trains
and certifies innovation professionals to facilitate the methodology. Check out the training opportunities if
you're interested.