At what point in the typical S-curve pattern of innovation is a company likely to be when significant improvements in performance can be gained only through radical new designs or new performance-enhancing materials?
A)It is at its break-even point.
B)It is at the problem identification stage of the innovation cycle.
C)It is at the end of the innovation cycle.
D)It is at either the beginning or end of the innovation cycle.

Question

At what point in the typical S-curve pattern of innovation is a company likely to be when significant improvements in performance can be gained only through radical new designs or new performance-enhancing materials?
A)It is at its break-even point. 
B)It is at the problem identification stage of the innovation cycle. 
C)It is at the end of the innovation cycle. 
D)It is at either the beginning or end of the innovation cycle.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At the end of the innovation cycle, a company is likely to have exhausted all possibilities for incremental improvements in performance and would need radical new designs or materials to continue improving. This is because the S-curve pattern of innovation typically reaches a plateau where additional improvements can only be made through disruptive innovation. Therefore, the company is likely to be at the end of the innovation cycle when significant improvements in performance can only be gained through radical new designs or materials.

At What Point in the Typical S-Curve Pattern of Innovation