Case Study: CIOs Can Learn From Kimberly-Clark's Innovation Design Studio

Innovative initiatives cascade from corporate strategies down to action. Example? Kimberly-Clark Corporation (K-C) advanced its enterprisewide strategy "to become an indispensable partner to [its] customers" with a virtual reality system that helps its retail customers like Kroger, Safeway, and Target visualize their store layouts with K-C products displayed as they would appear in the real stores. CIOs should learn from the K-C example to make sure they are structured to stay close to business idea creation and execution: including assigning staff to work with R&D organizations, cultivating a broad pool of talent, engaging in cross-functional teams, and actively seeking and participating in innovation networks beyond the walls of the firm.