Inovação pelo design no setor de TI: um estudo de caso em empresas de software do Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

In the IT sector, the innovation process is fundamental for companies. Thus, it is observed the demand of producing software companies in finding new ways to achieve competitive results. Based on strategic design perspective, this study proposed a new approach that is capable of better adapting the needs and innovative processes of the sector in question. Thus, it was intended to evaluate the innovation processes at producing software companies in Rio Grande do Sul, as well as to describe a theoretical model of innovation process, guided by the design. A mapping of the sector was elaborated, identifying 38 software factories in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, to carry out a sectoral diagnosis and then carry out a case study. The results showed little differentiation in the services provided by software producers in Rio Grande do Sul, besides the low contribution of innovation and design to the competitiveness of the companies investigated. Thus, the construction of the innovation process by the design for the IT sector, took place together with IT professionals and other areas of activity through an ideation workshop. Based on the results, a proposal of innovation process was defined that sought to offer to software producers an approach oriented to innovation and design, provoking the creative effort combined with the different individuals competences, with the purpose of learning process and collective sense for the creation of competitive advantages. The proposed model was applied in a company of the evaluated sector, with the purpose of analyzing its practice in the real context of the software factories. It was identified the relevance of elaborated innovation process resides in the deepening of the context worked, as well as in the proposal of potential opportunities. Thus, an innovation process for the IT sector was reached, aiming to balance the exploratory behavior of the design with the analytical character of the software factories, providing moments of investigation, proposition of ideas and experimentation, and of the solutions created.