Shell
An innovation accelerator for a global energy company
Summary
A transformational acceleration hub to streamline early project stages and pivot to value creation through data, delivering 19 projects across 8 lines of business in 12 months.
In a short timeframe DEUS built a cross-disciplinary team of strategists, designers, tech experts, and data scientists to serve different business units, infusing design thinking and structuring governance to accelerate the company's transformation ambitions.
Services
Industry
The Challenge
Slow innovation doesn't stem from a scarcity of ideas. It arises from an abundance of them.
To innovate faster, an optimization and rationalization of IT investments was required. This meant a value-led approach in early project phases, by introducing ideation, discovery, and design frameworks to identify, develop, and scale the right ideas.
Problem 01
Slow time-to-market for new products
- ▪Ideas abundant but no structured path to execution
- ▪Difficulty converting ideas into business cases
- ▪No framework to evaluate and prioritize initiatives
- ▪Limited alignment between IT investments and business value
Problem 02
No structured innovation framework
- ▪No systematic method to select the right problems to solve
- ▪Unclear how to maximize investment value
- ▪Non-priority investments consuming resources
- ▪No standard process from ideation to delivery
The Approach
6 to 12 week accelerator programs, from ideation to investment-ready business cases. Our cross-disciplinary team identifies optimal IT opportunities early, supports decision-making, and aligns solutions with business objectives.
01
Business discovery and ideation
Ecosystem analysis and mapping, process and data flows, market intelligence, and research to understand the landscape and identify opportunities worth pursuing.
02
Design and lateral thinking
Design sprints, opportunity canvas development, and lateral thinking frameworks to explore solution spaces and generate innovative approaches to complex problems.
03
Solution design and prioritization
Detailed blueprints, desirability-feasibility-viability framework evaluation, value and innovation matrices, and roadmap development to move from concepts to investment-ready cases.
Identify
Assess
Select
Define
Execute
Harvest
Opportunity realization standards
Opportunity lifecycle
Impulse
Uncover
Pilot
Scale
Evolve & Maintain
Demand shaping
Business Discovery & Ideation
Understanding
Ecosystem analysis & mapping; process, data & user flows; market intelligence & research
Ideating
Design & lateral thinking framework; design sprints; opportunity canvas
Shaping
Solution & process design; detailed blueprints; DVF framework
Focusing
Value/innovation matrix; roadmap & prioritization; refinement
Complementing and translating Business & Digital Strategy into human-centered, design-inspired, technology driven opportunities to deliver increased value, leverage synergies, and decrease risk.
Delivery & Deployment
Services & Operations
Impact
Over 12 months, evaluations led to descoping one-third of projects due to low viability, while two-thirds advanced with clear roadmaps for further investment and development.
Project Delivery
19 projects delivered across 8 lines of business in 12 months, with each initiative evaluated against desirability, feasibility, and viability criteria.
Investment Optimization
27% of projects halted due to low viability, while 73% progressed with identified opportunities and roadmaps warranting further investment.
Capability Building
Cross-functional teams empowered to navigate complex problems and make smarter investment decisions using stakeholder insights, user research, and digital roadmaps.
“Great work done by the team! The way it has guided us through the opportunity framing has been very helpful and engaging. Overall, it has created common understanding and a clear list of critical items to focus on.”
Shell
Methods
A structured innovation approach combining strategic design, process optimization, and capability building.
Ecosystem analysis
Process mapping
Market intelligence
User research
Design sprints
Opportunity canvas
Lateral thinking
Ideation workshops
Solution design
Blueprinting
DVF framework
ROI modeling
Roadmapping
Stakeholder alignment
Change management