Innovation at its core ...
Formerly known as Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, 3M is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in the United States.
They possess over 80,000 employees which produce products in the fields of adhesives, electronic materials, medical products, electronic circuits, optical films. It operates in more than 60 countries, some functioning as international companies with manufacturing operations or laboratories.
3M actually has a very unique Brand Identity Vision which is actually based largely on its Brand Promise and Brand Essence. In a nutshell, 3M basically wants to implement "Practical and ingenious solutions that help customers succeed". The Brand Essence is its aim to "harness(ing) the chain reaction of new ideas". This is a very inspiring vision as the company not only aims to be innovative, it wants to create products which also inspire innovation in its users. This really struck me as not many companies create products not just as a tool but as a world changing catalyst for its consumers, the users.
This video pretty sums up what I was trying to condense in the above paragraphs. Even the video itself, is pretty special and different from most corporate videos. It is a simple video yet it puts through the general message of what the company is trying to do .Which is to take great ideas, innovate and from there create great products.
I definitely am supportive of such a simple but noble vision. Most companies today, only aim to come up with good products not because it's gonna benefit a user, rather as a money making tool. That results in a lot of industrial copy-cat products or companies which create products heaped with loads of unnecessary products. This is usually due to a lack of a proper vision to guide their inventive and creative process. I think 3M will be a much different and exciting company to visit since it already started off with a vision to guide its product development.
The Products
Well, one thing that really makes the 3M brand so recognizable are its products. From the famous Scotch Tape to the Post It pads, 3M is one of those companies which come up with products that we just can't imagine not having.
Of course, my reflection will not be focusing on just those products, mine instead will focus on its upcoming projects, specifically the 3M touch screen technologies. This is a technology that really interests me. The touch screen technology which first debuted in sci-fi novels has now become a reality with products like Palm PDAs and iPhones. Touch screens offer a higher level of intimacy, even higher than the mouse which was first thought to bring the user closer to the computing experience by moving icons. The touch screen not only makes it easier for the user but a much more better experience for the user overall.
Of course, 3M isn't just focusing on the usual touch screens, it has branched out further into multi-touch by having touch screens that accept over 60 inputs and bendable touch screens.
Just take a look at these videos to get a better idea of what kind of touch screens they're developing
Of course, this is just one of the many revolutionary technologies that are being developed by 3M.
Inspiration
This reflection really brings up numerous fond memories of making use of their products. I would remember how I would mend torn pieces of papers or book with scotch tape, sticking up post-its in my diary etc. It would be hard to imagine a world without 3M, a world without such conveniences for mankind.
I would really like to find out what exactly goes on at 3M. How operations are handled and more importantly, how they come up with such great ideas.
I want to find out more about the working environment and style, and how this contributes to its performance. After all, its performance over the years have been impressive and astounding.
Hopefully, my questions will be answered when I visit the company during the learning journey.
References
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