Simplifying your Innovation Journey: Kinly’s Guide to New Technology

Simon Watson, Kinly's Global Head of Innovation, explains why having a dedicated and informed strategy for innovation is more important than ever in today’s constantly evolving industry. 

I’m a firm believer that it only takes one new piece of technology to completely transform our day-to-day lives. Nowhere is this sentiment more pertinent than in the AV industry. 

At Kinly, we recognise that technology permeates both our corporate and domestic lives, so much so that one seemingly small change can significantly enhance efficiency, sustainability and accessibility. That’s why driving innovation needs to be at the heart of every decision we make, big or small. 

Post-pandemic, we reassessed our strategy to accelerate innovation, and position ourselves as the best advisors to our clients and the market. We also wanted to share our learnings to help others.   

Following our assessment, we identified six pillars to maximise our innovation potential and ensure that we are operating at the cutting edge of the AV industry. We want to share this knowledge with you.  

Identify disruptive technologies 

The first and most important area is disruptive technologies – innovations poised to change industries as a whole and likely to shape the market’s overall strategy and offerings.  

This may seem obvious, but understanding these tools is critical to harnessing their transformative potential for your business. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the clearest example. AI has, and will continue to have, a huge impact that spans every industry, including AV. But to maximise its output, you need to know how it best fits into your industry and predict where it will go next. 

As with any disruptive technology, there’s a lot of superficial discourse on AI as a universal fix-all, but it’s inevitably and conspicuously vague about the details. The key is to look beyond the hype and evaluate its actual value within your sector.  

Only with a comprehensive understanding of the inner workings of these kinds of technologies – whether through independent research or an expert advisor – can you ensure your growth alongside them, rather than floundering behind.  

Prioritise internal innovation  

Mastery of disruptive technologies like AI is important for businesses to guarantee they’re meeting their clients’ needs. However, it’s equally important to apply these technologies within your own operations. By doing so, you can improve workflows and gain first-hand experience of their potential strengths and weaknesses. 

As experts in hybrid working, we make sure our own framework is fully optimised. For example, we constantly trial new technologies to further develop on our systems. This exposure, in turn, allows us to be better advisors to our clients. 

Innovation is not a one and done job. It’s a continuous cycle you need to get in the habit of in order to stay ahead. As such, it's best to establish a dedicated team to evaluate and implement new technologies on a small scale, gather feedback, and refine the processes before full-scale adoption. 

Learning from partners 

The third pillar is to learn from your existing partnerships. This involves evaluating your strategic partners or manufacturers and how they’re looking to streamline their own products. 

Incremental improvements, driven by these key relationships – as opposed to strategic, long-term innovation – are an important element of a successful strategy. 

From Kinly’s perspective, it’s our role within this manufacturer-provider dynamic to influence these advancements through client feedback. This collaborative approach is mutually beneficial and will ultimately create a more productive relationship, ensuring clients are satisfied with their experience, and the manufacturer has a superior product. 

Identify new products 

In addition to improving existing offerings, it’s important to always be on the lookout for new products and services that can add value to your portfolio. This proactive approach keeps your organisation agile and responsive to both yours and your client’s evolving needs. The most recent example of this from Kinly is our Extended Reality (XR) Studios. 

We identified the potential of XR and virtual production within corporate settings and, by partnering with SmartStage, we’re able to deliver that value to our clients immediately. From the actual studio through to the resources required to support the product, both prior- and post-installation, we ensure our clients are fully satisfied. 

Forge new partnerships 

In a similar same vein, identifying and building new partnerships is a pivotal element of your business’ innovation strategy. Strong, strategic partnerships are essential for driving innovation and introducing new offerings at speed and scale. 

Having an extensive partner network creates almost endless possibilities through the various combinations of different technologies, empowering businesses to meet their clients' exact needs. Kinly, for example, is working with Appspace to deliver a mobile app for our off-site colleagues, allowing them to be more connected to our business and team members performing similar roles in other parts of the world. This development not only enhances our own ways of working, but also allows us to showcase how our partner network can benefit our customers. 

Champion thought leadership  

Finally, throughout this whole process, creating a strong voice that can guide your company, clients and the market on the latest trends is essential. 

With so much buzz around innovative products, particularly disruptive ones, your business need to be offering clear, unbiased, agnostic information. For Kinly, having a roster of experts specialising in different topics positions us as truly trusted advisors to our customers. The need for expert insights will look different across industries; it’s for you to determine where your advice will resonate most effectively with your clients.  

Fundamentally, Kinly’s innovation strategy is motivated by one universal tenet: be the best, be different. That extends beyond the services we provide – it’s about our people, too.  

Whether it’s your partners or your colleagues, it’s always people that drive innovation. They are your most valuable asset. Having diversity of thought allows you to find new ways to adapt and grow. Ultimately, it only takes one new piece of technology to completely transform our day-to-day lives. But it takes a team effort to discover it. 

By embracing these six pillars, your organisation will commit to driving innovation, staying ahead of industry trends and delivering exceptional value. Together, we continue to shape the future.