What Is a "Skunk Works?" How Can It Be Used

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The Answer is A skunk works is a task force, a temporary team that is created to expedite new product design and to promote innovation by coordinating the activities of functional groups. The task force consists of members of the R&D, engineering, manufacturing, and marketing functions who are assigned to a separate facility, at a location isolated from the rest of the organization. This independent "autonomous"setting gives skunk works members the opportunity to engage in the intensive face-to-face interactions necessary for successful innovation. As a team, skunk works members "own the problem": They are the intrapreneurs responsible for the project's success or failure. Thus a skunk works is an island of innovation; it provides a large organization with a small-organization-type setting in which skunk works members have the opportunity and motivation to bring a new product to market quickly.

What Is a "Skunk Works?" How Can It Be Used

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