Case Study: Pfizer

Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets leading prescription medicines for humans and animals and many of the world's best-known consumer brands. Their innovative, value-added products improve the quality of life of people around the world and help them enjoy longer, healthier, and more productive lives. As a company, Pfizer appeared on six different lists in 2005: Fortune 500, Global 500, Best Companies to Work For, Americas Most Admired Companies, Global Most Admired Companies and MBAs' Top 50 Employers.

Their success in a human capital intensive business is reliant on their ability to get the most out of some of the world's smartest people - their employees. Pfizer has been an Imaginatik customer since 2005 and has deployed Idea Central across Pfizer R&D in a variety of innovative ways.

In true Pfizer fashion they have become leading innovators of the innovation and idea management processes, using it for internal and external crowdsourcing, and developing the ChemBioConnect solution with Imaginatik and CambridgeSoft.

Case studies and press coverage:

Pfizer Idea Farm - IBM Case Study (402kb)

Quocirca Report: "From Problems to Ideas through to Innovation" (571kb) - contains a case study of the use of Idea Central in Pfizer R&D on page 16

Wall Street Journal: "Pfizer Business Incubator Fosters Emphasis On R&D"

Presentations:

Pfizer Idea Farm - Overview Presentation (183kb)

Crowdsourcing in Chemistry - ChemBioConnect (2340kb)

Push vs Pull in Complex Problem Solving: Pfizer Idea Farm Usage Cases (1564kb)

Pfizer Outside Innovation Cases (5419kb)

"The single dominant learning in the significant success we’ve enjoyed is that it’s not about software, it’s about the business process and consistent human behaviors that software embeds and enables.

It’s about a partner who understands that the customer needs to achieve diverse tangible business goals and not pander to vague Web 2.0 wishes."

- Dr. Robin Spencer
Senior Research Fellow, Pfizer