Abstract

The case examines the approach of Pfizer Inc. (Pfizer), one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies, to innovation, management, and design thinking. For several years, Pfizer had been credited with fostering a culture of innovation. But, it was in the early 2000s that the company started emphasizing design thinking as a tool for innovation. For pharmaceutical companies, design thinking meant using design to bring ideas to connect better with patients and provide them with a better experience. With the current demand for more patient-centered products and services, Pfizer used design thinking as its core competence. By focusing on user experience, the company applied design thinking at several levels including clinical trials, diagnosis, and treatment. The case discusses Pfizer’s innovation journey in detail. It also analyzes how Pfizer integrated design thinking in its innovation process. This case provides an insight into design thinking and the various techniques involved like brainstorming, prototyping, and testing to arrive at a solution to a problem. The case ends with a discussion on the future scope for design thinking and the challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies in incorporating design thinking.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of design thinking and its importance in the pharmaceutical industry
• Compare design thinking with other problem solving approaches
• Examine different steps of design thinking and its role in product development with innovation
• Study Pfizer’s initiatives toward innovation management and its use of design thinking to build a customer centric organization

Keywords

Design thinking; Innovation; Innovation management; Problem solving; Open innovation; Strategic HRM; Organizational culture; Cultural shift; Mindset; Change management; Data; Analytics; Strategy; Capabilities