Innovate or Die
A conversation with Richard Jones, President of MoveMobility
For several companies, the start of a new year is when many of us reflect on the year that has passed. We set goals and look ahead to where we want to take our companies in the current year. Many of these goals require innovation. At MoveMobility, vehicle innovation is the heart of our company. We felt it timely to sit down with our President to discuss the company’s passion for innovation and how it has been key in positioning MoveMobility as the industry leader for wheelchair accessible vehicles.
Peter Drucker famously coined the phrase, “innovate or die”. What does this mean to you?
It means just that. There’s no shortage of companies that refused to innovate and didn’t live to talk about it. Many of those examples are in the auto industry. Do you remember the DeLorean or the Hummer? On the other hand, some companies constantly innovate and remain at the top of their game, like Apple and Amazon.
You’re often heard saying that innovation is what drives the company. In what area of the company do you look to innovate?
In all areas of the business, we’re always looking for better ways to do things. Whether it’s a process, a product, a service, or by introducing new technology, we’re on the lookout for ways to improve.
Why do you suppose so many companies avoid innovation?
That’s a good question, although not one I’ve given much thought to because we’re so passionate about the subject. I would assume that part of avoiding innovation is human nature. Naturally, we tend to fear change. We may not want to admit there’s something better than our current product. However, we know there’s always something better than our current product, so we embrace this fact. This drives us to find the product that will eventually replace our top seller. We design it, develop it, bring it to market, and repeat.
2020 was a tough year for many businesses. Did you find that innovation became more difficult?
Albert Einstein said, “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity”. Our team truly embraced this by designing and developing products to help our clients get through the pandemic, including driver protection shields and Mobile Medical Clinic vehicles. We know we need to innovate, even while we may need to change what we are innovating from time to time depending on external factors. Regardless, our drive to innovate never changes.
When you do not have a global pandemic for inspiration, where do you look for motivation to continue innovating?
Motivation is everywhere, but our top motivator has always been helping people. Many of us take for granted the ability to easily board a bus or drive our own car to get where we need to go. This is not the case for the people we care to transport. This is ingrained in our company culture and our team is empowered to ask our clients what would make their jobs easier or improve their mobility clients’ experience with their service.
You mentioned that innovation is ingrained in the company culture. How were you able to achieve that?
We have empowered our Sales and Marketing teams to table their ideas – every one of them. They ask our clients what products or improvements they need to make their mobility more accessible. If we can develop a way to bring their ideas to life, we will. Our Production teams are encouraged to find ways to improve processes and efficiencies, and we offer incentives for bringing forward those ideas.
MoveMobility launched an impressive range of new products and vehicle innovation in 2020. Is there more to come in 2021?
I don’t want to divulge too much, but it’s safe to say there is always something new on the horizon at MoveMobility, so watch this space!
My final question for you: of all the vehicle innovation that MoveMobility has done in recent years, is there one project that you are most proud of?
For myself, it’s not really the innovation around a particular product. It’s that through our innovation at MoveMobility, our team is truly leading the way to improving lives. This means ensuring greater freedom and mobility for all of our society.
MoveMobility works with communities, commercial transit providers, and organizations across Canada. Get in touch today if your organization would value the support of Canada’s leading accessible vehicle provider.