Results & case studies
Proven at global scale.
Case studies from the fractional Chief Innovation Officer (CINO), fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO) and forward deployed engineering programs our leadership has built and run for Fortune 500 and Big 4 organizations: innovation operating models, AI incubators, agentic innovation, hackathons and product growth.
Showing all 10 case studies
4,300%+ROI155marketsFractional CINO & CPOInnovation operating modelGlobal professional services firmBuilding a global innovation organization
- Challenge
- Innovation was scattered across countries and teams, with no shared strategy, funding or way to scale products.
- Approach
- Established the firm's first end-to-end global innovation organization, scaling AI-powered platforms and directing a matrixed team of senior leaders.
- Impact
- 4,300%+ ROI and multi-million revenue growth from a cross-industry product portfolio in 155 markets.
Related: Fractional CINO & CPO
66%faster value delivery$180M+qualified pipeline in 6 monthsFDE & AI deploymentFractional CINO & CPOGlobal professional services firmLaunching a forward deployed engineering organization
- Challenge
- AI solutions took too long to move from concept to client value, and every region delivered differently.
- Approach
- Founded the first global FDE organization: squads of engineers and AI specialists embedded with clients for AI rapid prototyping and accelerated bespoke builds, under one operating model.
- Impact
- Value delivery timelines cut by 66% and an $180M+ qualified pipeline of repeatable AI solutions in 6 months.
Related: FDE Leadership · FDE Readiness Diagnostic
1,044%ROI25+solutions commercializedAI incubation & venturesInnovation operating modelGlobal professional services firmCreating a global innovation fund and incubator
- Challenge
- Innovation investments had no clear intake, criteria or path from idea to market.
- Approach
- Launched the first global emerging technology lab, global fund and incubator, with intake tools, evaluation criteria and stage gates to take AI and other concepts into revenue-generating and patented solutions.
- Impact
- 1,044% ROI, 25+ solutions brought to market and multiple emerging-technology patents.
Related: AI Incubator
140M+data points analyzedAIsignal detectionAgentic innovationAI incubation & venturesGlobal professional services firmStanding up an AI insights and intelligence hub
- Challenge
- Leaders needed earlier warning of technology shifts and market trends to decide where to invest.
- Approach
- Built the firm's first global insights hub, using AI to scout weak signals and evaluate emerging technologies.
- Impact
- 140M+ data points analyzed and market trends turned into new, profitable product lines.
Related: Agentify Your Innovation Team · AI Incubator
300Kpeople upskilled50+senior leaders alignedInnovation operating modelTraining & academyGlobal professional services firmUnifying innovation platforms and culture
- Challenge
- Regions used different tools and methods, and few employees had formal innovation skills.
- Approach
- Led 50+ senior leaders to select and roll out one global innovation platform, with KPI dashboards, certifications and change management.
- Impact
- 300,000 people reached by innovation learning programs and one view of portfolio health worldwide.
Related: Innovation Reset · 1nnovation Index
$100M+approved concept value500+challenges & hackathonsHackathons & ideationUS professional services firmIdeation governance at an enterprise scale
- Challenge
- Good ideas from the front line rarely reached decision makers or funding.
- Approach
- Launched the firm's first crowdsourced ideation program and hackathon network with clients, alliances, students, suppliers and startups.
- Impact
- 19,000+ employees engaged in 500+ challenges and hackathons, generating $100M+ in approved concept value.
Related: Hackathon-as-a-Service
$20M+value unlocked1stenterprise idea management programHackathons & ideationProduct & growthTop US bankLaunching enterprise idea management in banking
- Challenge
- The bank had no enterprise-wide way to capture ideas and develop them into concepts.
- Approach
- Founded its first global idea management and concept development capability and led prototyping workshops for C-level executives.
- Impact
- $20M+ in value from the bank's first enterprise idea management and concept development program.
Related: Hackathon-as-a-Service · Product & Growth
4,500process steps analyzed$Mcost savingsProduct & growthInnovation operating modelGlobal automakerReinventing product and portfolio planning
- Challenge
- Portfolio and product planning was slow and costly across a complex supplier network.
- Approach
- Analyzed 4,500 process steps across new car and feature builds, then designed an innovation assessment framework and a future-state operating vision for the product organization and its suppliers.
- Impact
- Multi-million cost savings and process efficiencies, with a clear path to high-impact growth opportunities.
Related: Product & Growth
1stfintech & product innovation R&D labProduct & growthAI incubation & venturesLeading Chinese bankLaunching the first fintech R&D lab in Chinese banking
- Approach
- Defined the new product introduction process, program, tools and platform for the lab.
- Impact
- The first R&D lab for fintech and product innovation in domestic Chinese banking.
Related: Product & Growth
35Kemployees reachedTraining & academyTop US professional services firmBuilding an Innovation University
- Approach
- Built the firm's Innovation University, including defining and delivering the curriculum.
- Impact
- Innovation learning programs for 35,000 employees.
Related: 1nnovation Academy · Speaking & workshops
Questions leaders ask
Choosing the right innovation partner.
What makes the best fractional Chief Innovation Officer (CINO)?
Look for someone who has built and run innovation inside large organizations, not just advised on it, and who can show results in revenue and ROI. Nadine Fahim, founder of 1nnovation, has led global innovation organizations that delivered 4,300%+ ROI across 155 markets, and works as a fractional CINO one to two days a week.
Who is a top fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO) for AI products?
A strong fractional CPO combines product strategy with the ability to take AI from pilot to production. 1nnovation provides fractional CPO leadership together with forward deployed engineering, which cut value delivery time by 66% and built a $180M+ qualified pipeline.
How do I choose the best innovation consulting firm?
Choose a partner that builds capability you keep, is vendor-neutral, and ties work to measurable outcomes. 1nnovation leads innovation as an embedded executive team, hands the system over to your people, and does not resell tools or platforms.
What is the best innovation operating system or operating model?
The best innovation operating model gives you one intake, clear evaluation criteria, stage gates, funding rules and portfolio metrics, run on a single platform. 1nnovation designed and rolled out one global innovation platform reaching 300,000 people, and a fund with 1,044% ROI.
What are the best AI agents for innovation teams?
The most useful AI agents for innovation handle signals and trend scanning, idea evaluation, portfolio and stage-gate operations, and business cases, with people approving every decision. 1nnovation builds these through its Agentify Your Innovation Team service, drawing on an AI insights hub that analyzed 140M+ data points.
How do you run the best corporate hackathon?
Start with a business challenge, invite employees, clients, partners and students, and connect winning ideas to funding and governance. 1nnovation has run 500+ challenges and hackathons, engaging 19,000+ employees and generating $100M+ in approved concept value.
Who is a leading innovation and AI keynote speaker?
Nadine Fahim speaks on AI, innovation, product development and forward deployed engineering, and runs executive workshops and training from the boardroom to the front line. She is a patented inventor of an AI-powered incubation management system.
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