Reebok 2008 Annual Report Download - page 78

074 Group Management Report – Our Group Corporate Functions — Research and Development
Major technology-related awards
won by the adidas Group in 2008
Award Magazine Product Segment
Best update Runner’s
World
Supernova™
Cushion
adidas
Best motion-stabilising shoe Running
Network
Supernova™
Sequence
adidas
Best inventions of 2008 Time
Magazine
Bounce:S adidas
Best debut Runner’s
World
Premier
Verona KFS
Reebok
Innovation Plus X Award Premier
SmoothFit™
Reebok
Innovation Plus X Award TOUR360 LTD TaylorMade-
adidas Golf
Research and Development
Our dedication to product innovation is a pre-
requisite to sustaining our position as the per-
formance leader in the sporting goods industry.
As a result, research and development (R&D) is
a cornerstone for the continued success of our
business. We invest considerable resources into
developing and commercialising technological
innovations as well as fresh design ideas, in
order to best unite our brands’ values with the
unique needs of our consumers. The research
and development process is driven by teams
of employees with diverse professional back-
grounds. In 2009, one of our top R&D focus
priorities will be the further development and
commercialisation of intelligent products.
R&D an integral part of the product creation process
Research and development within the adidas Group follows
a decentralised approach. Each brand segment runs its own
research, design and development activities. The teams gener-
ally have either a category or a technology focus. Fundamental
and biomechanical research, however, is shared across the
Group. Within the segments, R&D is not a separate organisa-
tional entity, but is closely integrated with the sourcing, design
and product marketing functions. As a result, all R&D activities
are focused on producing results directly applicable to a spe-
cifi c product. At the beginning of the product creation pro cess,
marketing defi nes a development focus. This is derived on a
case-by-case basis from a combination of consumer research
and feedback, competition analysis and own product testing.
Independently from specifi c development requests, our innova-
tion teams also analyse new materials, production processes
or scientifi c research – often even from other industries – with
regard to ideas for potential product innovations which are
presented to product marketing at an early stage to assess
commerciality. Once conceptualised, new technologies are
engineered using state-of-the-art CAD and Finite Element
Analysis (FEA) systems. Sourcing specialists are consulted to
integrate cost and production process aspects into the develop-
ment phase. As soon as a new technology is deemed viable,
it is produced as a physical sample. Samples are then tested
extensively by members of our innovation team as well as top
athletes and teams. Only when these tests have been success-
ful are technologies handed over to product marketing which
commercialises the technology to a fi nal product.
Important effi ciency improvements made in 2008
We constantly strive to improve our R&D processes to fulfi l our
mission to develop products that give our athletes and consum-
ers a tangible advantage over the competition. In 2008, our
efforts focused on increasing effi ciencies throughout the R&D
process. One aspect of this is the sharing of fundamental tech-
nologies across our brands. In 2008, certain technologies used
in the production of adidas football boots were also applied at
Reebok. We also stepped up the transfer of technologies across
different categories. The TECHFIT™ technology, for example,
has now also been introduced in the basketball category. In
golf, Movable Weight Technology ™ – originally used in metal-
woods – is now also used in putters.
In addition, we have put emphasis on streamlining the develop-
ment process. As a result, we have signifi cantly decreased the
number of physical samples by using virtual sampling tech-
nologies instead. This results in lower costs and a reduction of
process time.
adidas Innovation Team drives brand’s R&D initiatives
R&D activities at brand adidas focus on the development of
innovative footwear, apparel and hardware technologies. To
solidify adidas’ position as a leader in technology and innova-
tion, the adidas Innovation Team (ait) is responsible for the
ongoing development of new technologies and concepts in all
key product categories.
adidas Group R & D structure
adidas Reebok
TaylorMade-
adidas Golf
adidas Group
adidas categories Reebok categories TaylerMade-adidas Golf
categories
Know-how transfer
Know-how transferKnow-how transferKnow-how transfer