True Innovation Starts from Within: Lessons from Bridgestone’s HANABI Program
You wouldn’t start building a house by the roof, right?
Before we begin: I’m Francisca, my opinions reflect my own and might not be the same as those of the companies I work for.
When you think about it, it’s obvious—yet many companies still try to solve their challenges by jumping straight to expensive software or consultants before fully understanding the root issues.
True innovation doesn’t come from the outside—it starts from within. The best solutions often come from the people who face the daily challenges firsthand.
At Bridgestone, we launched the HANABI Innovation Program (this is another customer story for Microsoft) with this principle in mind, right in the middle of the pandemic. Instead of looking for external fixes, we encouraged our teams to come together, share their challenges, and collaborate on solutions. The program fostered cross-regional and cross-departmental teamwork, sparking a shift in how we approached innovation.
HANABI actually means Fireworks in Japanese, and the reason that name was chosen for a program, is based on the fact that “Explosion of ideas” seems like a great thing to have when you want to innovate.
Today, HANABI is more than just an accelerator innovation program—it’s a dedicated team focused on developing solutions using low-code technology (we call them pro-low-code developers sometimes). We focus on what you can say is B2E: Business to Employee, often meeting with business units to understand their problems, and come up with low-code solutions to fix these. A lot of times, the challenges are clear, but the solutions aren’t always obvious.
That’s where the HANABI Thinkatons, facilitated and led by either Bohdan Yeromenko and myself, come into play. These full-day sessions give teams the space to brainstorm and tackle everyday issues, resulting in practical, actionable solutions that make a real impact.
I’ll go deeper into Thinkatons in a future post, but the main point is simple:
When you give people a voice, provide the right tools, and set them up for success, they’ll deliver invaluable solutions that actually work - with the DNA of your company, and the “backing” of the people who contributed to it.
Key Lessons from HANABI
1. Start with your people, not with new tools
There’s always a temptation to spend on new software, but most of the time, the real issue lies in how we work. Through the HANABI program, we discovered that improving communication between teams solved many problems that software couldn’t fix on its own. Before investing in new tools, ask your team: What’s the real problem we need to solve? Sometimes, the answer is simpler than you think.
Don’t go for the big projects that take 4 years to complete and cost a lot of money, if you’re still not improving the small everyday tasks that also have a nice ROI and would positively impact how people feel about their work. Make them (and their problems) feel seen and heard!
Empowering your own people to share their ideas lets you tap into their best solutions.
They know the daily hurdles and often have ideas that not only solve problems but fit the company’s culture.
Industry best practices are great, but they need to be adapted to how your company works, thinks, and collaborates.
2. The best ideas come from within
Consultants1 can offer good advice (but they don’t stay for long, and have a timeframe to try to go for the best possible outcome), and they don’t know your company like your employees do. The people who work with your processes every day have the best insights. That’s why HANABI made sure every voice was heard, no matter the person’s position. When people feel like their ideas matter, they bring their best forward, creating a culture of innovation.
My opinion is that the best of both worlds would be empowering your employees to learn from the consultants on how to do it themselves, so that they can take it and replicate it in their teams, while you / management backs them with the time and resources they’ll need for that, and the consultant guides them from beginning until the finish line: an MVP, or a successful design thinking workshop.
3. Listen first, then act
A big part of HANABI's success came from listening to those closest to the problems. Often, the solution becomes clear just by listening. When people feel heard, they invest in making the change happen.
Innovation is more than generating ideas; it’s about ensuring that everyone has a say in shaping the company’s future.
4. Small steps lead to big results
Instead of trying to change everything at once, focus on small, meaningful improvements. At Bridgestone, we didn’t aim for massive changes all at once. We tested ideas one by one, using feedback from the Thinkatons. This way, we made sure changes were right for the business without disrupting day-to-day operations.
5. Create an environment where innovation can grow
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that innovation isn’t just about the ideas—it’s about creating a space where people feel comfortable to experiment, fail, and try again. At Bridgestone, we built an environment where teams could test their ideas, learn from mistakes, and keep improving. Innovation shouldn’t be a one-off event—it needs to be part of everyday work.
Where to Start
If you want to truly innovate within your company, start by listening to your people. They know the problems, and often, they already have the solutions. Innovation doesn’t have to come from an expensive consultant or fancy new software. It can start with small changes in how your team works. The key is to empower your team to take the lead in shaping those changes.
Now’s the perfect time to wrap up these lessons.
The success of the HANABI program at Bridgestone has been built on this approach, changing the culture of innovation and setting the tone for four years of cross-functional collaboration. With over 60 solutions implemented for Bridgestone Europe and Americas, the program continues to deliver valuable, tailored solutions using low-code automation and app development.
And you might be able to do the same! You can start something similar in your company, and it can work for you too.
Thank you for reading!
If you’re unsure where to start, feel free to get in touch. I’d love to have a 1-on-1 conversation to explore how you can begin innovating from within your company. Together, we can dive into your unique challenges and discover the right approach for your business.
As an IT Innovation Strategist and Founder of Techisais, I specialize in helping SMEs and intrapreneurs leverage digital transformation, ethical automation, and strategic solutions to drive real impact.
Let’s start the conversation.
Too-da-loo! 👋
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Footnote:
I’m not saying consultants aren’t valuable! They bring fresh perspectives and expertise. However, for their work to be truly effective, you need to create space for collaboration. Empower your people to sit down with consultants, share their challenges, and contribute their ideas. It’s a bottom-up approach that ensures the solutions fit the company’s unique needs.
