Creating a value driven entrepreneurship opportunity using design thinking and ‘servitisation’

This paper discusses a series of creative online workshops designed to provide insight and solutions for one of our major social challenges of the 21st century – the complexities of an ageing society in the workplace. We present a case study based on a major charity in Scotland, UK, exploring opportunities to create a value driven entrepreneurship opportunity for older people using design thinking and a ‘servitisation’ approach. Using design thinking methods, we elicited issues older entrepreneurs have in their professional lives and subsequently explore concepts to develop practical and strategic solutions. Literature framed the creation of a value proposition out with the responsibility of stakeholders, but we found benefits from placing this firmly in their hands. We found using visual tools influences mind sets and helps to establish shared understandings both within the organization and with stakeholders. We found that establishing personal and professional connections and networks were the key issues entrepreneurs needed to overcome. We then explain the value creation process from a user-oriented service approach which offers additional value to organizations as stakeholders were able to collaborate and develop both practical and strategic solutions for older entrepreneurs supporting social innovation.