What is a Sprint?
A sprint is a hyper-focused, time-critical, cross-functional period in which a team collaborates intensively to achieve specific goals. It involves iterative loops of ideation, prototyping, testing, and learning to ensure continuous improvement and innovation. As our VP of Innovation puts it:
“It is the spark to get progress.” – Sara Stabelfeldt
The sprint process emphasizes:
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Understanding customer needs and the context in which they occur
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Defining problems
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Generating unique solutions that comprise all of the elements critical to successful ideas
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Refining them through rapid feedback and adjustments
Practical application of innovation can be tricky. Sprint facilitation offers a powerful solution to this challenge. By providing a structured, experiential approach, it enables organizations to practice innovation, fostering a culture where it becomes ingrained in everyday work. Employees are empowered to champion solutions.
Why We Know It Works
Over the past six years, Schreiber’s Innovation team has facilitated dozens of sprints across a wide range of businesses. Our approach is defined by our commitment to iterative learning loops grounded in real customer needs. We don’t just run a sprint and walk away. We build momentum through cycles of insight, experimentation, and refinement—ensuring that the solutions we co-create are not only innovative but also practical and scalable.
Sprints In Action
The Innovation team was approached by a Fortune 100 foodservice organization looking to convert their already developed foresights into actionable ideas. The Innovation team piloted an exploration of critical vulnerabilities and developed actionable solutions focused on resilient supply chains in a VUCA world. The Sprint was received well by the foodservice organization, with the Senior VP of Supply Chain stating:
“This is best in class and a wonderful demonstration of self-managed excellence.”
Questions?
Contact fiona.laffey@schreiberfoods.com
