SOFWERX’s Return on Collision: Measuring Open Collaborative Innovation

Abstract

Special Operations Command has engaged a number of different strategies intended to improve the agility and performance of its technology acquisitions process. Among these efforts is its newly opened idea space known as SOFWERX. This article examines SOFWERX’s structure and function and argues that while SOFWERX exists as a traditional bureaucratic bypass for technology sourcing and development, its greater contribution to innovation will be in harnessing its knowledge returns on collision; the knowledge created and managed by that entity will be its most important asset. As such, proponents of the space would do well to establish metrics that measure collision as well as systems that can manage that knowledge.

Keywords:

• innovation
• Special Operations Command
• technology
• acquisitions
• collaboration

Acknowledgements

The author gives special thanks to The Donovan Group who made this project possible. In particular, the author expresses a personal thank you to Lieutenant Colonel Gus Flournoy and the members of the group who made every conversation and discussion riveting. The author also thanks Captain Kapusta for excellent leadership and insight. In addition, Mr. David “Dangerman” Martin and Mr. R. Zachary “Zigzag” Colton worked tirelessly with the author in developing the ideas for this article. Any errors in logic and fact are entirely the author’s.

Notes

^1. Knowledge workers are employees who are critical to creating new knowledge or developing innovations within their organizations (Smith, Collins, & Clark, 2005).

^2. Interview with David Beach, Stanford, California, April 1, 2016.