Innovation Strategist, Bill O'Connor, and I sometimes work on what Bill has coined "The Innovation Genome." Bill has a set of 7 questions that help unlock what it takes to innovate. We have an Autodesk Labs project set up where you can learn about innovation and provide feedback.

Learn more.

So I am always on the lookout for innovation. What separates innovation from invention is adoption. An innovation is something new or different, successfully brought into the world, creating a significant impact. Inventions are nice, but they are not innovations unless they have impact by being broadly adopted.

I recently spent Thanksgiving with family in Chicago. In the "robots took our jobs" category, here is an invention being used at Hyatt, and possibly other hotels, that could become an innovation. I was able to enjoy a pleasant stay without ever interacting with a human.

1. I made a reservation online and received and email.

   

2. A while later I got an email that I could use to check in.

   

3. I received an email when my room was ready.

   

   I went to a kiosk and used the bar code in that email (displayed on my iPhone) to print 2 room keys.

4. I got an email that allowed me to check out.

   
   
   

5. I got an email that allowed me to get a copy of my bill.

   

6. Days later I received an email where I could provide feedback about my stay.

   

As an aficionado of automation, I found this awfully awesome. Then I saw this.

Read the article.

Uh-oh. Will I too be replaced?

Hotel innovation is alive in the lab.