THE "IDEAL" USER INNOVATION TOOLKIT - BENCHMARKING AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

User innovation toolkits offer many benefits, for example the efficient access to customer needs, the realisation of individual products and reduced development risks. While these toolkits are spread in many industries, they are not very common for mechanical or mechatronic products. To improve the applicability of these toolkits, our paper develops a general concept of an "ideal" user innovation toolkit. It examines existing applications in a benchmark analysis, develops seven dimensions to categorize user innovation toolkits and identifies best practices. Based on these findings the general concept is derived. It provides support in the early phase of user innovation toolkit design and helps companies to find suitable trade-offs and to develop a tailored solution for their purposes. By that our paper contributes to a better applicability of the user innovation approach.