【B1-Reading】08 Innovation in business-业务创新

【B1-Reading】08 Innovation in business-业务创新

Read a blog post about being innovative in business to practise and improve your reading skills.
阅读有关商业创新的博客文章，以练习和提高您的阅读技能。

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.
先做好准备工作。然后阅读课文并做练习。

Preparation-准备

Innovation in business – preparation

Match the words with the definitions.

• Question

Vocabulary
1.profits
2.innovative
3.a demand
4.to review
5.feedback
6.R&D
7.to target
8.to be aware of

Definition
a.using new ideas or ways of doing things
b.to look at something again to change it if necessary
c.research and development, the part of a business that develops or improves its products
d.money that is made by a business after all the costs are paid
e.a need for something to be sold or provided
f.to direct a product at a particular person or group
g.to know that something exists
h.information about people’s opinions of something that can be used to improve it

• Answer

1. using new ideas or ways of doing things
   innovative
2. to look at something again to change it if necessary
   to review
3. research and development, the part of a business that develops or improves its products
   R&D
4. money that is made by a business after all the costs are paid
   profits
5. a need for something to be sold or provided
   a demand
6. to direct a product at a particular person or group
   to target
7. to know that something exists
   to be aware of
8. information about people’s opinions of something that can be used to improve it
   feedback

Reading text-阅读文字

English

What does it mean to be innovative in business?

In order for a business to survive in today’s world, it is important that we regularly review what we are doing and how we are doing it. By considering new ideas and new ways of doing things, and trying to innovate, we can improve on our products/services, increase sales, reduce costs and make our processes more effective and efficient. Innovation is key to increasing profits.

There are several ways a company can be innovative with their products and services. Today we will look at four of them.

1. Using the latest technology to improve your product/service

When we think of innovation, we often think of new technologies. While they might be impressive, we should not use new technologies just because they are available. It is important to consider how the technology can improve our product/service and make a difference to our customer. Companies that produce cars, toiletries, household appliances, etc. often have a large R&D department to work on making their products better.

2. Responding to customer demands by changing what is on offer

By listening to customer feedback, we can get their opinions on how we are doing and find out about what it is that they want. We also need to be aware of changes in customer demands and keep up with the times. When fast-food restaurant McDonald’s realised that the market wanted healthier choices, they introduced fruit and salads, while removing the ‘super-size’ option from their menus.

3. Offering a new product/service to reach new customers

Your business might be doing well, but there is no growth or development and there is a risk that your competitors might take away some of your customers. Innovation sometimes means developing a new product that targets a different market. Although video games were often played by boys, in 2006, video games giant Nintendo introduced the game console Nintendo Wii, successfully targeting girls and older customers with games like Cooking Mama and Brain Training.

4. Changing the way you provide a service

By looking at the changes to the customer’s lifestyle and needs, we sometimes realise that there might be better ways to serve them. Customers who do not have a lot of time might prefer to have their food or their shopping delivered to their homes, or they might like to do their banking online rather than in an actual bank.

Not all innovation will bring success to our businesses, but it can give us the opportunity to grow and learn more about what we do and what our customers might want.

English-Chinese

What does it mean to be innovative in business?商业创新意味着什么？

In order for a business to survive in today’s world, it is important that we regularly review what we are doing and how we are doing it. By considering new ideas and new ways of doing things, and trying to innovate, we can improve on our products/services, increase sales, reduce costs and make our processes more effective and efficient. Innovation is key to increasing profits.为了让企业在当今世界生存，定期审查我们正在做什么以及如何做非常重要。通过考虑新的想法和新的做事方式并尝试创新，我们可以改进我们的产品/服务、增加销量、降低成本并使我们的流程更加有效和高效。创新是增加利润的关键。

There are several ways a company can be innovative with their products and services. Today we will look at four of them.公司可以通过多种方式对其产品和服务进行创新。今天我们将看看其中的四个。

1. Using the latest technology to improve your product/service
1. 使用最新技术来改进您的产品/服务

When we think of innovation, we often think of new technologies. While they might be impressive, we should not use new technologies just because they are available. It is important to consider how the technology can improve our product/service and make a difference to our customer. Companies that produce cars, toiletries, household appliances, etc. often have a large R&D department to work on making their products better.
当我们想到创新时，我们经常想到新技术。虽然它们可能令人印象深刻，但我们不应该仅仅因为新技术可用就使用它们。重要的是要考虑技术如何改进我们的产品/服务并为我们的客户带来改变。生产汽车、盥洗用品、家用电器等的公司通常拥有庞大的研发部门来致力于改进他们的产品。

2. Responding to customer demands by changing what is on offer
2. 通过改变所提供的产品来响应客户需求

By listening to customer feedback, we can get their opinions on how we are doing and find out about what it is that they want. We also need to be aware of changes in customer demands and keep up with the times. When fast-food restaurant McDonald’s realised that the market wanted healthier choices, they introduced fruit and salads, while removing the ‘super-size’ option from their menus.
通过倾听客户的反馈，我们可以了解他们对我们的做法的意见，并了解他们想要什么。我们还需要了解客户需求的变化，与时俱进。当麦当劳快餐店意识到市场需要更健康的选择时，他们推出了水果和沙拉，同时从菜单中删除了“超大份”选项。

3. Offering a new product/service to reach new customers
3. 提供新产品/服务来吸引新客户

Your business might be doing well, but there is no growth or development and there is a risk that your competitors might take away some of your customers. Innovation sometimes means developing a new product that targets a different market. Although video games were often played by boys, in 2006, video games giant Nintendo introduced the game console Nintendo Wii, successfully targeting girls and older customers with games like Cooking Mama and Brain Training.
您的业务可能表现良好，但没有增长或发展，并且存在竞争对手可能抢走您的部分客户的风险。创新有时意味着开发针对不同市场的新产品。尽管视频游戏通常由男孩玩，但视频游戏巨头任天堂在 2006 年推出了游戏机 Nintendo Wii，通过《烹饪妈妈》和《大脑训练》等游戏成功瞄准了女孩和老年客户。

4. Changing the way you provide a service
4. 改变提供服务的方式

By looking at the changes to the customer’s lifestyle and needs, we sometimes realise that there might be better ways to serve them. Customers who do not have a lot of time might prefer to have their food or their shopping delivered to their homes, or they might like to do their banking online rather than in an actual bank.
通过观察客户生活方式和需求的变化，我们有时会意识到可能有更好的方式来服务他们。没有太多时间的客户可能更喜欢将食物或购物品送到家中，或者他们可能喜欢在网上而不是在实际的银行办理银行业务。

Not all innovation will bring success to our businesses, but it can give us the opportunity to grow and learn more about what we do and what our customers might want.
并非所有创新都会给我们的业务带来成功，但它可以让我们有机会成长并更多地了解我们的工作和客户可能想要什么。

Task 1-任务1

Innovation in business – 1

Fill the gaps with the correct word.

• Question

aware recent innovative customers convenient development better demands

We need to introduce (1) ideas and ways of doing things so that we can improve and grow. One way of doing this is to look at the most (2) technologies and see how they can make our products or services (3) . Some companies have a research and (4) department that specialises in this.Another way is to be (5) of changes in what our customers want and make sure we offer products or services that meet their (6) . A third way of introducing innovation is to develop new products that can help you target new (7) . You can also change the way your service is offered to make it more (8) for your customers.

• Answer

We need to introduce (innovative) ideas and ways of doing things so that we can improve and grow. One way of doing this is to look at the most (recent) technologies and see how they can make our products or services (better) . Some companies have a research and (development) department that specialises in this.Another way is to be (aware) of changes in what our customers want and make sure we offer products or services that meet their (demands) . A third way of introducing innovation is to develop new products that can help you target new (customers) . You can also change the way your service is offered to make it more (convenient) for your customers.

Task 2-任务2

Innovation in business – 2

Are the sentences true or false?

• Question

1. We innovate because we want to increase the amount of money our businesses make.
   True False
2. Being innovative is all about using the newest technologies in your business.
   True False
3. Customers often don’t know what they want.
   True False
4. McDonald’s have not changed their menu since they started.
   True False
5. If you always target the same customers, you might lose them to your competitors.
   True False
6. Nintendo understood that only boys will play computer games.
   True False

• Answer

1. We innovate because we want to increase the amount of money our businesses make.
   ✔True False
2. Being innovative is all about using the newest technologies in your business.
   True ✔False
3. Customers often don’t know what they want.
   True ✔False
4. McDonald’s have not changed their menu since they started.
   True ✔False
5. If you always target the same customers, you might lose them to your competitors.
   ✔True False
6. Nintendo understood that only boys will play computer games.
   True ✔False

Discussion-讨论

What are some of the latest innovations in the products/services that you use?
您使用的产品/服务有哪些最新创新？