Lisa Töpfer: How might we?

Lisa Töpfer, Körber site: Berlin, Germany

How can we reduce the setup time of a highly complex inspection machine from weeks to one day? And how can we develop a solution just as quickly? Challenge the challenge.

Many would have started by discussing limitations.
We chose a different mindset:

How might we?

A two-day Design Sprint.
Interdisciplinary.
Engineering, product management, design, AI, data engineering — and customers.

What happened there was more than a workshop.

On the first day something essential emerged:
A shared understanding of the problem.

No slide battles.
No departmental silos.
Just dialogue on current processes, pain points and opportunity fields.

Out of that alignment, on the second day a new service solution took shape.

Tangible.
Structured.
Captured as a service blueprint.

Not perfect.
Yet robust.

And most importantly:
Owned by everyone in the room.

For me, this workshop was a starting signal.
Maybe not for a new era—but for a new way of collaborating.

It showed us that speed does not come from rushing.
It comes from clarity.

Innovation is not a solo act.
It is a team sport.

A focus on the user in the room changes everything.
Discussions become sharper. More honest. More relevant.

A good process is an accelerator.
It replaces endless alignment loops with collective thinking.

Different perspectives are not obstacles.
They are raw material for better solutions.
I saw skepticism turn into energy.
Individual opinions evolve into a shared vision.
“This won’t work” becomes “Why not?”

And that is why I believe in this way of working:
No planned waterfall.
Just bring the right people together.

And then ask:
How might we?