Definition
An initiative that creates significant growth through entirely new ideas or services; at Danaher it means a project that adds more than US$30 million in annualized revenue within 3–5 years.
In detail
Breakthrough Growth (GBT) refers to initiatives that achieve significant revenue growth through entirely new ideas or services. In the Danaher system, it specifically refers to projects with incremental revenue exceeding $30 million. It addresses how companies can break through existing business boundaries and create leapfrog growth, complementing incremental improvements (such as lean). GBT typically results in project charters, business plans, or growth roadmaps as outputs of strategic planning.
Example in practice
When existing product lines show sluggish growth and new markets or businesses are needed, management initiates a GBT project. For example, an industrial equipment manufacturer finds the traditional market saturated, so it forms a cross-functional team to develop a new service model based on customer pain points. Through the GBT process, the team clarifies target customers, value propositions, and business models, ultimately forming an executable project plan that moves into subsequent development phases.