A Framework for Managing the Innovation Process
A Framework for Managing the Innovation Process
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Niek D du Preez1 , Louis Louw2
Stellenbosch University, Department of Industrial Engineering, South Africa 2 Indutech (Pty) Ltd, Brandwacht Office Park, South Africa innovative and free thinking. Yet even Edison realised that a lot of perspiration is required in balance with the inspiration. Any innovation management framework should thus include a good combination of structure and flexibility in order to successfully deploy all the elements of successful innovation. Fig 1 depicts the process as viewed by the authors.
Abstract--Successful innovation requires an integrated design process, i.e. integration in the design of the enterprise, the design of the product, as well as the design and implementation of new technologies. Such an integrated design effort requires good collaboration and management of the designs, and should be supported by efficient knowledge management techniques and tools. If innovation is to help a business grow and improve its competitiveness, it is also important to plan the innovation carefully. Though some ideas may just “fall from the sky” or “come out of the blue”, an organisation should also have a strategic vision of how the business and the enterprise should develop. The Enterprise should not wait for the innovation to arrive arbitrarily, but rather proactively plan for innovation incorporating market trends, the competitive landscape, new technology availability, and changes in customer preferences and trends in order to create fruitful terroir conducive for innovative thinking. Such an enterprise will also pro-actively manage the knowledge supply chain that supports innovation. This paper presents a combined convergent and divergent approach for managing innovation within an innovation landscape that contextualise domains, role-players, decision points and knowledge network components . The Innovation management model specifically focuses on the use of roadmapping for planning
1
Niek D du Preez1 , Louis Louw2
Stellenbosch University, Department of Industrial Engineering, South Africa 2 Indutech (Pty) Ltd, Brandwacht Office Park, South Africa innovative and free thinking. Yet even Edison realised that a lot of perspiration is required in balance with the inspiration. Any innovation management framework should thus include a good combination of structure and flexibility in order to successfully deploy all the elements of successful innovation. Fig 1 depicts the process as viewed by the authors.
Abstract--Successful innovation requires an integrated design process, i.e. integration in the design of the enterprise, the design of the product, as well as the design and implementation of new technologies. Such an integrated design effort requires good collaboration and management of the designs, and should be supported by efficient knowledge management techniques and tools. If innovation is to help a business grow and improve its competitiveness, it is also important to plan the innovation carefully. Though some ideas may just “fall from the sky” or “come out of the blue”, an organisation should also have a strategic vision of how the business and the enterprise should develop. The Enterprise should not wait for the innovation to arrive arbitrarily, but rather proactively plan for innovation incorporating market trends, the competitive landscape, new technology availability, and changes in customer preferences and trends in order to create fruitful terroir conducive for innovative thinking. Such an enterprise will also pro-actively manage the knowledge supply chain that supports innovation. This paper presents a combined convergent and divergent approach for managing innovation within an innovation landscape that contextualise domains, role-players, decision points and knowledge network components . The Innovation management model specifically focuses on the use of roadmapping for planning
References: [1] [2] Boston Consulting Group (2006). Innovation 2006, online at www.bcg.com/publications/files/2006_Innovation_Survey_report.pdf