Innovation: Product or Process?
Innovation. Seemingly a magical, creative art where ideas pop into the mind of relaxed and receiving brain cells (the hilarious “ideation” commercials come to mind where an incredulous manager says, “What are you doing?”, and the existential group leader responds, “Ideating”). Actually, there are NOT many NEW ideas and the “innovation” comes with successful market penetration, as it applies to new products, and with successful implementation, as it applies to new business processes. I tend to focus on innovative business processes.
Once more an innovation article failed to mention business process innovation. Times OnLine, a British publication, treated the subject with unusual intuitiveness however: they dealt with innovation itself as a standardized process quoting Harry Davis, professor of creative management at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business:
“I help MBAs to use innovation tools in a meaningful way; provide opportunities for students to experience what the innovation process feels like; create a culture and environment where there is minimal fear of expression, that allows creativity and innovation to flourish.”
I commented:
“As with most “innovation” pieces you forget the value of innovation of business processes. I enjoyed the discussion of innovation as a standardized process. For example, the best PMOs are causing business process innovation by being researchers of innovations outside their company and industry. It could be argued that this is not innovation, but it certainly is from the company’s point of view. My blog www.projectmanagement411.com deals with innovation and executing strategies through projects. We have regular discussions on innovation as it applies to business processes.”
My point was to simply emphasize that most “innovation” is really applying ideas already applied in a different setting. Therefore, “innovation” CAN be researched and further standardized through an organization like a PMO.
How do you view innovation? Is it product based and/or business process based? Which type, product or process, tends to be more valuable to a company? Why? Share your examples!
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