Module 1 - Innovation vs. The Innovation Process

One of the major R&D management dilemmas today is how to create an innovative environment and capability in the functions responsible that ideate and invent new products. Facing customer and investor scrutiny, CEOs and their leaders of R&D often rename the "product development process" to be the "innovation process." While this is not necessarily an incorrect action, a name change alone will change little. Further, it could be argued that naming a process for one of its multiple purposes waters down long term process capability while adding further confusion as to what is innovation.

Do we seek an innovative corporate culture? Do we seek an innovative environment? Do we seek innovative people? Do we seek an innovation process? Do we seek innovation tools and techniques? Do we seek an innovative product: always, frequently, or occasionally? Can you differentiate between these questions? Further, can you identify and articulate the management approaches and techniques that are available to you to address these questions?

Innovation vs. The Innovation Process will specifically address Advanced Development and Product Development processes to give Corporate Officers and R&D Managers and Leaders an improved context in which to lead innovation in their companies and to drive innovation into their processes. Categories of innovation tools and the timing for applying them will be discussed for both Advanced Development and Product Development. An innovative corporate culture and environment cannot be mandated, it must be cultivated and seeded at many levels.

GGI's 2004 Product Development Metrics Survey was partially dedicated to measuring innovation and intellectual property. We researched the use of, the believed innovative capability of, and the believed ability to generate IP of 21 product development tools and techniques that are in use today in most companies. These tools are considered integral to most advanced and product development processes.

Our goal with this module is to characterize the inherent innovation of today's product development processes while pointing out the places and opportunities to nurture innovation in the process.