Creating processes for innovation

Companies create processes for innovation in different ways, but the unifying thread is that they all focus first on creating a process. Process is important because it provides a structured way to choose ideas and take them to execution. Innovation processes can take different forms, such as this one divided into six phases:

• Discovery, or the search for opportunities and design
• Design, where concepts turn into prototypes
• Qualification, where ideas are validated
• Readiness, or preparing for launch
• Launch
• Leverage, which helps market and maximize adoption of IT solutions.

Once the process is in place, the IT team can understand an innovation's risk. The most difficult aspect of the innovation process often is the launch, when an IT innovation is 'commercialized,' or adopted by customers. But even if you develop something that's good, people are slow to adopt new things. IT must talk about what it's done in a way that will excite users and compel them to change their behavior. Change management is another difficult part; change takes a lot of commitment and leadership from the CIO.

To learn more about processes for innovation:
- read the article at CIO Canada

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