7 Success factors for the introduction of innovation management

Companies expect great challenges, especially in the introduction of innovation management. If fundamental
mistakes are made here or if important decisions are missed, this can cause problems throughout the entire
process. Therefore, organizations must pay attention to the following success factors in all cases:

1. Management Commitment to Innovation

Management commitment is one of the most important success factors in innovation management. In the
absence of corporate management support, innovation leaders will waste their time fighting against windmills.

The commitment of all managers, from top to bottom, is the basis of the innovation process. This is because it
secures the necessary support for innovations that are now happening outside of the day-to-day business
(where a company earns the money) from all areas. Support, time and budgets are necessary fuels for the
success of innovation, which can only be achieved through commitment to innovation.

2. Strategic orientation

If the strategic orientation of innovation activities is lacking, there is a lack of goal, path and orientation. This
makes it difficult for those in charge of innovation to assess where and what to look for, which innovation
topics have priority and thus difficult to make the right decisions.

Therefore, the innovation strategy must be defined on the basis of future trends, opportunities, risks and
challenges as well as the corporate strategy:

 What is the purpose of innovation and what do we want to achieve in the future?
 What is the contribution of innovation to corporate strategy?
 What are our future topics and search fields?

Based on these answers, the innovation vision, its strategy and the innovation roadmap emerge. These
elements are the basis of all innovation activities, be it the development of ideas, the prioritization of
innovation projects or decisions in projects.

3. Clear responsibilities

The innovation process is a highly interdisciplinary process and requires the involvement of many functional
areas and employees in order to successfully implement a new product or service idea.

It is therefore necessary to clearly define what is expected of the employees. Above all, it is also about defining
the roles in the innovation process. For example, the tasks of sales, production, purchasing, etc. in innovation
projects are clearly defined with regard to their contribution to the success of innovation.

In addition, the project roles are defined in individual innovation projects and must be perceived with
commitment. This includes, for example, the role of the project manager, the project town councillor and the
important project team members.

4. Innovation culture

Innovations require completely different structures and cultures in comparison to operative management and
work. Operational business is built on routine and efficiency, while innovation is always about innovation. This
requires different values and attitudes, for example openness to try out new and new things, willingness to
take risks, thinking across borders, accepting mistakes and much more.

Therefore, a company must build up a positive innovation culture where innovations are welcome and
encouraged. Measures to promote a culture of innovation are implemented at various levels:

 Raising employee awareness of innovation, e. g. through communication measures.

 Motivation, e. g. incentives for promoting innovation.
  Empowerment of employees for innovation, e. g. training courses on creativity and the innovation
process.
 Active involvement of employees, e. g. through innovation competitions.
 Creation of spaces and structures for innovation, e. g. flat hierarchies, freedom and resources.

5. Change Management

The introduction of innovation management requires a change and also the implementation of innovations
themselves necessitate changes. These changes can only become effective if they are supported by all
employees themselves and if the workforce itself actively changes.

Therefore, change management itself is an extremely important tool and belongs to the repertoire of every
innovation manager. Innovations put a company into continuous change and therefore it requires a conscious
and constant management of these changes in order to take all employees on the journey.

6. Integration of all employees

Innovation is not something that only a limited, elitist circle of employees does or is even boosted by the
innovation manager. Innovation must be actively initiated and supported by all employees. That is why the
innovation manager must involve all employees in a targeted manner.

On the one hand, this includes awareness-raising measures to inspire and motivate all employees for
innovation, but also structural measures for active involvement, such as pitching contests, innovation
competitions or classic idea management.

Innovation must become a permanent initiative that is supported and actively shaped by all employees.

7. Collaboration

Cooperation is an essential success factor in innovation processes and projects. Innovations always happen in
interdisciplinary teams and require the cooperation of many employees. It is important, however, that
everyone pulls together and pursues a common goal. Otherwise, different demands lead to silos, lack of
cooperation and support or problems at the interfaces, which in the end can seriously slow down an
innovation project or even cause it to fail.

For this reason, a company must place great emphasis on the fact that all employees pursue a common goal -
on the one hand in terms of innovation vision and, on the other hand, in the individual projects. Everyone must
have the common, great goal in mind and focus their energies on it. Only in this way can all innovation
potentials be used productively and facilitate the success of innovation.

Conclusion - 7 important success factors for the introduction of innovation management

Innovation management and innovation can experience many stumbling blocks. It is therefore essential to pay
extreme attention to this, to promote the success factors and to eliminate the risks. As the points described
above demonstrate, the most important success factor is the "human being". Without the commitment,
support and encouragement of all managers and employees, any innovation is doomed to failure. Therefore,
every innovation initiative must focus on people.