Integrated Innovation: Making Innovation Everyone’s Job

by Miton Adhikari and Sean Klein on October 9th, 2012

When asked to name a very innovative company, Apple comes to mind as the first example for most people, who instantly think of their innovation-packed gadgets. But where would Apple be without judicious management of its product portfolio, acute marketing techniques, stylish packaging, smart launch timing, clever pricing and an efficient supply system? I guess we all know the answer to that – nowhere close to where it is today. This is true not only for Apple, but any company that inspires to be more innovative.

And the point? Innovation is a not the stand-alone responsibility of one small group of people; innovation is everyone’s business. To be more effective, innovation management should be an integrated system, combining people, processes and technology for a holistic view that includes ideation, portfolio management, phase-gate, program management, resource management and launch execution.

But the integration of a system in itself is not enough. An IT team cannot deliver a robust solution for innovation management unless they are a part of the team that designs the process. Just like a design team alone cannot make an outstanding product without having input from marketing and sales experts who know their customers best. To truly manage innovation like a business, with connected processes and tools that deliver results, cross-functional participation is critical.

This integrated, cross-functional approach is what we will focus on during our workshop, Integrated Innovation: Making Innovation Everyone’s Job, held just before the Planview Horizon Conference on October 29, 2012 in Austin, TX.

This free, interactive workshop will feature:

• Success stories presented by practitioners like you
• Leading practices from innovation consulting firm Kalypso
• Sample innovation portfolio scenarios, metrics, and reports demonstrated in market-leading software solution Planview Enterprise
• Plenty of opportunities to network and share information with peers

The workshop is FREE and interactive, encouraging participation from every attendee. Participants will come from companies at different stages and maturity levels of innovation process management, and each attendee will bring unique experience to the discussion. Instead of listening to lectures and watching slide ware, attendees will actively participate in panel discussions, group exercises and opportunities to share personal experiences, lessons learned and tips for success.

Attendees will hear from Doug Shandonay, Information Technology Consultant at Kimberly-Clark, about their journey in innovation enablement to get better results by successfully including IT in the innovation process. The workshop will wrap up with an interactive session where attendees can ask questions to both their fellow peers, and a panel of experts who will share leading solutions from past experience.

Attendees will leave with:

• A clear understanding of the components of an integrated innovation system
• Leading practices from experts and experienced practitioners
• Practical starting points to get started and get better at innovation process management

Join this FREE interactive workshop today. The workshop is only 2.5 hours long and all participants will be provided lunch. The registrants will have access to prep materials and thought leadership pieces about innovation and a survey to facilitate the discussion during the workshop.

Topics: Innovation, Miton Adhikari, Nova, Nova for PPM, PPM, PPM Nova, PPM Software, Product Portfolio Management, Sean Klein

About the Authors

Miton Adhikari, Senior Consultant Miton brings over seven years of professional experience in design, research, engineering and management consulting in portfolio and pipeline management (PPM) and product lifecycle management (PLM) to Kalypso's clients. Read more articles by Miton Adhikari

Sean Klein, Consultant Sean has a passion for technology and innovation and enjoys reading, hiking, kayaking, surfing, and playing golf. Read more articles by Sean Klein