Innovation management, a term that you regularly encounter within our office walls or on social media. Especially popular among managers who want to try something innovative. But isn't innovation management a bit of an empty term? A word that we often encounter but with which we can mean many different things.

Innovation management immediately sounds fairly "big". I am reminded in particular of setting up entire trajectories within organizations in order to really catch up with the years that have lagged behind the competition. A brainstorming session and a so-called "driving session" are being put on it and people think they are ready for it again.

Innovation management includes all activities that an organization undertakes and launches to bring about innovation in the company. This also includes holding a simple brainstorming session. As you understand, different organizations are involved with different amounts of innovation management. This is a lot less relevant for a painting company than for a marketing or software company.

Are you in an environment that does not change quickly? Beautiful. Then you can rely on the things that have always worked in your sector. You can assume that these tactics will continue to work. However, are you in an environment that is changing quickly? Then it is worthwhile to delve into innovation management. That means arranging and structuring all creative processes that take place in your organization.

As mentioned, innovation management is a comprehensive term. Okay, what's all covered?

• All technological progress
• Conquering new markets
• Decide on the course to sail
• The corporate culture in the field of innovation

As you can see, innovation management is broad and a mix of different aspects of an organization. However, they all have the same goal of promoting the innovation of the organization.

All technological progress

This includes the technologies that you as an organization use to serve your market. As you know, progress is fast and technologies follow each other quickly. It is of vital importance as an organization to keep an eye on these developments in order to keep up with the market. You do not want to be the store that opens a web store last. By that time, you have of course been out of the market because of your competition of course.

Conquering new markets

Just as new technologies arise, so do new markets. Who knows, your organization can also reach and serve another target group through some minor adjustments. It is important to understand the bigger picture and see where opportunities lie for your organization.
Deciding on the course to be sailed
Not only are new markets emerging. The markets in which you are already active are also changing. Certain trends that arise in society affect your business operations. Green business operations are such an example of what a substantial part of your customers might find important today. In addition, the ways in which you can address customers are changing. The number of newspaper readers is falling, is it still smart to place advertisements in the newspaper?

The corporate culture in the field of innovation

Corporate cultures differ greatly from one organization to the next. Some cultures influence innovation in a positive way, while other corporate cultures inhibit innovation. Innovative companies are often somewhat flattered in the hierarchy. Everyone has the opportunity to come up with ideas and every idea has the opportunity to see the light of day. When you want to innovate as a company, this is always accompanied by change. Then make sure that members of the organization benefit if they change with it. You do this by organizing your culture in an open way, where thinking along is rewarded. The sooner someone within the organization sees that changes need to be made, the faster the organization can respond to this innovation.

Set up innovation management in your company?

Setting up creative processes in your company can be difficult. You will be confronted with all kinds of situations that you have not dealt with before. Employees are not always eager for a change of course and that is why it can be difficult to get everyone involved.
Whether it is about setting up an effective brainstorming session or promoting innovation in your organization, your passion should lie with both. Your prime responsibility like nothing more than to make organizations more creative.

Is your interest aroused after this article and do you still have a question? That is not so strange. Just reading an article doesn't make you much wiser, as you learn by doing. If all goes well, you do have a picture of innovation management and which three points you should take into account if you want to set up or improve this in your own organization.

But ok, about that pressing question that you still have today. For example, would you like to know how we would approach setting up innovation management in your organization? Just connect with Inventhep representative for your all question. You can always email or call them and they will, of course, be at your service without obligation. So do that, see you soon!

Author's Bio: 

An aeronautical engineer, blogger, and creative writer.