Introduction
The process of innovation planning and designing plays a significant role in making an organization gain a competitive advantage. This process requires creative and competitive ideas from many individuals. It is employed in different functions such as production, inventory, and marketing. Organizations need employees with diverse sets of competencies.
They enable organizations to develop, test, as well as commercialize new products. Managers provide employees with resources that are necessary for a company to accomplish its objectives. Innovation does not only involve taking products and services to the market, but also emphasizing on quality products and services. A good plan ensures high quality products and services, as well as enhanced employee performance.
This paper addresses the innovative planning and design process within an organization. It analyzes the internal and external factors related to designing innovation strategies. It also discusses he importance of innovation systems, as well as the steps involved in the process of innovation planning and design.
Internal and external factors related to innovation planning and design
There are various internal and external factors that determine organization’s innovation strategies. The internal factors include the creativity of individuals in an organization, communication, relationships between employees and managements, and employee motivation (Rowe, 2008).
In addition, employee perceptions of organizational change, innovation plan efficiency, and organizational assumptions determine the innovation strategies used by an organization.
Communication is a significant factor that determines the success of designing innovation strategies. Organizations that set up and nurture efficient communication channels excel in their innovation strategies. Efficient communication ensures effective coordination of different business units in the organization.
Furthermore, it ensures that products and services are made available at the right place and time. Good employee-management relationships also contribute largely to efficient designing of innovation strategies.
Employee relationships enhance sharing of an organization’s goals and eliminates constraints to organizational performance. It is also easy to influence employees to perceive organizational change positively, and hence accept and implement innovations in an organization without pausing barriers.
Employee motivation also contributes to efficient designing of innovation strategies (White & Bruton, 2011). Organizations that employ reward systems in their operations inspire employees and motivates them to become more innovative in the workplace. This is because employees get encouraged to present new ideas and potential innovations relevant to organizations.
An effective plan and design of innovation strategies is also a determinant factor in organizational performance. If poorly planned, an organization cannot achieve or accomplish its goals. In addition, organizational assumptions also determine the success of designing innovations. Consistent monitoring helps organizations to focus on base assumptions.
The external factors include politics, competition, cultures, and competition among others. Politics influence innovation planning and designing process. Employees can perceive organizational change as a threat to their jobs. The people with relevant information about a certain technology that is employed in innovation are likely to benefit compared to those that lack it.
This is because they gain the power to lead others in the innovation process. Organizational culture also determines the success of an innovation process. If the culture limits employee involvement in certain technological activities, then it means that innovation planning and design process will be affected.
An organization gains an advantage if its culture allows employees to be part of the innovation process. Competitive pressures also contribute to an organization, adopting an innovation strategy to gain a competitive advantage.
The factors involved in innovation systems design
There are several factors involved in systems design. These include the availability of information, skills, intellectual property, funding, networks, and reputation among others (Von, 2008). Organizations prefer innovation systems that can help them obtain reliable and current information concerning markets, technologies, and research among others.
Skills are very crucial in the innovation systems design. The design of these systems is also determined by the intellectual property, whereby, organizations develop and protect their knowledge by employing patents, copyrights, design registrations and trademarks among others.
Considering that innovation is risky, organizations should invest time and money from their profits, borrowings, or any other external funding to make the process successful. Companies should be aware of this, and hence find enough capital for developing and implementing innovative systems. Networks also play a key role in making the process of innovation successful.
For instance, companies depend on networks of other companies in making and supplying of resources, necessary for the design of innovative systems. They also rely on their services, which include design, advertising, and training among others. Depending on the innovation’s reputation for style, service, or status, organizations employ the best innovation systems in their operations.
The importance of innovation systems
Innovation systems are associated with lots of benefits to organizations. First, they create breakthrough solutions to specific challenges, or opportunities in firms. This helps companies to gain a competitive edge in their markets. The systems also facilitate, encourage and promote ideas contributed by many talented individuals.
This makes the innovation systems of organizations unique and competitive in all business functions. These systems also help organizations to save on time, by contracting months of works into days. This helps them to make huge profits, increase sales, and expand internationally, within a short period.
An organization’s innovation system unites employees and management, enabling them to be committed in all steps of the innovation process. The innovation systems also play a significant role in helping both employees and managements in understanding complex issues in their organizations.
They facilitate a collaboration of cross-cultures in organizations, and hence create a high performing workplace for individuals from different cultural backgrounds. With these systems, organizations are able to shift immediate implementations without difficulties.
The steps involved in innovation planning and design process
Innovation planning and design process involves several steps. The major ones include systems review, systems design, and systems implementation (Davila, Epstein & Shelton, 2012). In the first stage, an organization should understand its current state of innovation.
It should review its formal and informal systems or processes, understand its perception or attitude towards innovation, and its requirements and resources in the innovation process. It should also identify outputs required in the process.
The second step is to integrate and interface the innovative system with the current people, systems, and activities in an organization. The final step is to develop a better understanding of the innovation systems. It is also at this stage that organizations create detailed plans for the implementation of these new systems.
Conclusion
The process of innovation design and planning creates solutions, which improve the performance of organizations. This process identifies opportunities that organizations can utilize. The process has many other benefits to organizations.
There are several internal and external factors that determine the design of the innovation systems. The primary steps involved in designing innovative systems include systems review, systems design, and systems implementation.
References
Davila, T., Epstein, M., & Shelton, R. (2012). Making innovation work: How to manage it, measure it, and profit from it. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Rowe, A. J. (2008). Creative intelligence: Discovering the innovative potential in ourselves and others. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Von, S. B. (2008). Managing innovation, design and creativity. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons.
White, M. A., & Bruton, G. D. (2011). The management of technology and innovation: A strategic approach. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning.