In today’s competitive business world, companies need to constantly produce new and exciting ideas to set themselves apart in their respective industries. If you find yourself in corporate leadership at any level, having a solid understanding of how to measure corporate innovation and develop an effective corporate innovation strategy is necessary.
Understanding Corporate Innovation
So, what is corporate innovation and why is it so essential to growth and sustainability in an increasingly competitive business environment?
Defining Corporate Innovation in the Modern Era
Specifically, what is corporate innovation? Corporate innovation refers to the strategies and methods that a business or organization uses to generate new ideas to drive its market share. Typically, these ideas are sourced from a combination of internal and external sources with the goal of blending exciting new innovations with reliable and existing processes.
The Importance of Innovation for Corporate Growth and Sustainability
Corporate innovation is essential for business growth and sustainability, especially in industries that are extremely competitive. Through corporate innovation, businesses can explore and implement new ideas and innovations that can help them stand out from others in the industry, drive sales, and stay up to date with the latest industry innovations and trends. However, knowing how to measure corporate innovation is equally important to track progress and make informed decisions.
The Evolution of Corporate Innovation
In recent years, corporate innovation has become a critical part of any business model. It now serves as an effective strategy for developing new products and service offerings. Of course, it has not always been this way. Understanding what corporate innovation is in different eras can help businesses appreciate its evolution.
From Closed to Open Innovation Models
In the past, corporate innovation models were primarily closed, meaning that businesses relied almost exclusively on internal sources to develop new ideas. Within these closed models, designated teams of existing employees would collaborate to brainstorm and explore innovations. However, as the business environment became more dynamic and competitive, the limitations of closed innovation became apparent.
This led to the emergence of open innovation models, where businesses began to look beyond their internal resources. Companies started to collaborate with external partners, such as universities, research institutions, and other firms, to drive innovation. This shift from closed to open innovation has allowed companies to leverage a broader range of expertise and accelerate the development of new products and services.
Over time, however, many businesses began to move toward an open innovation model, where ideas are sourced from outside of the company through pitches, acquisitions, investments, and the like. In relying on more open innovation models, businesses do not have to restrict themselves to the ideas of one small group. This can lead to greater innovation and creativity. This shift has also necessitated new ways of how to measure corporate innovation to ensure that these external contributions are effective.
Digital Transformation’s Role in Shaping New Innovation Strategies
It is also worth noting the impact that the global shift to digital technologies has had in shaping business innovation strategies. Now that computers and the internet have made it so easy to communicate quickly with just about anybody across the globe, it is much easier and more efficient for companies to embrace open innovation models than it was in the past. This also influences how to measure corporate innovation in the digital age.
Frameworks for Fostering Innovation Within Corporations
Now that you have a better understanding of what is corporate innovation and why it is so important, you may be wondering how to measure corporate innovation and foster it within your own business.
Building a Culture that Promotes Creativity and Innovation
First and foremost, it is critical to build a company culture that celebrates and promotes creative thinking in the workplace. All employees’ ideas and input should be valued, and workers should feel confident that they will be listened to and always taken seriously. When employees feel this way, they are more likely to share ideas that could very well transform the company.
The Significance of Internal Innovation Labs and Programs
Businesses looking to set themselves apart from the competition are also encouraged to develop internal innovation labs and similar programs that are dedicated to corporate innovation. These programs should consist of samplings of team members from various departments, providing all the resources needed to brainstorm and bring new ideas to light. Such initiatives also require clear methods how to measure corporate innovation to track progress and outcomes.
External Strategies for Enhancing Corporate Innovation
In addition to internal or closed innovation strategies, businesses should also embrace external strategies for enhancing innovation to leave no stone unturned.
Collaborating With Startups Through Corporate Accelerators
Corporate accelerator programs can be extremely valuable in fostering collaboration not just within internal teams, but with external startups. In this kind of setup, startup teams can join collaborative workspaces with established companies while partnering and sharing ideas. This can ultimately be an excellent source of new concepts and exciting innovations. Knowing how to measure corporate innovation within these programs is vital to gauge their success.
Venture Capital’s Impact on Corporate Innovation Efforts
Likewise, many businesses find success in using corporate venture arms (CVCs) as a means of exploring new ideas and innovations within a given industry. With this kind of venture capital investment, established companies can use their own capital to fund startups. In exchange, these existing businesses can embark on a joint venture to create new products and services that benefit both parties.
Leadership and Its Influence on Innovation Success
Perhaps above all else, businesses looking to grow their innovation success need to have strong and knowledgeable leaders in the form of executive support roles.
The Critical Role of Executive Support in Innovation Initiatives
Executive support leaders play an important role in driving innovation initiatives. Not only are they responsible for setting the strategic direction and vision, but they can also make sure that employees have access to the tools and resources they need to succeed. These leaders can also encourage innovation and experimentation by creating an environment where new ideas are valued, and workers feel comfortable sharing them with leadership.
How Leaders Can Foster a Culture of Continuous Innovation
Corporate leaders can keep internal innovation going by focusing on creating an inclusive and experimental work environment among all departments and employees. This can give workers the confidence they need to explore and share new ideas. Meanwhile, business leaders need to keep an open mind to new concepts without losing sight of the company’s strategic direction.
Implementing and Managing Corporate Innovation Programs
If you are looking to design and implement a corporate innovation at your place of business, there are some things worth keeping in mind to maximize successful implementation and outcomes.
Steps to Designing an Effective Corporate Innovation Strategy
When creating a corporate innovation strategy, the first thing to do is to decide whether you will focus on open or closed innovation models. These days, most businesses will find the greatest success by using a hybrid model that relies on a combination of both internal and external innovation sources.
From there, determine what your innovation strategy will look like in action. What kinds of resources and programs will need to be set up to carry it out? Do you need to form specific teams?
Finally, identify how to measure corporate innovation to ensure that your strategy is effective and can be adjusted as needed.
Key Considerations for Successful Implementation and Scaling
Ideally, you will also want to think ahead when designing and implementing a corporate innovation model. This means creating a strategy that will not just work for your business now, but that will continue to serve your company as it scales and grows. Clear metrics on how to measure corporate innovation will help you scale effectively.
Overcoming Challenges in Corporate Innovation
While corporate innovation initiatives can be exciting as the ideas begin pouring in, there are some inherent challenges and obstacles that any business can face. The good news is that many of these obstacles can be overcome with the right leadership and foresight.
Identifying and Navigating Common Obstacles
One of the biggest challenges with implementing a corporate innovation strategy is culture. Without an open and welcoming culture that celebrates workers’ ideas, employees may have a hard time feeling that their ideas are valued and may thus keep them to themselves. Meanwhile, many companies struggle with teams that simply cannot collaborate or communicate effectively.
Management and leadership issues can also stunt the effectiveness of corporate innovation programs, especially when teams lack a source of vision and focus.
Strategies for Sustaining Innovation in the Long Term
With strong leadership and a truly inclusive workplace culture, businesses can foster and sustain innovation now and well into the future. The key is to ensure that teams are encouraged and supported while having access to the right resources. Likewise, setting up a corporate innovation strategy that blends both open and closed sources of ideas can keep businesses moving forward. Regularly reviewing how to measure corporate innovation will ensure that your business continues to innovate effectively.
Advance Your Education With a Graduate Certificate
As you can see, when it comes to what is corporate innovation strategies should be a part of any sustainable business model regardless of the specific industry in which you may operate. If you are looking to advance your formal education on this topic while exploring practical skills in change leadership, then it may be time to explore Post University’s corporate innovation graduate certificate program.
This program, which is designed to be completed entirely online, offers the flexibility today’s busy graduate students are looking for while covering the most essential topics and concepts in corporate innovation. Get in touch today to learn more or start your online application.
Thank you for reading! The views and information provided in this post do not reflect Post University programs and/or outcomes directly. If you are interested in learning more about our programs, you can find a complete list of our programs on our website or reach out directly!
Please note jobs and/or career outcomes highlighted in this blog do not reflect jobs or career outcomes expected from any Post program. To learn more about Post’s programs and their outcomes, please fill out a form to speak with an admissions advisor.