Effective Innovation Architecture

New techniques to innovate and stay competitive are what many entrepreneurs are continually looking for in this ever changing work environment (Roger, 2016). Fostering an innovative culture is ideal for success and growth of any business. Successful innovation implementation requires managers or leaders to have a clear understanding of what exactly forms an innovative organization and how it adds to its growth. Establishment of some of most remarkable as well as era-defining architectural innovations in word’s history has been witnessed over the past 25 years (Piening & Salge, 2015).

This academic writer-up is a reflection of an interview I conducted with Mark Johnson (Manager at Innovation Architecture Ltd) on creation of effective innovation architecture in organizations. The interview focused on importance of effective innovation, strategies of encouraging innovative culture as well as challenges faced while implementing innovation in organizations. The interview shaped my personal perspective with regards to creation of effective innovation architecture in several ways as outlined below.

According to the interview, the foundation on which innovation-guided growth can be build is an effective innovation process architecture. Creation of an effective innovation process architecture is anchored on four crucial pillars namely; determining rules of governance, identifying innovation master plan, the communication directive and defining lean innovation processes (Roger, 2016). Innovation governance mainly involves instituting rules and processes for decision making, accountability and responsibility that will propel effective innovation in business set-up. The established rules are required to clearly explain empowerment, decision making and approvals. In addition, the rules reflect culture of the business as well as innovation aspirations.

Utilizing formulated best practices and applying lean principles are paramount in establishing effective innovation processes (Piening & Salge, 2015). To find out where to emphasize for developing succeeding generation of processes, an organization should critically investigate performance outcomes compared with industry standards. The reviewed processes ought to apply obligatory tasks outlined by the innovation master data and decision-making precision from rules of governance. Industry models like Balanced Scorecards and Porter’s Value Chain should be leveraged to structure and create unique innovation master data-set for the organization (Piening & Salge, 2015). Managers should make sure that every crucial aspect of innovation data is considered and encourages enquiry and discussion onto the data responsibilities as well as information architecture in the company. Directives for the company to convey its innovation strategy with transparency, urgency and practical phases for victory should be formulated (Piening & Salge, 2015).

From the discussion is evident that implementation of effective innovation architecture is paramount to management as well as strategic direction of the organization. In fact, innovation offers a culture of imaginative thinking that allows employees to think outside the regular obstacles of their duties and invent something unique and new. Through developing innovative process architecture, innovation management is propelled to benefit from the best practices and the four pillars of innovation management are established. Another benefit is that it embeds portfolio management (consistency, visibility and differentiation) for Information Technology and business stakeholders. Last but not least, creating effective innovation architecture promotes adoption process through facilitating resilient portfolio and managed process variance perspectives (Roger, 2016).

As per interview, there are various ways that progressive and ambitious business leaders can use to encourage and improve innovation in their organization. Some of these techniques include:

Giving workers a sense of freedom: Imposition of rules by employers seems to stifle creativity of workers (Piening & Salge, 2015). The spirit of a creative company lies in the potential of workers to contribute to the innovative process. Consequently, organizations should give their workers the freedom to exercise their innovative ideas.

Availing right resources to implement innovative ideas:

Organizations should invest in their research and development sections to enable their innovative team to implement the creative ideas for product development in future. Samsung is prime example of companies that have heavily invested in research and development ($12.6 billion) and is already reaping the products of innovation (Roger, 2016).

Developing an accommodating style of leadership:

Managers or team leaders have an obligation to nurture and foster the attitude of their individual employees. Leader should lead as an example through fostering right attitude and behavior towards innovation for the juniors to copy. Actually, he/she should avoid a ‘do more’ style and instead give workers the opportunity to learn and practice so that they can be better.

Appreciating the contribution of workers: when the efforts of employees are acknowledged their confidence is reinforced and they feel valued. The management can develop and implement an incentive-based program that rewards employees on basis of innovation in their tasks as a method to promote a culture of innovation in the organization. When such programs are in place workers will feel much valued for their creative efforts and this will in turn enhance spirit of innovation in the organization.

Investing time in creative nourishment of employees: The spirit of innovation is attainable when a leader is able to demonstrate to employees the route that leads to creativity. Ample time should be availed for innovation to take place. For instance, the manager may commit a day to encourage employees to experiment with new concepts. Likewise, weekly workshops should be conducted to motivate workers to brainstorm thoughts for a new project.

Despite of innovation rapidly becoming one of main significant aspects for the growth and success of an organization, there are numerous challenges that may thwart the advancement of innovation as deduced from the interview (Frost, n.d.). Some of bottlenecks that I may encounter while championing the culture of innovation in my organization of choice include:

Lack of collaboration: Internal as well as external collaboration are essential for progression of innovation (Frost, n.d.). However, ensuring effective collaboration in many organizations is a big challenge which will definitely derail my efforts to implement effective innovation process architecture.

Employee resistance: Some of employees are enemy of change and try to oppose anything regardless of the associated benefits (Frost, n.d.). For example, when a major change interrupts the normal way of doing things in an organization, certain workers get disappointed and they resist or become reluctant to adopt the new change.

Lack of adequate resources: Implementation of innovation process program requires resources. Many organizations are financially starved and this will be a major barrier to implementation of an effective innovation project.

The entire interview process was a great learning experience for me and I can confidently state that it actually transformed my thinking on innovation process architecture. In actual sense, the interview exposed me to real life experience with respect to meaning, importance and challenges of creating effective innovation process architecture as well as strategies to make the innovation a success. I will utilize the knowledge I gained during the interview to promote the culture of innovation in my organization. For example, I will invest in research and development, grant my workers autonomy of creativity, motivate my employees, lead the process of innovation and apply many other things.

In conclusion, establishment of effective innovation process architecture is very important for success of any organization (Roger, 2016). In order to implement innovation process, managers and business leaders will need to understand the entire process of innovation including the four pillars. Nonetheless, entrepreneurs should acquaint themselves with various strategies that can be used to promote innovation culture in their organizations as well as possible challenges they will encounter and how to solve them.

References

Frost, Shelley. (n.d.). Barriers & Challenges to Change Implementation.

Piening, E. P., & Salge, T. O. (2015). Understanding the antecedents, contingencies, and performance implications of process innovation: A dynamic capabilities perspective. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 32(1), 80-97.

Roger, S (2016). Establishing an Effective Innovation Process Architecture.

Interview Summary

*Interview conducted in person

Date: 20, March, 2018

Venue: Innovation Architecture Ltd

Personal details of interviewee

Name: Mark Johnson

Age: 45

Years of work experience: 30

Years worked as company’s manager: 10

Company: Innovation Architecture Ltd

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: +206 711 1831

Interview Questions

1. What do you understand by term innovation process architecture?

In my own understanding, it is the way in which creativity is enhanced in entrepreneur world including architecture field.

2. Kindly, briefly tell me what you know about establishing effective innovation process architecture.

It requires a clear understanding of what exactly forms an innovative organization and how it adds to its growth. The foundation on which innovation-guided growth can be build and is anchored on four crucial pillars namely; determining rules of governance, identifying innovation master plan, the communication directive and defining lean innovation processes. 

3. If I may ask, what is importance of innovation process architecture?

Is paramount to management as well as strategic direction of the organization. Promotes adoption process through facilitating resilient portfolio and managed process variance perspectives. Offers a culture of imaginative thinking that allows employees to think outside the box.

4. Does your company embrace the culture of innovation?

Before I took over the leadership little was done to embrace innovation. However, when I become the manager 10 years ago, there has been remarkable progress in promoting culture of creativity and the company is appreciating the efforts made.

5. Briefly outline to me some of strategies used by entrepreneurs to promote innovation culture in organizations

There are main ways that managers can adopt to encourage innovation culture. Some of strategies I have personally used over the years and which have turned to be effective include: Giving workers a sense of freedom, availing right resources, developing an accommodating style etc.

6. Kindly, may I know some of challenges you face while implementing innovation project and how you have been able to minimize / eradicate them?

Implementing innovation is not smooth activity; I have encountered several barriers which you will probably encounter in your future endeavors. These are lack of adequate resources, lack of collaboration, employee resistance

7. Finally, do you think innovation process architecture has room in today’s contemporary society?

New techniques to innovate and stay competitive are what many entrepreneurs are continually looking for in this ever changing work environment. Fostering an innovative culture is ideal for success and growth of any business.

Thank you for your prestigious time and valuable contribution. I really appreciate you.