Innovation management systems for
innovation success
Innovation management systems in various forms have always been essential for continued
success, although not widely understood. New international guidance is looking to take this
to another level, as Dr Benjamin W Watson CEng CTPD CEnv MIED LCGI explains
IISO Technical Committee ISO TC279
has been developing new international
guidance for innovation management
systems (IMS), following the
foundation of the ISO TC279 charter for
IMS in 2013, with more than 40 countries
contributing towards the development of
the standard.
The new ISO Innovation Management
System (IMS) has been developed through
consensus, to provide a system, with
standardised terminology, tools, methods
and guidance to manage interactions
between partners, intellectual property,
strategic intelligence, and more recently
Idea management. With the right
implementation, the standard aims to
support organisations seeking sustained
innovation success by developing their
ability to lead innovation activities,
embed design and innovation into their
organisation, and help to ensure that
good practice is being followed.
IMS is based on seven parts (see
Table 1), with eight innovation
management principles, necessary
for the specific benefits (see Table 2,
page 11). Developing and deploying
innovation management systems within
an organisation requires a certain level
of adaptation, where different types
of organisation with different levels of
innovation will require different approaches
and organisational structures. This
presents a significant challenge to the
adoption and success of any standardised
systematic approach to innovation.
First and foremost, we should recognise
that no system of work guarantees
success, only the increased likelihood
of success. The high-level nature of IMS
guidance makes it even more critical
to be implemented with the necessary
experience, to translate the guidance into
a working system.
INNOVATION CONTINUITY
Successful innovation management
systems provide a basis to grow a
leadership position, sustain core business
and maintain business continuity, in the
face of disruption. Innovation continuity
offers the positive perspective that
organisations can systematically anticipate
and shape disruptive forces, customer
needs and emerging technologies, to
their advantage. Innovation is invention
with impact. This is what differentiates
innovation from other value realisation,
such as your local grocery store selling
what they’ve always sold in the
same way they’ve always sold it.
Without this, all value realisation
becomes innovation.
We can understand impact, in
terms of social impact and financial
gain, through entry into new
markets and the social benefits,
such as safety, convenience,
Innovation is
invention
with impact
IMPACT
NEW
elevation through hierarchies of need
and how we respond to changing values.
Impact through invention can also
create barriers to competition, such as
intellectual property and consumer loyalty.
CHALLENGE, PROTECT
AND GROW
With the right implementation,
the IMS guidance may be used
to enable innovation as both a
growth generator and a vehicle for
business continuity, a framework
to handle changing market forces and
competitive technologies, to ensure that
the necessary processes and systems
are all in place.
stock.adobe.com/ Leigh Prather
INNOVATION
Table 1: Innovation Management System
– Guidance ISO 56000 Series
ISO/CD 56000 Fundamentals and vocabulary
ISO/FDIS 56002 Innovation management system – Guidance (Published)
BS ISO/TR 56004 Innovation Management Assessment – Guidance (Published)
BS ISO 56003 Tools and methods for innovation partnership – Guidance
ISO/AWI 56006 Strategic intelligence management – Guidance
ISO/AWI 56005 Intellectual property management
ISO/AWI 56007 Idea management
See next page for an overview of the seven parts of IMS, plus a brief introduction
to the innovation management principles and guidance notes.
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