Bonn, Germany and Wilmington, Delaware, Feb. 27, 2024 — In a groundbreaking move, HYPE Innovation and Planbox, two trailblazers in the field of innovation management, proudly announce their merger today. This dynamic union creates an unparalleled platform, solidifying their commitment to empowering organizations to conquer the ever-evolving challenges of the business world, ensuring they are not merely current but future-fit.

“Our journey began with a vision to transform the way businesses innovate. Merging with Planbox solidifies this vision by combining over two decades of insights, technology, and passion. As the boundaries between regions and markets blur, our combined expertise stands as a beacon for innovation management systems built on AI and ISO 56000, ensuring that our clients don’t just adapt but thrive. We’ve witnessed how tectonic market shifts can redefine entire sectors — with this merger, we’re set to ignite a new era of innovation management leadership for the world,” said Frank Henningsen, CEO of HYPE Innovation.

Over the past decades, HYPE Innovation has built a reputation for no-nonsense, customer-focused innovation projects. Catering to a diverse clientele, including Fortune Global 500 companies and hidden champions alike, HYPE specialized in dedicated innovation software and consulting. Amid the dynamic landscape of innovation endeavors, HYPE clients report billions of ROI, underscoring the tangible value derived from its platform and services. In 2020, HYPE made waves by acquiring HLP, their primary competitor in the idea management market within the DACH region. Building on this momentum, 2021 saw the strategic additions of Viima, a prominent player in agile, self-service innovation processes, and INNOSPOT, offering AI-based startup-engagement. Adding to its accolades, HYPE Innovation has been recognized as the Customers’ Choice 2023 with the highest-rating in the latest Gartner Peer Insights Voice of the Customer for Innovation Management Tools, a testament to its unparalleled commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction in the innovation management sector.

Now, with the integration of Planbox, HYPE enters a transformative chapter. Planbox, a pioneer from its inception, has pushed the market through agile innovation solutions. Since its merger with Brainbank software in 2015, Planbox has consistently topped analyst reports, including the prestigious Forrester Wave in 2020. Noteworthy acquisitions of Imaginatik and IdeaConnection have endowed Planbox with unparalleled depth and breadth. Together, HYPE and Planbox establish a commanding presence in the market.

HYPE Innovation has been an imposing success story in the DACH region, consistently demonstrating its robust presence across Europe for the better part of the last two decades. Simultaneously, Planbox has risen to prominence as the go-to platform for innovation management in North America, further strengthened by a formidable local team in the United Kingdom. Today’s strategic merger forges a collaborative powerhouse that offers clients and global organizations seamless access to world-class innovation management software, expertise, and services. 

“Our combined strengths represent more than just a strategic merger — it’s a commitment to our clients. Together, we’re creating an environment where businesses are poised to be future-fit by preemptively adapting to market trends and capitalizing on them rather than reacting. With our enhanced capabilities, we envision a future where an innovation management system built on AI and ISO 56000 becomes the cornerstone of every successful enterprise,” said Ludwig Melik, CEO of Planbox.

HYPE Innovation and Planbox aim to revolutionize the innovation management industry, delivering unparalleled value to organizations worldwide and igniting new levels of growth and achievement. With the emerging ISO 56000 global standard for innovation management and Generative AI on the rise, the merger sets new industry standards for innovation management systems. Much like how ISO 9001 revolutionized quality management and ISO 27001 set the gold standard for information security, ISO 56001 is poised to fundamentally redefine the realm of innovation management. This standard, which builds upon the ISO 56000 standards series, has been in development for the past decade and is expected to be finalized next year.

HYPE’s AI capabilities, such as the innovation network graph, AI-based data research and management, are now extended and enriched with robust features from Planbox. The resulting best-in-class platform represents a transformative shift in the innovation management landscape, marking the beginning of a fresh chapter where human creativity, artificial intelligence, and governance converge to unlock unprecedented potential for innovation. It simplifies processes, enables efficient resource utilization, and bridges gaps between front-end innovation work and back-end processes and systems.

“While many see mergers as a culmination, for us, it’s a new beginning. The tools and expertise we bring are comprehensive, but what excites us most is the untapped potential between us. However, this merger goes beyond tools and platforms — it’s also about cultivating a mindset of perpetual evolution. We aim to equip organizations with the foresight to not only foresee change but to architect it in order to excel at innovation,” concluded Henningsen.

Beyond the tremendous opportunities, the acquisition safeguards the clients’ investment: With the HYPE Group nearing a significant milestone of €30 million in revenue, the union of these companies now boasts a more robust financial standing, offering clients enhanced confidence in the longevity and sustainability of their innovation management partner. Additionally, customers benefit from an expanded network of partners, collaborators, and experts that the merged entity provides, fostering opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing, and accelerating their innovation efforts.

For all the latest news and updates, follow Planbox on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

About HYPE Innovation

HYPE Innovation is a leading provider of software and consulting in the field of innovation management, offering a comprehensive platform for the entire lifecycle of your innovation program. Our solutions encompass end-to-end Ideation, Technology and Trend Management, Startup Scouting, Innovation Partner Management, and Ecosystem Engagement. As a top-tier player in the innovation management landscape, we enable our clients to uncover opportunities, foster collaboration, and drive strategic goals, from growth to cost-saving and sustainable transformation, enabling them to excel at Innovation. For more information, visit www.hypeinnovation.com.

About Planbox

Innovation is at the heart of becoming Future-Fit. Built on ISO 56002 and AI, our end-to-end agile innovation management platform and services empower medium and large-sized organizations to become more adaptive, creative, and resilient. Planbox helps you turn creative ideas into winning projects and integrate everyday tools to collaborate smarter with your community of employees, customers, partners, startups, governments, academia, and expert solvers. Planbox has offices in Canada, UK, and USA, with customers around the world in over 140 countries.

This article originally appeared on Innovation Leader.

The traditional “slow and steady wins the race” approach prevailed until the new millennium. But then the pace of change accelerated, particularly after the pandemic compressed a decade of transformation into a single year. Just as the dust settled, artificial intelligence (AI) emerged, demanding swift comprehension due to its pervasive applications in daily work and the potential to reshape entire markets and industries. There’s a heightened urgency to broaden your innovation horizon and allocate dedicated efforts toward transforming the business, rather than solely maintaining its current operations.

In our two decades of collaboration with diverse organizations, we’ve observed shared characteristics that distinguish highly successful innovators from those contending with these obstacles. These include cultivating a culture of innovation with an openness to change; committing to seeing projects through; and implementing a system that yields sustainable, consistent, and reliable results.

Propelling Innovations Beyond the First Horizon

The Future-Fit Manifesto lays the foundation for a strategic evolution built upon the Agile Manifesto. Within this framework, organizations are called to prioritize collaborative cultures over individual interactions and innovative systems over mere working solutions.

At the heart of the Future-Fit mindset is a commitment to collaboration that extends beyond the boundaries of the organization. It involves fostering a community that includes employees, customers, partners, academia, and governments. This collaborative approach recognizes the inherent value of diverse perspectives and collective efforts.

In this landscape, the emphasis shifts from immediate customer collaboration to a profound exploration of opportunities. Future-Fit organizations seek to discover opportunities before they manifest, fostering a culture of innovation that anticipates rather than reacts to change.

Moreover, the manifesto urges organizations to prioritize creating alternate futures over merely responding to change. This forward-thinking perspective requires a strategic approach that embraces uncertainty, adapts to disruptions, and actively shapes the future.

Organizations who are guided by this thinking embrace its principles to shape a future that is both resilient and transformative. These principles advocate for delighting stakeholders through continuous delivery, welcoming creativity and learning, shaping the future through diverse initiatives, cocreating with the community, building inclusive cultures, and promoting sustainable growth. Continuous attention to emerging trends, innovation as a relentless challenge to the status quo, and reflective practices that constantly fine-tune behavior and systems ensure organizations become and remain Future-Fit.

Fueling Transformative Innovation

In the pursuit of transformative innovation that extends beyond Horizon 1, organizations can leverage a set of future-focused practices. Each of these practices is instrumental in defining a company’s capacity to pioneer groundbreaking innovations, fundamentally altering the competitive landscape. Crucially, the integration of advanced AI capabilities significantly empowers these strategies. Serving as a transformative ally, AI enhances our foresight, enabling organizations to navigate complexities with greater precision and anticipate change more effectively, ensuring a proactive stance in the face of evolving challenges:

• Trendspotting: Trendspotting involves purposeful observation and evaluation of current and anticipated changes in various domains, such as technology, politics, economics, and societal trends. This practice informs strategic planning, enhances operational efficiency, and drives innovation management. By understanding emerging threats and opportunities, organizations can proactively adapt their strategies and operations, ensuring sustained relevance.

How AI enhances this practice: AI, with its data analytics capabilities, excels in identifying patterns and predicting future changes across various domains. Machine learning algorithms provide critical insights for strategic planning based on technological, political, economic, and social trends.

• Continuous Foresight: Continuous foresight combines strategic foresight and futurism to regularly assess and evaluate business models and strategies. This approach involves continuously identifying and analyzing trends, projections, and backcasting from desirable futures. By embracing continuous foresight, organizations can proactively anticipate changes, refine their strategies, and foster an environment that thrives in a continually evolving landscape.

How AI enhances this practice: AI-powered analytics tools facilitate continuous foresight by monitoring key indicators in real-time. This enables organizations to adapt their strategies promptly based on emerging trends and projections.

• Technology Trend Radar: Informed by tech scouting efforts, a technology trend radar is a customizable visualization that outlines when specific technology trends are expected to impact an organization. It can provide information on the degree of impact, level of disruption, and associated risks. This tool helps organizations track and prioritize both broad and discrete technology trends. By staying informed about upcoming technological shifts, companies can strategically position themselves to leverage or mitigate the impact of emerging technologies.

How AI enhances this practice: AI automates the analysis of technology trends, offering customizable visualizations that prioritize and track their potential impact on the enterprise.

• Scenario Planning: Scenario planning is a strategic management methodology that aids organizations in preparing for uncertainty by envisioning and analyzing plausible future outcomes. This involves assessing critical uncertainties and macroforces influencing the market and the enterprise. Executives use scenario planning to “future-test” their strategies, identify potential risks and opportunities, and promote a culture of innovation. It enables organizations to adapt and thrive in a world characterized by continual change.

How AI enhances this practice: Machine learning simulations aid in scenario planning, allowing organizations to anticipate uncertainties and formulate strategies adaptable to diverse future outcomes.

• Speculative Design: Speculative design is an ideation approach that uses design to explore possible future scenarios. It serves as a catalyst for discussions, challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging critical thinking. Through speculative design projects, which are conceptual in nature, organizations can initiate conversations that prompt reflection on the implications and ethical considerations of emerging technologies, policies, or societal trends. This practice sparks innovation by fostering a proactive approach to shaping the future.

How AI enhances this practice: AI-driven simulations bring speculative design projects to life, offering tangible representations of potential future scenarios, fostering discussions, and challenging conventional wisdom.

Implementing these future-focused practices collectively creates an environment conducive to transformative innovation that goes beyond the constraints of Horizon 1. By proactively exploring trends, continuously refining strategies, tracking technological shifts, planning for plausible scenarios, and engaging in speculative design, organizations position themselves to pioneer game-changing innovations and disrupt their industries effectively.

Leveraging Systems and Tools to Futurize Innovation Management

Navigating the dynamic terrain of innovation demands more than just a compass—it requires a comprehensive toolkit. Embracing a Future-Fit mindset emerges as a guiding beacon, steering organizations toward enduring success. The strategic integration of AI, when effectively harnessed, catapults us beyond immediate horizons, enabling the anticipation of challenges and the creation of alternative futures.

In this transformative journey, ISO 56001 assumes the role of a stalwart ally, providing a steady hand to guide organizations through the complexities of innovation adoption. Specifically, ISO 56001 aligns seamlessly with advanced innovation practices like Trendspotting, Continuous Foresight, Technology Trend Radar, Scenario Planning, and Speculative Design. These practices are not mere strategies but dynamic tools that propel organizations beyond Horizon 1.

By incorporating ISO 56001, organizations instill disciplined innovation into their DNA. This standard acts as a catalyst for effectively implementing innovation practices, ensuring a systematic and well-coordinated approach. As organizations embark on the transformative journey facilitated by practices like Trendspotting and Continuous Foresight, ISO 56001 becomes the linchpin that reinforces a culture of innovation.

Navigating Corporate Innovation in 2024

To ensure that 2024 marks a pivotal year in expanding your innovation horizon, it’s imperative to initiate a transformative corporate innovation odyssey. This begins by transcending the ordinary and adopting a Future-Fit mindset, which necessitates a shift in focus beyond immediate challenges. Prioritize fostering a collaborative culture and valuing innovative systems over incremental improvements. Acknowledge the influential role of technologies like AI, preparing for unforeseen opportunities and challenges.

Furthermore, integrate transformative innovation practices into your innovation repertoire to propel your organization forward. This involves embracing methodologies that go beyond traditional horizons, staying attuned to emerging trends, and challenging conventional thinking. Crucially, fortify your commitment to innovation by leveraging the ISO 56001 Standard for Innovation Management. This proven standard serves as a cornerstone for cultivating a disciplined innovation culture, guiding organizations through the intricacies of transformative initiatives with unparalleled effectiveness.

As we navigate the ever-evolving innovation landscape, let the principles of the Future-Fit mindset be our guiding compass. By fostering a culture that values collaboration, innovation, and forward-thinking perspectives, organizations not only ensure present success but also actively shape a sustainable and prosperous future. In a world defined by constant change, embracing the Future-Fit mindset encourages continuous reflection, tuning, and adjustments to our behavior and systems, ensuring a leading position in the realm of innovation.

Ludwig Melik

CEO at Planbox and author of the Future-Fit Manifesto. I help organizations build a sustainable culture of innovation. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.

Recognizing the pivotal role that ideas play in driving innovation, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has introduced ISO 56007 guidance on tools and methods for managing opportunities and ideas. This standard serves as a comprehensive guide to managing innovation opportunities and ideas. Representing a culmination of a decade’s worth of collaboration and expertise, this standard emerges as a compass for innovation practitioners. In this exploration, we unravel what ISO 56007 is about and how it seamlessly integrates with the innovation odyssey toward ISO 56001 certification.

ISO 56007’s Framework for Transformative Ideas

ISO 56007 stands out by providing innovative tools and methods essential for fostering a culture of innovation. It recognizes that a consistent flow of ideas is the lifeblood of innovation, emphasizing the importance of effectively managing these ideas. The standard offers techniques for identifying and evaluating innovation opportunities, including tech scouting, trend spotting, understanding customer needs and identifying areas ripe for technological advancements.

Building an Innovation-Friendly Ecosystem with ISO 56007

One of the fundamental aspects highlighted by ISO 56007 is the creation of an environment conducive to idea generation. This involves fostering an open, collaborative culture that encourages creativity, risk-taking and continuous learning. The standard advocates for practical methods to stimulate idea generation, such as brainstorming sessions, innovation workshops and suggestion systems. By providing guidance on cultivating an atmosphere that nurtures innovation, ISO 56007 becomes an invaluable resource for organizations aiming to drive sustainable innovation success.

The Five Pillars of Innovation Success Under ISO 56007

ISO 56007 emphasizes five enabling factors crucial for successful innovation management:

Ludwig Melik

CEO at Planbox and author of the Future-Fit Manifesto. I help organizations build a sustainable culture of innovation. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Mark your calendar; 2024 is the year when Innovation Management takes a giant leap forward with the introduction of ISO 56001. This long-anticipated standard is set to revolutionize how organizations conceive and bring innovations to market. ISO 56001 serves as the blueprint for constructing a robust Innovation Management System (IMS), promising consistent and sustainable innovation results.

In this blog, we aim to tackle the ten most commonly asked questions about ISO 56001 by innovation practitioners. Our focus is to offer best practice advice that not only ensures compliance but also maximizes value in the short, medium, and long term. We’ll explore how fostering a culture that embraces a future-fit mindset can be achieved by leveraging ISO 56001 as a tool to enhance creativity and innovation.

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The key lies in creating a culture of innovation that values creativity while ensuring a structured approach to execution.

1. How Does ISO 56001 Balance Creativity with Standardization?

Establishing an innovation standard, as facilitated by ISO 56001, is not about stifling creativity or impeding execution. Instead, it’s a framework designed to enhance the innovation process. The key lies in creating a culture of innovation that values creativity while ensuring a structured approach to execution.

When implementing ISO 56001, it’s crucial to emphasize that the workflow being proposed remains adaptable and unique to each company’s operating style. The standard provides a flexible framework that organizations can tailor to fit their specific needs. This allows for the preservation of the creative spirit within the company, ensuring that the innovation standard enhances, rather than hinders, the ideation and execution processes.

2. What Competitive Advantages Does ISO 56001 Offer?

ISO 56001 sets a global benchmark for innovation management, but its real value lies in how it can be strategically leveraged to create competitive differentiation. This standard is not just a checklist; it’s a framework that, when applied thoughtfully, can propel an organization ahead of its competitors. 

Here some key aspects where ISO 56001 can drive strategic advantage:

• Customized Implementation for Unique Value: While the standard is universal, its implementation is not one-size-fits-all. Each organization can adapt the framework to their specific strategic goals and market position, crafting an approach to innovation that sets them apart from competitors.
• Driving Market Leadership through Innovation: ISO 56001 encourages organizations to prioritize innovation strategically. This forward-thinking approach can position companies as market leaders, setting trends rather than following them.
• Building a Strong Innovation Brand: Consistent adherence to ISO 56001 elevates a company’s reputation as a serious innovator. This enhanced brand perception can be a key differentiator, especially in industries where innovation is a critical factor for success.
• Fostering Collaborative Innovations: The standard promotes collaboration both within the organization and with external partners. This can lead to more groundbreaking innovations, as diverse perspectives and expertise converge.

3. Is ISO 56001 Certification Worth It?

While ISO 56001 certification is not mandatory, it offers tangible benefits (as detailed in our ultimate guide on ISO 56000) that can significantly improve organizational performance in innovation management. 

Here are just a few key benefits of obtaining certification:

• Systematic Innovation Process: Certification ensures that an organization adopts a systematic approach to innovation, which can lead to more consistent and repeatable success in innovation initiatives.
• Enhanced Stakeholder Confidence: Achieving certification can boost stakeholder trust, as it demonstrates a commitment to maintaining high standards in innovation management.
• Operational Efficiency: With a structured approach, organizations can streamline their innovation processes, reducing inefficiencies and focusing resources more effectively.
• Risk Management and Compliance: The certification process helps identify and manage risks associated with innovation, ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices.
• Global Recognition and Opportunities: Certified organizations gain international recognition for their commitment to innovation excellence, opening doors to global markets and partnership opportunities.

4. Where Should Organizations Start with ISO 56001?

Begin with an understanding of your current practices by performing an innovation health checkup. Develop a roadmap based on your organization’s needs, involving key stakeholders. A phased approach, integrating Future-Fit principles, ensures a smooth transition.

As a valuable addition, leverage ISO 56004, the Innovation Management Assessment (IMA), to conduct a benchmark and gap analysis. This will provide a clear, thorough understanding of your current innovation maturity and help you identify areas for improvement. By using ISO 56004, organizations can strategically build from their existing strengths and address specific gaps in innovation management, ensuring a more targeted and efficient implementation of ISO 56001.

Watch our expert-led webinar to gain further insights into the checks and balances of ISO 56001:

5. What Are the Costs and Time Required for ISO 56001 Compliance?

Timelines and costs vary based on organizational size and complexity. Invest in training to empower your team and expedite the adoption process. Determining the timeline and financial investment for ISO 56001 compliance involves various factors. For example for a large organization, the implementation process may range from 12 to 18 months on average, allowing for a thorough integration without rushing critical steps. 

As for costs, the investment can vary and it is difficult to state an exact figure. These related costs can encompass expenses related to training, software adoption, consulting services, and internal resource allocation. It’s essential to conduct a detailed assessment and engage with experienced domain experts to derive more accurate estimates tailored to the specific nuances of your organization.

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Embracing a dedicated software platform for ISO 56001 compliance becomes not just a choice but a strategic necessity.

6. Is Software Necessary for ISO 56001 Compliance?

Embracing a dedicated software platform for ISO 56001 compliance becomes not just a choice but a strategic necessity. The adoption of a comprehensive software system brings transformative benefits to the compliance process. Beyond mere convenience, it serves as a vital tool that simplifies the attainment and maintenance of compliance. 

The right software can streamline the entire compliance lifecycle, reducing complexities associated with documentation, tracking, and reporting. It simplifies the process of adhering to ISO 56001 standards by providing a centralized platform for managing the related innovation workflows, documentation, and collaboration. By automating these processes, the software minimizes the resource-intensive nature of compliance efforts, freeing up valuable time and resources for more strategic innovation pursuits.

Furthermore, the software system ensures instant audibility, transparency, and reporting capabilities, aspects that would traditionally demand substantial resources and time. Instead of sifting through paperwork and coordinating disparate information, organizations gain real-time insights into their compliance status. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also facilitates quick and informed decision-making.

7. How Does ISO 56001 Integrate with Other ISO Standards?

Leverage synergies between ISO standards, ensuring a holistic approach to governance. A Future-Fit organization integrates ISO 56001 into its existing frameworks, creating a unified approach to management systems. The integration of ISO 56001 with existing ISO standards, particularly ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 14001 for environmental management, is a strategic move that amplifies organizational governance. 

By aligning ISO 56001 with ISO 9001, the focus on quality seamlessly extends to innovation processes, ensuring that innovative initiatives meet the same rigorous standards as other business operations. Concurrently, incorporating ISO 14001 into the mix enhances environmental sustainability considerations within the innovation life cycle. This triad of standards establishes a robust framework, promoting a holistic, efficient, and integrated approach to organizational excellence. 

The interplay between ISO 56001, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 ensures that innovation, quality, and environmental management mutually reinforce each other, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and excellence across diverse organizational facets.

8. Why is the PDCA Cycle Crucial in ISO 56001?

The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is the backbone of ISO 56001. This iterative framework, with its origins attributed to the pioneering work of statistician Walter A. Shewhart has evolved into a cornerstone of quality management and continuous improvement methodologies. The PDCA cycle entails a systematic approach:

• Plan: Define objectives and processes necessary to deliver results that align with innovation goals.
  
• Do: Implement the planned processes, keeping in mind the variables identified in the planning phase.
  
• Check: Monitor and evaluate the implemented processes against objectives and specifications to ensure alignment.
  
• Act: Take corrective actions and make necessary adjustments based on the evaluation, closing the loop and initiating a new cycle.

Displayed above is the integration of the PDCA cycle within the ISO 56002 framework. Each number corresponds to one of the seven guiding elements outlined in the ISO 56002 guidance standard.

The beauty of the PDCA cycle lies in its adaptability and applicability across various ISO standards, providing a universal framework for continuous improvement. Whether in quality management (ISO 9001), environmental management (ISO 14001), or information security management (ISO 27001), the PDCA cycle serves as a unifying thread.

Integrating the PDCA cycle into ISO standards ensures a consistent and dynamic approach to management systems. The PDCA cycle is instrumental in creating a feedback loop, allowing organizations to refine their innovation processes iteratively, ensuring they stay responsive to evolving market dynamics and organizational goals.

9. What Role Should the PMO Play in ISO 56001 Adoption?

The Project Management Office (PMO) and innovation management team are the most logical choices for leading the effort towards ISO 56001 certification. The PMO brings project management skills and experience, while the innovation management team brings expertise in innovation processes and outcomes. By working together, the PMO and innovation management team can ensure that the implementation of ISO 56001 is successful and that the organization is able to achieve its goals.The PMO also plays a crucial role in ensuring that the innovation management processes and procedures are followed consistently throughout the entire organization, establishing a proper progress reporting structure, developing an innovation management charter, and building an innovation center of excellence. Organizations that choose to collaborate in this way are likely to achieve ISO 56001 certification more quickly and with fewer challenges than those that do not.

10. Is ISO 56001 Suitable for All Industries and Organization Sizes?

ISO 56001 is adaptable across industries and organization sizes. Its flexibility allows customization to meet the unique needs of diverse sectors, but it’s particularly compelling for:

• Companies Bidding for Business: As organizations bid on projects and contracts, the need to demonstrate a high level of focus and discipline in innovation becomes a competitive advantage. ISO 56001 certification may soon evolve from a choice to a business requirement, providing a tangible showcase of an organization’s commitment to systematic innovation management.
• Industries Valuing Innovation: Industries that inherently place a higher premium on innovation, such as technology, healthcare, and research, find ISO 56001 particularly valuable. The standard offers a structured approach that aligns with their innovation-centric ethos, providing a clear roadmap for sustainable and impactful innovation.
• Long-Term and Transformative Innovations: Organizations committed to long-term and transformative innovations, where the stakes are high, find ISO 56001 indispensable. The standard facilitates the cultivation of a disciplined innovation culture, ensuring that these organizations can navigate the complexities of transformative initiatives effectively.
• Larger Companies with Complex Innovation Processes: Larger enterprises, with more intricate and multifaceted innovation processes, stand to derive substantial value from ISO 56001. The standard provides a systematic framework to manage the complexities of innovation at scale, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Wrapping Up

ISO 56001 brings a disciplined and transparent approach to innovation management, removing the veil that often shrouds organizational processes, ultimately empowering innovation practitioners by providing them with the visibility needed to invest confidently in the future. Alongside the standard, a future-fit mindset plays a crucial role, ensuring organizations do more than just comply—they actively leverage the standard as a strategic asset for ongoing success.

By embracing ISO 56001 and incorporating Future-Fit principles, organizations can begin a transformative odyssey towards a future where innovation is not just an objective but a fundamental aspect of their culture and operations.

Creating an innovation approach that is as effective as it is exciting should be the focus of every innovator.

As we embark on the “corporate innovation odyssey” that is 2024 (as Planbox CEO Ludwig Melik calls it), equipping ourselves with the right features in our innovation toolkit cannot be overstated. The innovation management landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by technological advancements like AI-enhanced self-service and emerging frameworks like ISO 56000. In this dynamic environment, creating an innovation approach that is as effective as it is exciting should be the focus of every innovator.

But what exactly constitutes “must-have” features for innovation management in 2024? Well, let’s put it this way: they have to elevate your existing toolkit, blending elements of fun and functionality in a way that transforms traditional processes. Taking inspiration from our biggest “Innovations & Improvements” updates over the past year (here and here), let’s explore the five essential features for innovation management in 2024, from the most engaging to the most impactful.

The Most Engaging: Avatar Mode

TL;DR: Boost inclusion and engagement by empowering contributors to participate under the guise of personalized AI-generated avatars. Also, here’s a real-world use case about it featuring Bayer.

Revamp your innovation strategy with Planbox’s Avatar Mode, enabling contributors to engage and innovate using anonymous personas. This feature fosters an immersive and dynamic environment, encouraging free-flowing creativity and participation from all levels, including top executives, without compromising anonymity. Ideal for various scenarios, it enhances team competitions, brainstorming sessions, and company-wide events, bridging the gap in remote team interactions and driving peak innovation engagement.

Read this case study to learn how Bayer leveraged Avatar Mode to propel cross-disciplinary engagement and fast-track the selection of 25 world-changing projects from months to weeks.

The Most Collaborative: Collaborative Canvas (duh!)

TL;DR: Explore new business opportunities with your team by capturing the key elements of an idea or concept in an easy-to-read, one-page format.

Transform brainstorming into an effortless and engaging experience with the updated Collaborative Canvas, enhanced with a fresh design and new features that elevate the business case development process, fostering seamless collaboration among team members:

• Enhanced Connectivity: Link your canvas or cards to existing ideas or challenges, ensuring alignment and clarity across your team.
• Flexible Viewing Options: Choose between classic canvas or list views for optimal readability and navigation, regardless of your project’s complexity.
• Customizable Design: Personalize your canvas with color changes for the background, columns, headers, and cards, aiding in organization and visual appeal.
• Template Reuse: Save successful custom canvases as templates, allowing you to replicate effective strategies easily.
• Collaborative Voting: Engage your team with voting on canvas cards, highlighting the most impactful ideas for progression.

The Most Innovative: AI Stream

TL;DR: Find inspiration for ideas and challenges with AI-curated content streams spanning private and public data sources.

AI Stream offers a personalized flow of AI-curated content, empowering contributors to transform emerging trends and weak signals into ideas or challenges by tapping into an array of public and private data sources, including Salesforce, Jira, ChatGPT, RSS feeds, Twitter, the US Patent Office, and your existing pool of ideas and support tickets. AI Stream also suggests captivating titles for your ideas or challenges, tailored to the content you choose, adding an extra layer of creativity and relevance to your initiatives.

The Most Practical: Challenge Gallery

TL;DR: Launch challenges in no time with an ever-growing gallery of ready-to-use, customizable templates.

Challenge Gallery provides an extensive collection of pre-designed and configurable templates, that streamline the launch of challenges for innovation advocates. This feature allows easy duplication of information, form fields, business rules, and workflows from previous challenges, saving time and ensuring consistency and best practices. Beyond its practicality, Challenge Gallery is a rich source of inspiration, empowering innovators to embark on innovation challenges they might not have previously envisioned, expanding the scope of their creative efforts.

The Most Impactful: Idea Seeding

TL;DR: Accelerate your challenges’ momentum by infusing them with AI-generated ideas.

Idea Seeding acts as a dynamic catalyst, simultaneously jumpstarting and accelerating the momentum of your challenges. Using essential information like your organization’s industry, website, Twitter handle, and challenge specifics, it crafts a stream of ideas uniquely suited to your objectives. From this curated selection, you choose the ideas that best resonate with your goals. Launch your challenge with these pre-populated, engaging ideas to immediately spark participation and brainstorming, setting the stage for rapid, collaborative innovation.

Wrapping Up

And there you have it, the five must-have features for innovation management in 2024. If they’re not part of your current toolkit, it might be time to reevaluate and consider if you’re maximizing every opportunity to make innovation both exciting and effective. Remember, while individual features may evolve, the foundation of a robust platform remains constant, and luckily for you, when it comes to must-have innovation software, the choice is clear and singular. (Hint:)

Lucas Potasso-Justino

Chief Editor for the Future-Fit Manifesto and Content Marketing Specialist at Planbox. I write stuff that inspires front-line innovators on their journey towards an impactful innovation program. Follow me on LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on Innovation Leader.

In the annals of technological evolution, we find ourselves at a juncture akin to the iconic 2001: A Space Odyssey. Just as the monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece symbolized a leap in human evolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a monumental force poised to reshape how we live, work, and interact with machines. 2024 beckons us to embark on our own odyssey, a transformative voyage into the heart of corporate innovation. As we peer into the abyss of AI’s limitless potential, we must equip ourselves not only with agility but with structured methodologies, visionary strategies, and a commitment to professional standards. Welcome to the machine, where the convergence of human ingenuity and AI promises to redefine the very essence of corporate innovation.

While agility has long been hailed as the answer to rapidly changing business landscapes, it’s time to recognize that being agile alone is no longer enough to navigate the challenges of the corporate innovation odyssey in 2024. In the past, agility served as a lifeline, allowing organizations to pivot quickly in response to unforeseen disruptions. However, the innovation environment has evolved to a point where agility must be coupled with structure and strategy. Simply being reactive and adaptable doesn’t provide the depth and foresight required to thrive in a world where the pace of change is ever-accelerating.

Reflecting on the Innovation Journey

As we embark on this corporate innovation odyssey, it is imperative to retrace our steps and contemplate where we’ve been and where we need to go. Traditionally, innovation has often been perceived as a chaotic realm, characterized by its lack of structure and recognition. It’s a realm where investments are challenging to account for, and the decision of which projects to fund or cut seems almost arbitrary.

In 2024, it’s time to redefine the role of innovation within organizations. No longer can it be an isolated entity; it must be intricately woven into the very fabric of the company’s strategy, vision, and policy.

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AI can be a powerful ally in our quest for corporate innovation excellence. Nevertheless, to harness these capabilities, we must lay a strong foundation of data for AI to work effectively.

Resources, Methodologies, and Approaches

It’s vital to ascertain whether we possess the right resources, software, methodologies, and approaches to propel us into the future. The emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has reshaped the innovation landscape. Unlike innovations of the past that took decades to mature, AI evolves at lightning speed, and it’s essential to integrate it seamlessly into our innovation practices.

AI can be a powerful ally in our quest for corporate innovation excellence. It can categorize ideas, summarize concepts, analyze sentiment, foster collaboration, and predict the success of ideas. Nevertheless, to harness these capabilities, we must lay a strong foundation of data for AI to work effectively.

The Right Metrics and Alignment

It is paramount to reevaluate our metrics and alignment. The conventional metrics often fall short in capturing the true impact of innovation. We must adapt our metrics to measure value generation, customer satisfaction, and long-term competitiveness accurately.

Furthermore, corporate innovation cannot be a solitary endeavor; it should be deeply entwined with the broader organizational priorities and initiatives. It’s time to move past viewing innovation as a side project and recognize it as a central driver of our business’s success.

Leaving Behind the Past

As we journey into 2024, it’s crucial to identify what we should leave behind in 2023. One aspect that should remain in the past is the perception of innovation as a chaotic, disjointed process. We must replace the era of ‘innovation as madness’ with a structured, purpose-driven approach.

Resolutions for 2024

What resolutions should innovation teams adopt in 2024? A significant resolution is the professionalization of innovation. Regrettably, innovation teams and programs often go unnoticed or underappreciated. However, ISO 56001 offers a framework to standardize and professionalize innovation practices. This framework rooted in the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle by Dr William Edwards Deming, empowers organizations to systematically measure and enhance their innovation endeavors. PDCA embodies the scientific method central to all ISO standards, offering the same rigor and reliability to the innovation standard as it does to those for quality, information security, environmental management, and occupational health and safety.

The seven elements of ISO 56001, which include Context of the Organization, Leadership, Planning, Support, Operation, Performance Evaluation, and Improvement, chart a course for building a disciplined and predictable innovation program.

Becoming Future-Fit

In the face of this disjointed and agile landscape, we must adopt a future-fit mindset that redefines the way we approach work. Future-fit organizations transcend the traditional Agile methodology by embracing a relentless focus on driving paradigm shifts, using principles as their guiding light to shape their world. Unlike the reactive nature of Agile, future-fit values encourage organizations to predict and adapt to change proactively. Forrester’s The State Of Future-Fit Technology Strategy, 2022 report found that companies with a future-fit tech strategy grew revenue 1.8 times faster than their peers. This approach enables them to anticipate the next evolution of innovation, moving beyond the constraints of the Agile Manifesto to navigate the ever-evolving landscape more effectively and with a broader perspective.

The AI Revolution

In 2024, the spotlight shines on the AI revolution. AI isn’t merely another verse in the innovation song; it’s the symphony of 2024. AI is not a fleeting trend but a transformative force that continually evolves at an astonishing pace. Innovators must recognize that AI isn’t a threat but a valuable tool to augment their work. 

As AI edges closer to surpassing human intelligence, innovation teams must lead with AI, integrating it comprehensively into every aspect of their work. AI’s ability to analyze vast datasets, identify patterns, and make predictions can be harnessed to prioritize ideas and allocate resources more effectively.

Navigating Corporate Innovation in 2024

In 2024, organizations must act decisively to thrive in an AI-driven corporate innovation landscape:

• AI Integration: Make AI an integral part of your innovation strategy.
• Cross-Collaboration: Encourage interdisciplinary teamwork for creative breakthroughs.
• Professionalize Innovation: Certify and apply ISO 56001‘s PDCA framework.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage data and AI analytics, using ISO 56006 for best practices in data utilization.
• Future-Fit Culture: Cultivate adaptability and principled thinking.
• Continuous Learning: Invest in skills and foster a learning culture.
• Metrics Realignment: Ensure metrics align with strategic priorities.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate externally for fresh insights, following ISO 56003’s guidelines on partnership management.

These actions will guide organizations through their innovation journey with confidence and purpose.

The Road Ahead

As we embark on the corporate innovation odyssey in 2024, we must bid farewell to the disjointed, chaotic approach of the past and embrace a structured, data-driven future. Organizations must recognize the pivotal role of AI in their innovation endeavors and professionalize their programs using standards like ISO 56001.

Welcome to the machine, where innovation is structured, data-driven, and poised to lead us into a new era of possibilities. To paraphrase “2001: A Space Odyssey”, as we navigate this ever-evolving landscape, our future truly lies in our own hands. By aligning our innovation agenda with strategic priorities, integrating AI seamlessly, and adhering to professional standards, we can ensure that innovation remains the cornerstone of our future success.

Ludwig Melik

CEO at Planbox and author of the Future-Fit Manifesto. I help organizations build a sustainable culture of innovation. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.

In an era where ideas are currency, innovation has never been more crucial. Innovation is the cornerstone of progress, fueling growth and driving competitiveness in today’s dynamic business landscape. To harness the power of innovation effectively, organizations must navigate the intricate world of intellectual property (IP) management, a process that involves safeguarding novel ideas, inventions and creations while optimizing business potential. Recognizing the critical role of IP management, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed ISO 56005, a comprehensive framework to guide organizations on this journey.

1. Understand The Organizational Landscape

A fundamental step in effective IP management is understanding the organization’s context. ISO 56005 emphasizes analyzing both internal and external factors that influence IP management objectives. This entails scanning the external environment for market, technological, legal and political aspects. It’s equally crucial to comprehend internal dynamics such as business strategies and the types of IP assets in the organization’s portfolio. This understanding sets the stage for aligning IP strategies with broader organizational objectives.

2. Develop a Systematic IP Management Approach

IP management isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor; rather, it’s a tailored approach that integrates activities, processes and support to optimize IP assets. ISO 56005 underscores the decision-making process of whether to protect innovation outcomes or choose suitable IP protection forms. This decision involves considering copyright, trade secrets, trademarks and other forms of protection. Moreover, managing IP effectively requires addressing both the positive and negative aspects of intellectual property rights, a key consideration highlighted by ISO 56005.

3. Engage Leadership in IP Management

Effective IP management necessitates top management’s leadership and commitment. This involves establishing IP policies, strategies and objectives aligned with innovation strategies. Top management’s involvement ensures that IP management becomes seamlessly integrated into innovation processes. Resources allocation, communication of IP’s importance and fostering continual improvement all contribute to effective IP management. ISO 56005 emphasizes that leadership’s engagement is pivotal to achieving desired IP outcomes.

4. Define Roles and Responsibilities

A well-defined allocation of roles and responsibilities is a cornerstone of successful IP management. This includes the activities that should be clearly identified, documented and shared across the organization. Whether integrated into existing roles or established as dedicated positions, IP management responsibilities cover various aspects, including IP asset management, risk mitigation and value realization. Ensuring clarity in responsibilities fosters a more cohesive and efficient IP management process.

5. Foster An IP-Savvy Organizational Culture

An organization’s culture of innovation plays a vital role in effective IP management. ISO 56005 highlights the importance of creating an environment that promotes IP awareness and participation across all levels. Obtaining oversight from top management, providing IP awareness training and empowering employees to contribute to IP management collectively create an enabling work environment. This culture fosters the integration of IP considerations into daily operations, enhancing the overall IP management process.

6. Invest Human Capital for IP Success

IP management requires competent individuals who understand its intricacies. It is essential to identify the necessary competencies, provide education and training, and assess changing requirements. The involvement of multidisciplinary expertise, both internal and external, is crucial for successful IP management. By nurturing knowledgeable professionals, organizations can ensure that IP assets are effectively managed and leveraged.

7. Treat IP As An Investment

IP management isn’t just a protective measure; it’s an investment that yields returns. ISO 56005 emphasizes recognizing the financial implications of IP management. Proper allocation of financial resources, understanding financial opportunities and constraints, and establishing investing principles are integral to optimizing the IP management process. By viewing IP management as a strategic investment, organizations can unlock its potential to drive business growth.

8. Navigate Legal Considerations Effectively

Navigating the legal landscape is crucial for IP management. ISO 56005 stresses the need to understand the legal nuances tied to IP, support legal activities during innovation, tackle legal challenges and keep comprehensive records of IP and innovation. This ensures compliance, protects against third-party IP risks and understands the duration of IP protection.

9. Design An Effective IP Strategy

An effective IP strategy is the cornerstone of successful IP management. ISO 56005 underscores the importance of aligning IP strategy with innovation and business strategies. By integrating IP management goals with broader organizational objectives, organizations can safeguard innovation assets, optimize their business potential and enhance overall competitiveness. Developing and implementing a robust IP strategy is key to reaping the rewards of innovation.

10. Integrate IP Management In The Innovation Process

The iterative and non-linear nature of innovation requires seamless integration with IP management. ISO 56005 aligns with this concept by highlighting the role of IP management in each phase of the innovation process. From identifying opportunities and creating concepts to validating and developing solutions, IP management ensures that innovation outcomes are effectively protected and leveraged. This integration optimizes the efficiency of innovation while safeguarding IP assets.

Ultimately, ISO 56005 provides organizations with a comprehensive roadmap to navigate the multifaceted world of IP management. By understanding the organizational landscape, fostering a culture of IP awareness and seamlessly integrating IP management with the innovation process, companies can safeguard and optimize their innovation outcomes. In a rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead means not just innovating but also effectively managing and protecting those innovations. As organizations embrace ISO 56005, they’re not just guarding their IP but ensuring a brighter, more competitive future. Now is the time to elevate your innovation game and strategically manage your IP.

Ludwig Melik

CEO at Planbox and author of the Future-Fit Manifesto. I help organizations build a sustainable culture of innovation. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Welcome to our special gobble-bloggle where innovation results meet gratitude!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, a time when we reflect on the bounties and blessings of the year, we turn our spotlight to ICON, Bayer, Bobcat, CAE, MOH, and Electrolux Professional—trailblazers that have not only pushed the boundaries of innovation, but have also embraced a sense of gratitude for every challenge and triumph along the way.

With that in mind, join us as we raise a toast to the thinkers, the doers, and the innovators who remind us that innovation truly is the gift that keeps on… thanks-giving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lucas Potasso-Justino

Chief Editor for the Future-Fit Manifesto and Content Marketing Specialist at Planbox. I write stuff that inspires front-line innovators on their journey towards an impactful innovation program. Follow me on LinkedIn.

Unifying the PMO and Innovation Team through ISO 56001 to Move the Business Forward.

The business universe is ever-expanding, and any organization not moving forward risks being sucked into the black hole of stagnation. Oh, the horror! Indeed, in this age of relentless change, the last thing any enterprise wants is a free-falling portfolio of innovative projects. Yet, there’s a problem of cosmic proportions in the world of PMO (Project Management Office), as evidenced by the distress signal sent from the CHAOS Report of The Standish Group:

• Only 29% of projects touch down successfully—on time, within budget, and with satisfying outcomes.
• 52% of projects veer off course—either going over budget, missing deadlines, or not meeting the set expectations.
• And, 19% crash land—either abandoned halfway or completed but left unused.

That’s concerning. And it gets worse! Another study by PMI unveils that poor project management leads to a staggering $97 million wastage per $1 billion invested. That’s a frightening 9.7% loss. Yikes! What in the world is going on?! Well, in the vast expanse of the PMO, it has become clear that organizational fine-tuning, enhanced budgeting, and alignment with the business strategy are mission-critical.

Perhaps, then, it’s time for an interstellar solution.

Close Encounters of the Innovation Kind

As the PMO stays focused on the set objectives, ensuring projects don’t drift off course, the Innovation Team pushes boundaries, challenging the status quo, reinventing strategies, and boldly going where no team has gone before. Their skill set? Not just managing, but mastering the art and science of innovation, effectively ensuring a continuous and cost-effective approach to value creation and realization.

Specifically, here are four ways in which innovation management enhances the PMO’s capabilities:

1. Systematic Ideation and Evaluation: It provides a structured approach for generating, evaluating, and implementing ideas, ensuring projects align with organizational goals.
2. Enhanced Resource Forecasting: It emphasizes data-driven decision-making, enabling the PMO to forecast resource needs, minimizing budget overruns.
3. Adaptive Methodologies: It introduces early-stage project prioritization, ranking, and vetting, facilitating adaptability and minimizing project failure risks.
4. Stakeholder Collaboration Platforms: It offers tools that enhance collaboration and improve stakeholder communication and decision-making, crucial for project success.

Given this emphasis on innovation, the findings from Boston Consulting Group’s Most Innovative Companies 2023 report come as no surprise: this year, two-thirds of companies ranked innovation as their number one priority. What’s more, 90% anticipate ramping up their innovation budgets, with nearly all increasing by more than 10%!

Now, this begs the question: what if the PMO and the Innovation Team were not extraterrestrial to one another? Imagine, if you will, if these two teams collaborated, all while embracing a universal blueprint like ISO 56001. The result? An astronomical force for strategic and boundless innovation.

The PMO’s Guide to ISO 56001

ISO 56001, the standard for innovation management systems, isn’t merely a shiny badge of honor. Think of it as a set of practices ingraining innovation deep within the fabric of the organization. By embracing ISO 56001, PMOs are not only transcending agility but also professionalizing innovation. 

This act of formalizing and streamlining innovative processes lay the groundwork for a future-fit innovation portfolio, ensuring the enterprise sails smoothly through cosmic winds and is ever ready to explore new frontiers. In fact, according to Forrester, organizations with a future-fit strategy—one underpinned by systematic innovation—grew revenue 1.8 times faster than their counterparts.

It’s worth noting that, as of writing this, ISO 56001 is still awaiting its official release in 2024. However, this delay shouldn’t deter you from getting ahead. Organizations can begin their journey with ISO 56002, the foundational guide for innovation management systems. 

The War of the Mandates

Every initiative faces challenges, and adopting ISO 56001 is no exception—it’s like navigating through an asteroid belt: demanding, complex, and resource-heavy. Ensuring success requires organizations to select the right team for the job.

For instance, the IT department typically leads the implementation of ISO 27001, a standard for information security management systems (ISMS), while manufacturing departments often handle ISO 9001, a standard for quality management systems (QMS).

Conversely, the leadership for ISO 56001 isn’t as clear-cut. Departments such as IT, operations, manufacturing, and R&D, among others, play crucial roles in an organization, yet they might lack the expertise in innovation management to effectively helm the ISO 56001 initiative. The pressing question then becomes: who should take the lead?

Short answer: PMO and the Innovation Team!

It Came from Innovation Management

ISO 56001 orbits around innovation management, so it’s a no-brainer that the Innovation Team would be necessary for its successful deployment. But beyond processes, it’s the team itself that sets the tone, making the difference between mere adoption and transformative implementation. Here are the critical roles that the Innovation Team undertake:

• Performance Oversight: Oversees the innovation system’s performance and ensures regular evaluations.
• Cultural Development: Fosters a culture that supports innovation and creates awareness of its importance.
• Visionary Alignment: Sets a clear innovation vision, strategy, and policy in alignment with the organization’s goals.
• Resource Allocation: Provides the necessary resources and structures for the effective execution of the innovation system.
• Value Advocacy: Advocates for the realization of value through risk management and experimentation.
• Ethical Commitment: Maintains a commitment to ethics, sustainability, and continuous improvement in the innovation policy.

ISO 56001: A PMO Odyssey

While we’ve delved into the role of the Innovation Team, what then is the function of the PMO within this framework? Well, the PMO stands as the trusted captain, navigating the organization through the nebulous realms of innovation using ISO 56001. In this capacity, the PMO’s responsibilities encompass:

• Consistency and Compliance: Ensures innovation management processes align with ISO 56001 standards throughout the organization.
• Progress Reporting: Establishes a system to track progress towards ISO 56001 certification, identifies areas for improvement, and monitors the Innovation Team’s performance.
• Innovation Management Charter: Collaborates with the Innovation Team to outline the organization’s innovation goals, processes, and procedures, serving as a roadmap for ISO 56001 certification.
• Innovation Hub: Facilitates the establishment of an Innovation Center of Excellence that:
  • Provides resources and support for innovation.
  • Serves as a central platform for sharing best practices and knowledge on innovation management.
  • Ensures alignment with the organization’s innovation objectives.

When Teams Collide

So, picture this: the PMO and the Innovation Team hopping into a cosmic cruiser, co-piloting the organization towards ISO 56001. By joining forces, they’re not just ensuring a smooth ride but also aligning the enterprise’s trajectory with its big-picture goals. That means innovative efforts get a major boost, making an impact where it counts the most. The PMO’s knack for juggling projects becomes a superpower when combined with the Innovation Team’s pioneering expertise, leading to better risk management and more successful outcomes.

It gets better, though: this collaborative partnership ensures innovation isn’t just a department thing—it becomes an organization-wide ethos. Everyone, from the front desk to the top floor, gets in on the act, adding their own creativity to the mix. This not only fosters a sense of unity and engagement; it boosts coordination, drives efficiency, and makes sure every resource is put to its best use.

The best part? With this power duo at the helm, a culture of innovation isn’t just about coming up with innovative projects; it’s about staying ahead in a cutthroat galaxy where everyone’s racing to be number one. All said and done, when these teams collide, they don’t just float—they soar, ensuring the enterprise rides the wave of change, rather than getting swallowed by it.

Lucas Potasso-Justino

Chief Editor for the Future-Fit Manifesto and Content Marketing Specialist at Planbox. I write stuff that inspires front-line innovators on their journey towards an impactful innovation program. Follow me on LinkedIn.