Innovation

The term “innovation” refers to making meaningful change to improve products, programs, services, processes, or organizational effectiveness, and to create new value for stakeholders. Innovation involves the adoption of an idea, process, technology, or product that is either new or new to its proposed application.

Successful organizational innovation is a multi-step process that involves development and knowledge sharing, a decision to implement, implementation, evaluation, and learning. Although innovation is often associated with technological innovation, it is applicable to all key organizational processes that would benefit from change, whether through breakthrough improvement or change in approach or outputs. It could include fundamental changes in organizational structure to more effectively accomplish the organization’s work.

See also: Managing for Innovation (Core Value)

Observation:   Some organizations that are considered as advanced in the use of innovation would strongly disagree with the Baldrige definition that “adoption” of existing ideas, processes, technologies, or products" represents true innovation. They exclude borrowing and sharing as actual innovation and believe it detracts from the emphasis on achieving true innovation. In Singapore they have created a separate award for innovation. You can learn more by visiting our friends at Singapore's national quality award - SPRING (Standards, Productivity, and Innovation Board) www.spring.gov.sg