Process for Managing Innovation

Process for Managing Innovation

The Most Suitable Process for Managing Innovation in a Changing External Environment.

Stage-gate

The stage-gate process breaks down large projects into several stages divided by gates. Based on the information and prognosis available, decisions are made at each location to determine whether to move to the next step (Ajam, 2018). The project may also be killed, recycled, or put on hold. Killing the project is considered when it is not good enough for further development, and it is best to shut it down immediately. Contrastingly, the project may be put on hold if it is not good enough to be developed but not so bad to be shut down before another trial. On the other hand, recycling occurs when changes are made to avoid shutting down a project if it is not good enough for further development.

Agile

The agile process is iterative and prioritizes customer satisfaction and their direct involvement in software evaluation. The process follows the software development cycle that gathers requirements, designs, analyzes, codes, tests, and delivers a partly implemented software to get customer feedback (Abdel-Hamid & Abdel-Kader, 2011). The process involves decomposing the system into modules and adding new features through iterations.

Learn

The process is defined as an improvement approach that focuses on eliminating waste. It includes five stages, also called principles (Ward & II, 2014). The first stage is the precise product evaluation or valuation from the customer’s perceptions. The subsequent second stage involves identifying the product’s value stream. They were followed by the third stage, which is making uninterrupted changes in value. Further, the fourth stage enables customers to stretch upstream activities’ worth, and the fifth stage is about pursuing perfection.

Discover-iterate-pivot

Discovering includes identifying changes that need to be done to a product or finding a new product. Iteration includes making a small change to a business, product, or service, allowing value addition within a short time. Every iteration is checked and tested before and after development to ensure that the aim of the iteration meets market needs. Pivot includes completely changing the product or service and can occur at any stage in the product life cycle.

The Rationale for My Recommendation.

The Advantage of My Chosen Process Over Others.

I would recommend using the stage-gate process because it prevents wasting resources on ideas that do not have a future. Dividing the innovation process into different stages and ensuring that the project team completes one step before moving to the next helps detect problems and review the real potential of innovation before it is fully implemented. In addition, the stage-gate process also helps determine the feasibility of innovation by examining the potential for obsolescence of the invention being pursued, money that has already been spent on the project changes in market conditions, and resources that will be required in the future. Therefore, the innovation can be killed, put on hold, recycled, or promoted based on the feasibility study results.

How can it address the changing external environment?

The stage-gate process can address the changing external market by helping the project team effectively implement innovation. For instance, the invention may be killed if there is a decline in the demand for the product being produced. Subsequently, the creation can also be put on hold until the market for the product increases. Furthermore, the project team may introduce new features if many companies produce a similar product.

Recommendations for Ensuring Cross-Functional Team Effectiveness in the Chosen Process.

Measuring Team Success at Each Stage of a Project

One of the strategies that I would use to measure the team’s success at every project stage is reviewing project specifications. I would focus on reviewing whether the location has met all project specifications, such as deadlines, budget, and the use of resources. Accordingly, the site can succeed if it meets all project specifications. The second strategy is reviewing the feedback from stakeholders. Positive feedback indicates the stage was completed successfully, giving the green light to move to the next step.

Reviewing and Implementing Changes Coming Out of Success Measurements

I would review the changes from success measurements through customer feedback. I would use focus groups, surveys, assessments, and benchmarking techniques to identify and measure acceptance and satisfaction. Subsequently, I would use the data collected to determine whether any changes need to be made. The next step would be to implement changes by using available resources to make the necessary improvements to improve customer acceptance and satisfaction.

Determining When the Project is Finished

Reviewing the project schedule is the most effective way of determining whether the project is complete. An entire program indicates that all tasks are 100% complete based on whether the functions were effectively completed.

 Plan for Addressing the Concerns of the Key Stakeholders

Key Stakeholders Who Will Use the Report in The Organization.

One of the key stakeholders who will use the report is the head of research and development. The increasing competition in the automotive industry is pushing car manufacturers to look for innovative ideas to improve the quality of their vehicles and gain a large customer base. Therefore, our report is an excellent resource to gain insight into implementing innovation in car manufacturing and the most effective innovative approach. The marketing team will also use the report to create a pitch based on how the invention benefits car users.

Concerns They May Have About Processes for Managing Innovation.

The main concerns stakeholders may have about processes for managing innovation are the lack of resources to move to the next stage and delays from spending too much time on one step to ensure it is completed successfully.

Explanation of the Concerns.

Stakeholders may be worried that one stage may use many resources, resulting in the shortage of resources required to complete other locations in the stage-gate process. The concern may be that the project team must do everything possible to meet in one place because they cannot move to the next stage before closing the initial one. Stakeholders may also be concerned that the project may be delayed, especially if one step takes up much time.

References

Abdel-Hamid, A. N., & Abdel-Kader, M. A. (2011). Process increments: An Agile approach to software process improvement. 2011 AGILE Conference. https://doi.org/10.1109/agile.2011.26

Ajam, M. A. (2018). A vital concept: The stage gate process. Project Management Beyond Waterfall and Agile, 67-72. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315202075-12

Ward, A. C., & II, D. K. (2014). Lean product and process development (2nd ed.). Lean Enterprise Institute.

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As a middle manager, you have already recommended an innovation option (incremental or discontinuous) to the organization from the course scenario. However, one of the organization’s critical luxury-market competitors in passenger vehicles recently launched a fully autonomous luxury sedan prototype. It has announced its plans to bring the model to market within two years. The organization wants to prepare for the challenge.

You have been tasked with creating a report recommending the most suitable process for managing innovation in a changing external environment (for example, a key competitor coming up with a new product). You will also recommend how cross-functional teams can work effectively within the process. Lastly, you will address the critical stakeholders’ concerns about introducing innovation management processes in a changing environment.

Prompt

Based on this scenario, create a process recommendation report. Remember to tailor the information for the target audience of your stakeholders. Your report should include the following points:

1. Identify the most suitable process for managing innovation in a changing external environment. It would be best if you considered the following processes and briefly describe all four processes before you offer your recommendation:

• • Stage-gate
  • Agile
  • Learn
  • Discover-iterate-pivot

1. Explain your rationale for your recommendation.

• • Describe the advantage of your chosen process over others.
  • Explain how it can address the changing external environment.

1. Explain recommendations for ensuring cross-functional team effectiveness in the chosen process.

• • How would you measure team success at each stage of a project?
  • How would you review and implement changes coming out of success measurements?
  • How do you know when you are done with the project?

1. Describe your plan for addressing the concerns of your key stakeholders. Select two departments whose directors will be your audience: research and development (R&D), finance, human resources (HR), or marketing.

• • Identify key stakeholders who will use the report in your organization.
  • List at least two concerns they may have about processes for managing innovation.
  • Explain your response to their concerns.