Level One - Innovation Management Proficient

The organization’s innovation strategy is not strong or effective

Level 1 Basic:
The organization has a vague or generic innovation purpose and considers innovation important, but does not link innovation to strategic objectives or customer needs. There is a broad vision, mission, or goal for innovation, but it lacks specificity and measurability. Some alignment and coordination exists among innovation initiatives, but is inconsistent. The organization's focus area for innovation is also vague and lacks substantial value propositions for customers or stakeholders. The organization lacks market understanding and views innovation as a reactive and incremental activity. The organization has a basic innovation pipeline or portfolio that provides some visibility but lacks regular updates, criteria, metrics, and alignment with strategic objectives or customer needs. Innovation is seen as an important but static activity.

1.1. Purpose

1.2. Focus

1.3. Pipeline

Basic Purpose: The organization has a vague or generic innovation purpose or reason. Innovation is defined and considered important by the business unit or function, but it is not linked to the strategic objectives or customer needs. There is a broad vision, mission, or goal for innovation, but it is not specific or measurable. There is some alignment or coordination among different innovation initiatives or projects, but they are not consistent or integrated. Innovation is seen as a desirable and expected activity.

Basic Focus: The organization has a vague or generic focus area for innovation, such as increasing revenue, reducing costs, improving quality, etc. However, this focus area does not yield substantial new business opportunities or value propositions for the customers or stakeholders. The organization lacks a deep understanding of the market needs, trends, and opportunities. Innovation is seen as a reactive and incremental activity.

Basic Pipeline/Portfolio: The organization has a basic innovation pipeline or portfolio. All innovation initiatives and projects are in a centralized list that provides some visibility and oversight of the innovation activities and outcomes. However, this list is not updated or reviewed regularly. It does not include any criteria or metrics to evaluate or prioritize the innovation projects or initiatives. It does not reflect the strategic objectives or customer needs. Innovation is seen as a static and generic activity.

The innovation capacity of this organization is low

Level 1 Basic:
The organization has a vague and underdeveloped process for driving ideas to commercialization. This process encompasses idea generation and market validation but lacks clear documentation, wide adoption, and adequate tools and resources. Some innovation teams consist of cross-functional members and maintain external relationships, but they lack integration and optimization. There is limited alignment and coordination with external entities and stakeholders. The organization possesses a nominal budget and some resources for innovation activities, but they are insufficient, inconsistent, and inequitably allocated. Innovation is viewed as a discretionary activity rather than a priority.

2.1. Process

2.2. People, Teams, and Resources

2.3. Resources

Basic Process: The organization has a vague process to drive ideas to commercialization that at the very least includes idea generation and market validation. However, this process is not well-defined or documented. It is not widely adopted or followed by different functions or departments. It is not supported by adequate tools or resources. Innovation is seen as a linear and sequential process.

Basic Teaming and Partnering: Some innovation teams are comprised of cross-functional members and maintain contract relationships with external entities at arm’s length. There is some diversity or complementarity of skills, knowledge, or perspectives in the teams, but they are not well integrated or leveraged. There is some interaction or engagement with external entities or stakeholders, but they are not well aligned or coordinated. Innovation is seen as a transactional and contractual activity.

Basic Resources: The organization has a nominal budget and some resources for certain innovation activities and projects. However, these resources are not sufficient or adequate to meet the innovation needs or goals. They are not consistent or predictable. They are not allocated or distributed in a transparent or fair way. Innovation is seen as a nice-to-have activity.

The organization is not committed to achieving innovation results

Level 1 Basic:
The organization exhibits limited commitment to innovation, with only a few roles and responsibilities dedicated to innovation. These individuals lack authority, influence, and support from leadership. There is a lack of alignment and coordination among different innovation initiatives, resulting in sporadic and ad hoc activities that are not aligned with strategic objectives or customer needs. Innovation is perceived as appealing but not necessary, with scattered small projects driven by individual passion. These projects have great potential but lack sufficient support and resources. The organization has some metrics to measure innovation activities and outputs, but they are not aligned, consistent, or effectively communicated.

3.1. Leadership

3.2. Behaviors

3.3. Metrics

Individual Commitment: Some individuals in the organization are committed to innovation and have some roles and responsibilities related to it. However, they have limited authority, influence, and support from the leadership. There is no alignment or coordination among different innovation initiatives or projects. The organization has some sporadic and ad hoc innovation activities, but they are not aligned with the strategic objectives or customer needs. Innovation is seen as an extra activity, not a necessity.

Individual Culture: There are a few small innovation projects and teams scattered across the organization. They are driven by individual passion and motivation, but they have limited support and resources from the leadership. They face many barriers and obstacles to implement their ideas or scale their solutions. There is no common language or framework for innovation. Innovation is seen as an extra activity or a hobby.

Basic Measurement: The organization has some metrics to measure innovation activities and outputs, such as the number of ideas generated, the number of projects launched, the number of patents filed, etc. However, these metrics are not aligned with the strategic objectives or customer needs. They are not consistent or comparable across different functions or departments. They are not communicated or reported to the relevant stakeholders. Innovation is seen as an activity or an output.

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