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Depending on the nature of the company or organization, innovation can take many forms, ranging range marketing to technology to leadership to corporate training. Some companies such as Intel and Volvo have separate IT innovation organizations. They are responsible for coming up with tools, technologies, product and services, or improve processes to help the business either improve productivity or increase revenue. At other companies such as GTECH innovative is the norm and rooted deeply in the culture. Employees at all levels are encouraged and rewarded for coming up with innovations that will help the company run better. Some companies such as AlliedBarton Security Services have had innovations in a specific area such as corporate training.  So where does innovation rank in your organization? Do you have a separate IT innovation group?  Please let us know.

 

Elizabeth M. Ferrarini

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Jan 6, 2010 5:39 AM elizabeth ferrarini    says:
1.     As a consultant, I have worked with many Japanese and American companies. Some companies, as you pointed out, have the built-in culture of encouraging everyone to "own" their areas of expertise, and share their innovative ideas both up and down stream of the organization. It also helps to have rewards and employee recognition programs in place to encourage everyone to be thinking about innovative ideas. Engineers and managers are not the only ones that can contribute to innovation. For example, accounting team can contribute by thinking creatively how to reduce the number of days outstanding for their receivables by re-engineering their billing practice. Innovation, I believe, is better delivered and realized from the bottom up, rather than top down. You cannot mandate innovation. The people dealing with the production, service, quality, etc, on daily basis are the ones that opt to come up with simpler, but more innovative approaches. The company top management, however, can infuse the culture of innovation by making it a priority.   To get back to Elizabeth's original questions - where does it reside? I believe it should reside at all levels, and should not be the bastion of separate "innovation group." Where does it rank? I believe it should be high, or very high in any organizations. In the days of hyper competitiveness, no entities can stand still - you must innovate to grow, or even survive. The history is full of examples that reward innovations and punish those who do not.  Posted 1 day ago | Reply Privately  1.       T. J. Saotome  Board Director at Audubon Society of Rhode Island See all T. J.’s activity »  Stop following Follow T. J.

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