The 6 success patterns of innovation management

As consultants with extensive experience in innovation management, our customers often ask us what the key points are, that ultimately enable a company to innovate successfully. There is an answer to this question; however, it is always highly dependent upon a company’s current situation. For example, the role of innovation is different in a company that is growing fast in comparison to a company that is un­ dergoing restructuring or is dealing with a massive decline in sales. In the first case, innovation is “nice to have,” while in the second case, innovation is considered a “salvation.” At the same time, the measures to increase innovative strength are also highly dependent upon the existing organizational structure and the mechanics of each respective company. A company that has a strong focus on marke­ ting requires other approaches to increase its innovative strength, in comparison to a company that has a strong focus on technological research. Given all of these obvious differences among companies, there are still six success patterns in innovation management that are independent of industry, company situation and structure. We have identified these recurring success patterns through our numerous, innovation­ oriented customer projects over the past few years and we have compiled them here for you.