Background

I created this document to explain my approach to managing innovation within the Research & Development teams I have lead. “Managing Innovation” might seem like an impossible task, and it probably is if you approach it as you would any large-scale development effort. However, I believe that you can put a framework in place that drives useful (not necessarily successful) outcomes, measures ROI, and promotes adoption.

This documentation was influenced by the business environment in which it was created. For example, you will not find references to “spinning out new ventures” at the Product stage, or “working with Incubators” in the Analysis or Pilot stages. These actions were not an organizational priority at the time. However, I strongly believe the framework can easily accommodate new touch-points and extensions and provide useful guidance to any R&D function within IT.