Creativity and Innovation Management : Why Products Fail!

There is no sure fire route to commercial success but the probability of success can be increased. This is important for at least two reasons:

a) Resource Management. The Economist (2003) states that 3000 bright ideas result in 100 worthwhile projects, which are winnowed down to four development programmes. And four such development programmes are required to stand any chance of getting one winner.

b) Time Management. Whilst it is often the case that sufficient time is not taken to develop a product fully, there is always time to go back and fix mistakes. The cost of product re-engineering varies from the low to high billions.

There are a number of techniques that allow better problem identification and idea generation (creativity) and better idea selection, development and commercialisation (innovation).

Innovation strategies include:

a) Valuing ideas according to their type. Random ideas and those resulting from solution spotting have the highest success rates.

b) Measuring strategic, technical and competency fits with the organisation.

c) Measurement of ideas according to their impediments. A new type of cell phone will be infinitely easier to produce than a time machine. The Internet has a far lower take up in Africa than in Europe because of infrastructure deficiencies.

d) Carefully selecting what criteria is used to allow or disallow an idea at various stages of the development pipeline. Not allowing an idea (or releasing it too early) may not give that idea a chance to blossom. However, keeping it in the pipeline takes away valuable resources that may allow another idea to bloom.

e) Adequate consumer benefit analysis. Many ideas are simply developed before focused, practical and appropriate end-user needs are thought through.

These and other topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop MBA, is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Creativity Information:

Related Articles

How To Let The Subconscious Mind Do The Creative Work
From time immemorial mankind has wished for an Aladin's lamp, which would make wisheds come true.The closest thing to this magic lamp is the subconscious mind.
The 7 Simple Steps To Harnessing Your Creative Power And Achieving Incredible Success
Let me repeat what I believe is the most powerful andfundamental knowledge available to man:"YOU CAN CREATE ANY ACTUAL PHYSICAL REALITY YOU WANT THROUGH THE INTENSE DESIRE, BELIEF AND PERSISTENCE OF YOUR MIND"Your desire for success brought this knowledge to you atthis very moment, there is no doubt of that. But do youknow how to harness it? To wield the power it makesavailable?Every great man and woman to ever walk the Earth harnessedthis knowledge and wielded a power that allowed them toexceed the limitations of regular humanity.
True Power: Understanding the Source of All Creation and Creativity
"True Power" is a series that will focus on proven techniques to accomplish any goal. Each exercise is designed to enlarge your ability to believe what you want is possible and will actually happen.
Creative Memory Tricks
What's the biggest problem with memory tricks? Remembering to use them, of course. There are many memory techniques that work well, but you'll forget them when you need them most - unless you make using them a habit.
The Optimal Mind State
Let's begin by defining the optimal mind state and the power it will give you to channel your energy toward your desired outcome. The optimal mind state is a quality of attention that leads to the highest level of concentration.
Creativity Management - Intellectual Cross Pollination
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are other useful definitions in this field, for example, creativity can be defined as consisting of a number of ideas, a number of diverse ideas and a number of novel ideas.
Attraction: What We Attract With Our Creative Choices
I used to be a jazz singer. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, they were wonderful and I strived to sing like they did.
How to Make Time for Art
The key to making time for art is the ability to say "NO".If you say "yes" to everything that is asked of you, you will not have time to be creative.
Connect With Your Creative Dream
We get so busy in our day-to-day life, with all the doing and actions and daily chores, that we can quickly lose sight of the BIG PICTURE. What's it all for? What are you working towards?If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there?Taking the time to connect with your creative dream allows you to visit (and then revisit) the big picture.
Art, Artists and Vocation
"If you really want to upset your parents?go into the arts!"-Kurt VonnegutHow many times have people been told that "You can't make it as an artist."How many times when you've told someone that you are studying theater, dance, the visual arts, do people look at you and cringe; feel sorry for you, and feel that you and your family have wasted a great deal of money, and that you have wasted years of your life.
How to Generate Ideas for Info-products?
Dear friends the current study shows that there are morethan 50,000,000 registered domain names on the Internet(approx.)(Reference http://www.
Get Creativity?
Creativity is central to the management of our individual lives, but in modern times few people are able to access this as a resource. Alan Watts writes in The Wisdom of Insecurity:"We have allowed brain thinking to develop and dominate our lives out of all proportion to 'instinctual wisdom'; which we are allowing to slump into atrophy.
I Want To Create...
What would you like to create? A peaceful life, a successful life, a good life, a sculpture, a piece of art, a book? What is it that you would like to create? Whatever you want you can achieve it. All you have to do is follow your natural compass.
Mindfulness and Independence: Observing Fireworks
"It's a free country," they say. "Celebrate our independence," I hear.
7 Techniques to Supercharge your Creativity and Solve your Problems
Do you ever encounter problems, challenges or obstacles in your business? If you answered 'no,' then you can stop reading and continue to rake in the fortune you must be making. For the rest of us, the answer of course is 'yes.
Why Teach Thinking? Why Not ?
The word 'creativity' has so many diverse meanings and interpretations. I remember telling an audience of teachers that creating a mess is also creative as long as new things and views are being conjured up.
Creative Drought
For the past several hours, I've struggled with this week's message, the words, "what will I write?" screaming in my ears. I've felt like the princess who promises her first born child to the little man named "Rumplestiltskin" if only he will spin straw into gold.
How To Discover Hidden Talents Within You And Begin Appyling Them In Your Life Now
Have you decided it may be time to start creating some newexcitement in your life? If you are now retired, soon to be retired, or just now reaching those "golden years" do you feel your life has become a little dull? Uneventful? Maybe even a little discouraging?After all, when you reach this period in your life, yourroutine may have changed, your energy may have dwindled and even your drive may have simply slowed down a bit. So if you are not happy with this situation what do you do about it? Well here's something to think about that could just change the whole picture.
Creativity: Getting Out of the Box
Leadership, especially in times of change, depends increasingly on the ability of managers, professionals and even front line workers to think and do things differently. In other words, to get out of the box!So, how do we get out of the box especially when most people are comfortable staying with the tried and true rather than exploring and championing new ideas? Here are tips to jolt your mind and start thinking more creatively.
Think Orange! Creativity and the Sacral Chakra
Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just flick a switch and turn on your creativity? Sadly, at times, tapping into your creativity can feel like trying to squeeze water from a stone. The good news is, there are ways of encouraging creativity and one of these ways is through balancing your sacral chakra.
>