Open Innovation has become a well-established practice within strategic technology management.Once the decision has been made to engage with external partners, particularly in relationships that are not simply arms-length acquisition transactions (you sell, we buy), achieving excellence in open innovation requires specific organizational characteristics and inter-organizational behaviors. Some of these key characteristics and behaviors are summarized in the following "The Seven C's of Open Innovation Excellence"...

1. THE SEVEN C’S
OF OPEN
INNOVATION
EXCELLENCE

2. OPEN
INNOVATION
IS BOTH A
PHILOSOPHY
AND A
PRACTICE.
It involves reinventing R&D by
building a portfolio of
relationships and networks that
provide access to technology,
meet technology needs, and
capture related opportunities.
Practicing open innovation for
business advantage is classic
strategic technology
management.

3. THE BUSINESS
DECISION TO
PRACTICE
OPEN
INNOVATION
OBVIOUSLY
AND
PROMINENTLY
HAS A
TECHNOLOGY
COMPONENT:
DO WE OR DON’T WE
EXPAND OUR
POTENTIAL SOURCES
OF TECHNOLOGIES
AND RELATED
CAPABILITIES
BEYOND THE WALLS
OF OUR OWN R&D?

4. ONCE THE
DECISION
HAS BEEN
MADE
TO ENGAGE
WITH
EXTERNAL
PARTNERS,
particularly in relationships
that are not simply arms-
length acquisition
transactions (you sell, we
buy), achieving excellence in
open innovation requires
(repeat: requires) other
organizational characteristics
and inter-organizational
behaviors.

5. SOME OF THESE KEY
CHARACTERISTICS
AND BEHAVIORS
ARE SUMMARIZED
IN THE FOLLOWING:
SEVEN C’S
OF OPEN
INNOVATION
EXCELLENCE:

6. COMPATIBILITY OF
INTER-ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS
1
ESTABLISH A SHARED UNDERSTANDING
AND COMMITMENT WITH EACH PARTNER

7. COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN IN-HOUSE
SKILLS AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS
2
ENSURE IN-HOUSE SKILLS EXIST TO
ABSORB AND EXPLOIT THE NEW
TECHNOLOGY

8. CHAMPIONS
3
ESTABLISH SOMEONE AS PERSONALLY
COMMITTED TO ENSURING UPTAKE OF
NEW TECHNOLOGY

9. COMMON LANGUAGE
4
DEVELOP A SHARED UNDERSTANDING
OF TERMINOLOGY AND ASSUMPTIONS
BETWEEN STAFF IN BOTH COMPANIES

10. CHALLENGING INTERNAL CONSTRAINTS
5
ENCOURAGE STAFF TO VIEW USE OF
EXTERNAL TECHNOLOGIES AS GOOD
PRACTICE RATHER THAN AS
COMPETITION TO INTERNAL R&D

11. CUSTOMER PULL
6
INVOLVE POTENTIAL USERS OF THE
EXTERNAL TECHNOLOGY EARLY AND
OFTEN

12. CHARTER FOR INNOVATION
7
ARTICULATE TOP MANAGEMENT VIEWS
ON THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF
TECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING BUSINESS
SUCCESS

13. ORGANIZATIONS PRACTICING
OPEN INNOVATION ARE
OUTWARDLY FOCUSED NOT ONLY
ON THEIR MARKETS AND
CUSTOMERS, BUT ALSO ON
POTENTIAL SOURCES OF
TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENABLE
THEM TO CONTINUE IN THESE
MARKETS.

14. IN ADDITION TO MANAGING
CUSTOMER INTERFACES, THEY MUST
ALSO ESTABLISH AND MANAGE
INTERFACES WITH EXTERNAL
TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS, IN ORDER
TO ACHIEVE EXCELLENCE IN OPEN
INNOVATION.

15. FOR MORE ON WHAT
MATTERS WHEN YOU’RE
WORKING AT THE
TECHNOLOGY/BUSINESS
INTERFACE,
SEE OUR CONTENT ON
TECHNOLOGY
ASSESSMENT,
TECHNOLOGY
COMMERCIALIZATION,
TECHNOLOGY
VALUATION, AND
“SEEING THE FUTURE”

16. VISIT OUR
WEBSITE
HERE
FOLLOW ON
TWITTER
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