The document discusses turning ideas into action through innovation and project management. It defines innovation as bringing creative ideas to life to increase customer relevance and drive growth. The innovation process involves capturing ideas, evaluating them through a "funnel" of stages, and using project management principles to execute ideas as projects. Some key lessons discussed include defining what innovation means, building prototypes to resolve ambiguity, setting goals and metrics for success, and ensuring 99% of innovation comes from execution rather than ideas alone.

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From ideas to action:
The Innovation
Process
Mark Witkowski
SSP IN 2011 Conference
mark.witkowski@sheridan.com www.sheridan.com
Agenda
What is innovation?
Capturing ideas
Turning ideas into projects
Leveraging project management
10 Rules, Tips and Lessons Learned
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Innovation
The discipline of brining creative ideas to life
as new products and services in order to:
1. Increase relevance to our customers and
their customers
2. Drive top-line results through organic growth
3. Differentiate service offerings from our
competitors
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Innovation Process
Project Governance Framework: linking corporate
strategy, portfolio, project management and operations
Strategy Portfolio Project Operations
intention choosing the Execution with excellence drive value
right investments
Vision Customers
Project Management Process
Mission Users
Initiation Planning Executing Monitoring Closing
Values Employees
Objectives Benefits
Project Governance
Definition of conditions
Ideas for Project Management Outcome
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Adapted from : Allied Consultants Europe
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Idea Funnel
Capturing Ideas
1. An idea is a creative response to a problem without a
current solution. Ideas can come from anyone or
anywhere in your organization – don’t limit yourself.
2. Ideas are rarely unique, most often others have come up
with something similar on their own. Look to dig to the
next level and improve and advance the idea; competition
in the market is a good thing!
3. Focusing only on radical or disruptive ideas can teeter on
the edge of gambling – small and incremental ideas can
pay dividends rather quickly with low investment.
4. Use a common set of evaluation criteria for consideration
of advancing idea.
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Idea Funnel
New Product Development Funnel: Success depends on
identifying, evaluating and bringing ‘hits’ to market.
time
f
o
c
u
s
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Adapted from : Milano Product Design
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Idea Funnel
New Product Development Funnel: Ideas to action.
Ideas Research Development / Support
Commercialization
= Project
Stage Gate #1 Stage Gate #2 Stage Gate #3 Stage Gate #4
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Adapted from : Anthony et al 1992
Idea Funnel
Discipline of bringing creative ideas to life
1. Provide simple but informative project descriptions that
increase in detail as projects progress in the funnel.
2. Stage-by-stage approval process that allows projects to
proceed or cease – the goals are to eliminate low
potential ideas early, reduce overall risk and to ensure
that only market winners make it to the end.
3. Decision factors on projects should be: alignment with
business strategy, value contribution, risk tolerance and
resource allocation ($$$ and people).
4. As you move forward and take risks, you should expect
failure – but you should not accept it. Always look to take
lessons learned and grow from mistakes.
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Project Management
Project Management: The art and science of efficiently
planning, organizing, and managing a project from inception
to closure to achieve specific goals and objectives.
• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of initiative
selection and delivery
• Maximize strategic alignment of your portfolio
• Optimize return on investment of chosen initiatives
Project Management Process
Initiation Planning Executing Monitoring Closing
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Project Management
It is about doing projects ‘right’
1. Most projects don’t simply go wrong. All too often they
start wrong.
2. Choose and apply the right tools for the job. Project
Management techniques should scale to match the size
and complexity of your project.
3. Three project management utility tools:
• Project Charter
• Project Schedule
• Status Reporting
4. Plan the work…work the plan…
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Conclusion
10 Rules, Tips & Lessons Learned
1. Ready, aim, fire! Define your process and strategy first.
2. Define what innovation means to your organization.
3. Are you ‘in it to win’ or ‘in it to not lose’?
4. Building prototypes can immediately resolve technical
and political ambiguity.
5. Hone your skills at predicting failure. Cancel questionable
projects as early as possible.
6. Seek to introduce new technologies and competencies in
every area of your business. Use technology as an
accelerator of momentum, and not a creator of it.
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Conclusion
10 Rules, Tips & Lessons Learned
7. What ‘matters’ to me regarding innovation:
• Environment matters – a physical environment that
encourages collaboration and experimentation
• Commitment of the organization matters –
innovation is important in good times and imperative
in economically challenging times
• Anxiety matters – anxiety breeds awareness and
lowers the risk tolerance
• Results matter – set goals and know what success
feels like when you get there
8. Innovation requires targeted change, do no harm to
existing operations.
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Conclusion
10 Rules, Tips & Lessons Learned
9. Vehicle of change is innovation, the driver of change is
customer needs and the enabler of change is
technology.
10. Innovation is 1% ideas and 99% execution.
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References
1. Allied Consultants Europe. Retrieved September 15, 2011,
http://www.ace-alliedconsultants.com/competencies/project-management
2. Milano Product Design. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://
www.idmilano.com/idm-process.htm
3. Anthony, M. T. and McKay, J. (1992), FROM EXPERIENCE: Balancing
the Product Development Process: Achieving Product and Cycle-Time
Excellence in High-Technology Industries. Journal of Product Innovation
Management, 9: 140–147. doi: 10.1111/1540-5885.920140
4. Little Innovation Book. Retrieved September 15, 2011, from http://
littleinnovationbook.com/
5. Nelson Soken and B. Kim Barne (September 1998), Innovation Journey:
How can you lead and manage it? Leadership Excellence, 25, 5.
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Mark Witkowski
SSP IN 2011 Conference
mark.witkowski@sheridan.com www.sheridan.com
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