At the beginning of 2018, ISO published the first standards in the ISO 56000 branch, an innovation standard called Innovation Management. Working with ISO 56000 generally deals with the issues that create innovation capability within an organization, such as leadership, resources, tools, and processes.

June 19, 2024

What is Innovation Management?

In short, Innovation Management (or ISO for Innovation Management) considers innovation metrics and the sometimes diffuse term innovation. It standardizes tools for terminology, methods, and interaction between relevant stakeholders to demonstrate and operate with innovation within organizations. The management system based on the innovation standard provides an internationally recognized and anchored framework with a systems perspective on innovation work.

Why is Innovation Management important?

Most organizations need standardized procedures to build reliable systems. Still, there have been no standards in the past when it comes to driving innovation. However, innovation is essential for organizations’ long-term survival and ability to meet future challenges. Innovation is about optimizing current operations while learning from past mistakes and creating the conditions for future innovation within the organization.

Demonstrating innovation is also essential for the organization from a stakeholder perspective. Evidence of structured innovation in the form of an innovation management system creates an attractive business for partners, customers, and other stakeholders. Innovation also means we can ultimately offer our customers better services and products.

Tips for Getting Started

Below are 3 tips for those interested in demonstrating innovation in their business:

1. Map the Business and Integrate with your Existing Management System By mapping your business and its processes, you can identify problems, risks, and opportunities for improvement in different areas of your business. This becomes the basis for the innovation process, the most central part of an Innovation Management System. It allows you to demonstrate how you optimize your current operations while using the identified risks and opportunities to set the stage for future innovation. Do you already have a mapped ISO 9001 Quality Management System? As ISO 56000 and ISO 9001 have the same ISO-level structure and identical clause numbers, you can integrate the standards into one Management System.
2. Engage the right people Those with the most knowledge of the organization’s processes and activities, whether theoretical or practical, should have a significant role in the Management System. To get the best possible image of the business, you should gather representatives from all parts of the organization.
3. Work in Workshops Sitting together in a working group with people from different parts of the organization captures and discusses many different perspectives. Brainstorming, critiquing mindsets, and discussing how the business works today and where you want to go are essential to mapping the business. Click here to read more about working with visualization tools in workshops.

2c8 Apps for Innovation Management

With 2c8 Apps, you can create a visual Management System to demonstrate innovation in your business and its processes. Identify risks, map opportunities, and optimize operations to meet future challenges. With a Management System from 2c8 Apps, you create the conditions for future innovation within the organization. Click here to read more about 2c8 Apps.