From Idea to Innovation: A Handbook for Inventors, Decision Makers and Organizations

273 Pages·2015·9.456 MB·English

by  Bernd X. Weis (auth.)

Management for Professionals
For further volumes:
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Bernd X. Weis
From Idea to Innovation
A Handbook for Inventors,
Decision Makers and Organizations
Bernd X. Weis
Waldkirch
Deutschland
Translation from German language edition:
Praxishandbuch Innovation by Bernd X. Weis © 2012 Gabler Verlag
Gabler Verlag is a part of Springer Science+Business Media All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2192-8096 ISSN 2192-810X (electronic)
ISBN 978-3-642-54170-4 ISBN 978-3-642-54171-1 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-54171-1
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We must have the courage to let the
NothiNg encounter us. Face to face with
the NothiNg, we do realize that we are
not only SOMETHING real, but that we are
creative beings able to let something emerge
from the NothiNg.
Martin Heidegger
Foreword by Dr. Martin Stark
The ability to innovate is a fundamental property an enterprise needs to achieve
sustainable success.
This book examines innovation holistically, taking into account the variety of
aspects and the corresponding interactions, which determine innovativeness in the
real economy. Especially the many known, but most of all the unknown and there-
fore not considered interactions assess the complexity of innovation processes. Suc-
cessful enterprises are able to actively manage or influence these interactions and
the associated risks. Examples of this are abound. For an enterprise, the manage-
ment of innovation is of fundamental importance: a failing innovation may shake
the enterprise, but must not endanger its very existence. This is the maxim.
In this book, Bernd Weis shows how innovation occurs—from the initial spark
of an exciting idea, its sometimes tedious elaboration, to the organizational integra-
tion into the daily business of the enterprise. Based on his experience as inventor,
innovator and experienced leader he knows the traps and pitfalls in which inven-
tors, decision-makers and entire organizations may fall, thus defeating in their very
beginning promising innovative approaches. He analyzes these pitfalls and provides
methods and techniques to circumvent them.
The range of the issues discussed stretches far. Innovation is enabled by the—not
always harmonious—interplay of creative people in an organization that supports
an innovative, creative development while at the same time preserves its existential
economic interests. This book provides the reader with an overview of the factors
that shape and influence this interplay. However, despite all efforts, the result of the
innovation process often depends on luck or chance—and also this is not withheld
here.
For your own path to innovation competence, this book is an exceptional and
therefore valuable companion for those who want to delve deeper into the subject
of innovation in its fascinating diversity and complexity.
Weinheim, December 2013 Martin Stark
vii
Preface
“Another book about innovation—the bookshops are full of them.”… but anyway.
The purpose of this book is to venture beyond the phenomenology of innovation
and to shed some light on the causes, reasons and drivers of innovation. It is about
the why, about the understanding of innovation, which comes in so many facets. It is
about people who have ideas, who invent, about organizations for which innovation
is the elixir of life and whose existence depends on it, about markets that cannot get
enough innovation. It is about success and failure, chance and luck.
Innovation leads to change and change leads to innovation. This elementary
cycle forces perpetual change. It is also the causes of the complexity of innovation
processes, and complex processes have the truly unpleasant property that it is not
easy—if at all possible—to understand, to see through them. Therefore, the under-
lying general tenor in every reasoning is that the future is by its very nature unfore-
seeable and certainly not predictable. Future is contingent—it can turn out one way,
but also some quite different way. The reader will notice that I used in the text often
weak words like “often,” “usually,” “sometimes,” “occasionally,” “hardly” is used,
rather than strong words such as “always” or “never.” This has precisely to do with
the fact that statements are not always or never true—even if they seem so obvious
and counter-arguments or examples do not immediately come to one’s mind.
Innovation is art. An artist should master the techniques and rules of his profes-
sion, even when he develops other techniques and breaks the rules—the art lies in
the idea, the composition and the specific execution. Likewise, the innovator must
master the techniques and rules that lead from idea to innovation, even if he intends
to go an entirely different course himself. The art of innovation lies in the idea, the
design and implementation in different proportions.
The book is the result of over 30 years working with innovation. In these years,
I discussed and debated in countless meetings with teachers, work colleagues and
friends even on evenings and weekends. From each of these encounters I have taken
a lot. From this perspective, many are involved in this book, including Professor
Herbert Kroemer, who is Nobel Prize laureate (2000) in Physics, and Michael Ash-
by, grandson of Ross Ashby, one of the founders of cybernetics, who I will refer to
in this book. However, to list them all would be beyond the scope of this book as
well as my recollections.
ix
x Preface
Essential for this book are the contributions, constructive criticism, and the
enthusiasm of Dr. Joachim Crone (Munich), Ines Engel (Asperg), Peter Graeser
(Berlin/Freiburg), Dr. Susanne Happ (Bonn), Susanne Moser (Munich), Dr. Astrid
Sandweg (Stuttgart) and Thomas Volk (London/Bobingen).
Waldkirch, December 2013 Bernd X. Weis
Endorsements
Each day, we are confronted with opportunities, large ones or small ones, on which
we need to act. The problem lies in the sheer number of data that we receive the
challenge of prioritizing and the limited time to take the right decisions. This book
creates a system to sift through the opportunities, detect the very best ones and
thereafter identify what needs to be done to capture the benefits. Dr. Bernd Weis
does a marvellous job in offering a systematic approach to innovation, enhanc-
ing the chances for success. Good luck with applying these timeless principles and
strategies to your business!
Johan Vanderplaetse, Area Vice President, Emerson Process Management
This book offers a fresh and accessible approach to innovation. Innovation may be
the hottest discipline around today—in business circles and beyond. And for good
reason. Innovation transforms companies and markets as well as persons and soci-
eties. For all the enthusiasm the topic inspires, however, the practice of innovation
remains stubbornly impenetrable. Bernd X. Weis presents a simple definition of
innovation, breaks down the essential differences between types of innovation, and
illuminates innovation's vital role in organizational success and personal growth.
Romano Valussi, GM New Business, Board Member, SIAE Micro
In this book on innovation, it is not just about the formal processes of innovation. It
discusses in depth the various contexts and conditions that are observed in innova-
tive organizations and institutions. As the origin of life ultimately remains a myth,
one knows that it exists and that the conditions for it were favorable. It is the same
with innovation: favorable conditions can be created that enable and support the
creative act of human ingenuity. In addition, practical tools that will lead step by
step the actual implementation of the idea/ invention into a successful innovation.
This guide explains more than even more clever words.
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Guenter Müller, Universität Freiburg
What characterizes an "innovation“? Is every invention "innovative“? Which or-
ganizational characteristics are preconditions for an innovation culture? These are
xi
xii Endorsements
the questions, which the key actors have to face in a typical innovation drama in
organizations.
The “From Idea to Innovation” provides practical tools, how innovation managers
can implement the "new" in practice. Scenes of a drama and checklists go hand in
hand. Another perspective—inspiring and practical.
Prof. Dr. Helmut Krcmar, Information Systems, Technische Universität München
(TUM)
Organizational culture, structure, processes, individual attitudes, open spaces for
ideas (“Freiraeume”), creativity, … Innovations successful in the market only come
about when organizations succeed in letting many influential factors constructively
interact. It shows time and again, however, that they not always succeed. Often,
influential factors conjoin rather by chance than design; some may be missing en-
tirely.
The “From Idea to Innovation” manages to portray the contexts of innovation com-
prehensively and yet very practically. Thus, it valuably contributes to enhancing
innovativeness at all levels—and this differentiates it from the mass of books on
the subject.
Bonifaz Maag, Executive Director, KUGLER MAAG CIE GmbH
Strategy, culture and process are the three key elements, with which an organization
can regulate innovation. “From Idea to Innovation” focuses on the last two, which
in corporate reality committed innovators can actually influence. The book main-
tains a wonderful balance between theory and practice. With pertinent definitions
and the right models, it introduces the reader to the topic quickly and explains the
techniques and rules of being innovative. However, the most important and novel
component of the book are the tools that assist the inventor in developing ideas
into successful products and help him to structure and evaluate the elusive field of
innovation.
“From Idea to Innovation” is a reliable companion for the inventor and the decision-
maker on the challenging path of innovation.
Dr. Utz Täuber, Head of Innovation Center, INVENSITY GmbH Wiesbaden