Innovation in a running project comes as the project progress. Or it comes from subject matter experts with their previous experience and subject expertise.
In our organisation, we normally do innovations by strong monitoring and then analyzing each and every step of project.
If any other suggestions and ways, I will also keen to learn. Saving Changes...
Usually, Organizations have separate Teams who analyze the latest advancements in the market and propose solutions by - Proof of Concepts, Demos, Prototypes, Comparative analysis, White Papers.
These strategic innovation groups touch base with vertical/practice heads on a periodic basis to propose solutions or share knowledge on the latest technology advances which can then be used in the ongoing projects.
In Services industry, Client usually suggests a set of technology tools to be used but now-a-days, vendors propose flexible/cheaper/efficient solutions to gain projects from the client.
Arlene, once I read an article about a tool called SCAMPER which is a creative brainstorming techniques which helps you to generate ideas for new products and services.
I would not take innovation in isolation. Innovation cannot exist until and unless you and your team is creative enough and open to ideas. You must cultivate a culture of thinking out of the box. Brainstorming and various creative tools must be used to make it possible that creativity exists in your plans, especially when finding and analysing alternatives for project approaches, activities, risks, quality and the list is unending. Innovation is just the implementation of creative idea. Saving Changes...
1. Establish a dedicated product team: As a client selecting an agency, consider this: Do you want to go with a one-hit wonder or a firm that’s at the top of the charts month after month? One-off innovative success can happen outside of a dedicated team, but the agencies that perform well consistently do so because they have a dedicated product team. Ask the agency (or ask yourselves) some key questions (Who creates offerings? Who selects your technology partners? It’s important to dig past that one amazing case study or client example and figure out how this is operationalized in the organization.
2. Have a clear charter for the team: The success of our product team depends on knowing who we are. We are a technology-driven media and services company. We have a roadmap of development efforts that are prioritized based on client opportunity, competitive analyses, technology and marketplace developments, and how we want to grow our business. Our job is to create offerings that allow us to execute on our clients' objectives.
3. Collaborate! Facilitate and encourage thought diversity: Product development is a collaborative process. The product team understands technology and how to build solutions; it is the steward on the path from idea to development to operationalizing a solution. The strength of this function comes from diversity of thought within the agency as a whole. Product teams have to be the conduit for shared ideas. They have to bring subject matter experts together to brainstorm, tackle tough questions, and get feedback.
4. Balance your roadmap: Clients always want to see the fresh offerings that use brand new technology and give access to new media or new media efficiencies. This is key to building your capabilities. While the new should always be in your roadmap, this needs to be balanced with improving existing offerings as well. This includes re-evaluating current technologies and tools to ensure you’re using the best, and developing internal tools to drive efficiencies. Improving existing offerings needs to happen to ensure your teams are delivering the best work and doing so in the most efficient way possible. While clients may simply recognize this as table stakes, it’s critical work. An agency that doesn’t do this will fall behind.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
If I may take this lead to 10.000 feet above ground, I''d like to state that innovation should be implemented all across the organization and ALL their staff. A professor of economics I follow once said that a company that invests tons of money creating a so-called "Innovation Department" is doomed. Innovation can''t be created, on the contrary it must impregnate every department and employee at the organization.
Therefore, and answering Mr. Trimble, I believe that the first thing the PM shall do is to meet up with functional leaders in the organization and ask them how innovation is managed there. Using this knowledge (organizational process assets) ought to be necessary to increase likelihood of success. Saving Changes...
Pier Luigi CalabriaProject Manager| INFORM Institut für Operations Research und Management GmbH, Aachen, GermanyAachen, Germany
Reserve budget for time and training. Innovation is a flow, not an activity, borders should be not strict Saving Changes...
"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
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