To determine an organization’s capability for innovation the following questionnaire is provided. It is a means to look at the different elements that go into an organization’s capability. After answering each question and scoring the four areas, all answers can be added up to get a grand total. Scores higher than 400 points represents a solid innovation capability. Scores of 300 to 400 are good. A score 300 to 350 is acceptable but needs improvement. Score below 300 leave lots of room for improvement and a score below 200 suggests there are not many possibilities for innovation. .
To fill out the below questionnaire, for each question rank your organization’s capability for innovation on a scale between 1 and 10:
PRODUCT INNOVATIONCHARACTERISTICS
lb. Have a stated and working strategy of process innovation (includes process redesign/reengineering)
2b. Develop structural mechanisms for process redesign/reengineering initiatives
3b. Reward process creativity and innovation
4b. Create a vision/strategic intent for process innovation
5b. Treat employees as a vital resource for building competitive advantage in processes
6b. Hold creative process employees and their contributions in high esteem
7b Proactively create new opportunities, and respond to change relative to new processes
8b Possess a market orientation for creating processes (it is close to its customers)
9b. Require cross-functional and customer/supplier process redesign/engineering teams
10b. Celebrate new process successes
11b. Allow employees to make mistakes when innovating processes
12b. Have process idea people
136. Encourage new ideas and risk taking with processes
14b. Continuously create new processes for manufacturing
15b. Requite relevant managers to have objectives for process innovation and evaluate their erformance relative to these objectives
16a. Have new product/research centers
17a. Have management information systems for product innovation to scan the environment, monitor and benchmark competitors determine best practices, keep abreast of new technologies, monitor market conditions, and exchange information internally
18a. Suspend judgment on new product ideas
19a. Have product idea/innovation champions
20a. Value and practice openness with respect to products
21a. Successfully practice continuous as well as “big bang” product innovation
22a. Put each and every product on trial for its life every 18 months to two years
23a. Have open communication between product innovation centers/teams and the rest of the organization
24a Have formal product idea assessment systems
25a. Empower subordinates: delegate sufficient authority for employees to innovate new products
26a. Train employees to be creative for product development
27a Possess a shared value that this is an innovative organization insofar as products are concerned
28a. Engage in knowledge management for product development—identifying knowledge assets, sharing information tapping innate knowledge of individuals
29a. Make commercialization of new ideas a priority
30a. Structure for flexibility to adapt and seize the opportunity for new products
31a. Have a system for getting the products from the lab to the marketplace
32a. Use a problem-solving management style for developing new products
33a. Use many of the 100 or more creativity processes such as brainstorming, verbal checklists, mind mapping, storyboarding, lotus blossom and so on for product development
34a. Manage organizational culture to make it more innovative for product development
35a. Practice organizational learning—learn from experience and share knowledge about products
36a. Use speed strategies for new-product development
37a. Use alliances to obtain product innovation
38a. Use both formal and informal product innovation information exchanges within the company
39a. Use transformational leadership for product development
40a. Provide time for/encourage reflection about products
41a. Place a high value on change and make it part of the organization’s culture with respect to product development
42a. Leverage resources to achieve seemingly unobtainable product objectives
43a. Know when and how to lead the customer to new or enhanced products or services
44a. Have an effective and efficient structure for creating new products
45a. Have effective suggestion programs for products
46.. Use special approaches in managing innovative product development employees
47a. Provide physical facilities conducive to idea exchange and creative thinking about products
48a. Require relevant non-managerial employees to have objectives for product innovation and evaluate their performance in relation to those objectives
PROCESS INNOVATIONCHARACTERISTICS
lb. Have a stated and working strategy of process innovation (includes process redesign/reengineering)
2b. Develop structural mechanisms for process redesign/reengineering initiatives
3b. Reward process creativity and innovation
4b. Create a vision/strategic intent for process innovation
5b. Treat employees as a vital resource for building competitive advantage in processes
6b. Hold creative process employees and their contributions in high esteem
7b Proactively create new opportunities, and respond to change relative to new processes
8b Possess a market orientation for creating processes (it is close to its customers)
9b. Require cross-functional and customer/supplier process redesign/engineering teams
10b. Celebrate new process successes
11b. Allow employees to make mistakes when innovating processes
12b. Have process idea people
136. Encourage new ideas and risk taking with processes
14b. Continuously create new processes for manufacturing products or delivering services
15b. Requite relevant managers to have objectives for process innovation and evaluate their performance relative to these objectives
16b. Have process redesign reengineering programs/centers
17b. Have management information systems for process innovation to scan the environment, monitor and benchmark competitors, determine best practices, keep abreast of new technologies, monitor market conditions, and exchange information internally
18b. Suspend judgment on new process ideas
19b. Have process idea/innovation champions
20b. Salve and practice openness with respect to processes
21b. Successfully practice continuous process innovation and reengineering
22b. Put each and every process on trial for its life every 18 months to two years
23b:f Have open communication between process innovation teams and the rest of the organization
24b. Have formal process idea assessment systems that separate creation from evaluation and look beyond simple financial analysis
25b. Empower subordinates: delegate sufficient authority for employees to innovate new processes
26b. Train employees to be creative for process development
27b. Possess a shared value that this is an innovative organization insofar as processes are concerned
28b. Engage in knowledge management for process innovation—identifying knowledge assets, sharing
information, tapping innate knowledge of individuals
29b. Make process effectiveness and efficiency a priority
30b. Structure for flexibility to adapt mod seize the opportunity for new processes
31b. Have a system for implementing process innovations
32b. Use a problem-solving management style for developing New processes
33b. Use many of the 100 or more creativity processes such as brainstorming, verbal checklists, mind mapping, storyboarding, lotus blossom and to on for process development
34b. Manage organizational culture to make It more innovative for process redesign
35b. Practice organizational learning—learn from experience and share knowledge about processes
36b. Use deadlines and/or objectives that stretch performers’ capabilities to speed process innovation
37b. Use alliances to obtain process innovation
38b. Use both formal and informal process innovation information exchanges within the company
39b. Use transformational leadership for process development
40b. Provide time for/encourage reflection about process.
41b. Place a high value on change and make it pan of the organization culture with respect to process redesign
42b. Leverage resources to achieve seemingly unobtainable process objectives
43b. Know when and how to lead the customer to lower costs and /or higher quality mulling from improved processes
44b. Have an effective and efficient structure for creating process improvement innovation
45b. Have effective suggestion programs for processes
46b. Use special approaches in managing innovative process-redesign employees
47b. Provide physical facilities conducive to idea exchange and creative thinking about processes
48b. Require non-managerial employees to have objectives for process innovation and evaluate their performance in relation to those objectives
49b. Invest heavily and appropriately in process R&D
MARKETING INNOVATION CHARACTERISTICS
1c. Have a stated and working strategy of marketing innovation
2c.Develop structural mechanisms for marketing innovation
3c.Reward marketing creativity and innovation
4c.Create a marketing vision/strategic intent
5c.Treat employees as a vital resource for building competitive advantage in marketing
6c.Hold creative marketing employees and their contributions in high esteem
7c.Proactively create new marketing opportunities and respond to flange relative to marketing innovations
8c.Possess a market orientation (it is close to its customers)
9c. Require cross-functional marketing innovation teams
10c. Celebrate creative/innovative marketing successes
11c.Also marketing employees to make mistakes when innovating
12c.Have marketing idea people
13c.Encourage new marketing ideas and risk taking
14c.Market products or services innovatively
15c.Require relevant managers to have objectives for marketing innovation and evaluate their performance relative to these objectives
16c.Have marketing innovation programs/centers
17c. Have management information systems for marketing
innovation to scan the environment for new opportunities, monitor and benchmark competitors determine best practices, keep abreast of new technologies, monitor market conditions, and exchange information internally
18c. Suspend judgment on new marketing ideas
19c. Have marketing idea /innovation champions
20c. Value and practice openness with respect to marketing
21c. Successfully practice continuous as well as “big bang” marketing innovation
22c. Put each and every marketing practice on trial for its life every 18 months to two years
23c. Have open communication between marketing innovation centers/teams and the rest of the organization
24c. Have total marketing idea assessment systems that separate creation from evaluation and look beyond simple financial analysis
25c. Empower subordinates: delegate sufficient authority for marketing employees to be innovative
26c. Train marketing employees to be creative
27c. Possess a shared value that this is an innovative marketing organization
28c. Engage in knowledge management in marketing—identifyingknowledge assets, sharing information tapping inmate knowledge of individuals
29c. Make marketing innovation a priority
30c. Structure for flexibility to adapt and seize marketing opportunities
31c. Have a system for implementing marketing innovation
32c. Use a problem-solving management style for solving marketing problems
33c. Use many of the 100 or more creativity processes such as brainstorming, verbal checklists, mind mapping, storyboarding, lotus blossom and so on for marketing innovation
34c. Manage organizational culture to make marketing more Innovative
35c. Practice organizational learning—learn from experience and share knowledge about marketing
36c. Use deadlines and/or objectives that stretch performers’ capabilities to speed marketing innovations
37c. Use alliances to obtain marketing innovation
38c. Use both formal and informal marketing innovation information exchanges within the company
39c. Use transformational leadership in marketing innovation
40c. Provide time for/ encourage reflection on marketing
41c. Place a high value on change and make it part of the marketing organization’s culture
42c. Leverage resources to achieve seemingly unobtainable marketing innovation objectives
43c. Know when and how to lead the customer to new or enhanced product or service opportunities through innovative marketing
44c. Have an effective and efficient structure for creating marketing innovation
45c. Have effective marketing improvement suggestion programs
46c. Use special approaches in managing innovative marketing employees
47c. Provide physical facilities conducive to idea exchange and creative thinking in marketing
48c. Require relevant non-managerial employees to have objectives for marketing innovation and evaluate their performance in relation to those objectives
49c. Invest heavily and appropriately in marketing R&D
MANAGEMENT INNOVATION CHARACTERISTICS
1d. Have a stated and working strategy of management innovation
2d. Develop structural mechanisms for management innovation
3d. Reward management creativity and innovation
4d. Create a management vision/strategic intent
5d. Treat employees as a vital resource for building competitive advantage in management
6d. Hold creative managers and their contributions in high esteem
7d. Proactively create new management opportunities and respond to change relative to management innovations
8d. Possess a market-based management orientation (it is close to its customers)
9d. Require cross-functional management innovation teams
10d. Celebrate creative/innovative management successes
11d. Allow managers to make mistakes when innovating management
12d. Have management idea people
13d. Encourage new management ideas and risk taking
14d. Practice innovative management
154. Require managers to have objectives for management innovation and evaluate their performance relative to these objectives
16d. Have management innovation programs/centers
17d. Have management information systems for management innovation M scan the environment for new opportunities, monitor and benchmark competitors, determine best practices, keep abreast of new technologies, monitor market conditions, and exchange information internally
18d. Suspend Judgment on new management ideas
19d. Have management idea/innovation champions
20d. Value and practice openness with respect to management
21d. Successfully practice continuous as well as ‘big bang” (reengineering-based) management innovation
22d. Put each and every management practice on trial for its life every18 months to two years
23d. Have open communication between management in centers/teams and the rest of the organization
24d. Have formal management idea assessment systems that separate on from evaluation and look beyond simple financial analysis
25d. Empower subordinates: delegate sufficient authority for manager: to be innovative
26d. Train management employees to be creative
27d. Possess a shared value that this an innovatively managed organization
28d. Engage in knowledge management of the management process itself—identifying knowledge assets, sharing information, tapping innate knowledge of individuals
29d.Make management innovations priority
30d.Structure for flexibility to adapt and seize management opportunities
31d.Have a system for implementing management innovation
32d. Use a problem-solving management style for solving management problems
33d. Use many of the 100 or more creativity processes such as brainstorming, verbal checklists, mind mapping, storyboarding, lotus blossom and so on for management innovation
34d. Manage organizational culture to make management more innovative
35d. Practice organizational learning—learn from experience and share knowledge about management
36d. Use deadlines and/or objectives that stretch performers’ capabilities to speed management innovations
37d. Use alliances to obtain management innovation
38d. Use both formal and informal management innovation information exchanges within the company
39d. Use transformational leadership in management innovation
40d. Provide lime for/encourage reflection on management
41d. Place a high value on change and make it pan of the organization’s management admire
424. Leverage resources to achieve seemingly unobtainable management innovation objectives
43d. Know when and how to lead the customer to lower costs and/or higher quality resulting horn innovative management
44d. Have an effective and efficient structure for creating management innovation
45d. Have effective management improvement suggestion programs
46d. Use special approaches in managing innovative management employees
47d. Provide physical facilities conducive to idea exchange and creative thinking in management
48d. Require relevant non managerial employees to have objectives for management innovation and evaluate their performance in relation to those objectives
49d. Invest heavily and appropriately in management R&D
Looking at the scores from the questionnaire according to the below “Scoring Key” figure allows for more detailed information into your organization strengths and weaknesses. For companies delving this deep into the process it is strongly suggested to use James Higgins work as a resource.
