Definition: What is Innovation Management?
Innovation management is the deliberate design and control of all activities aimed at generating innovations within a company and successfully launching them on the market. It encompasses the entire journey from idea generation through development to market launch (Go-to-Market).
This involves not only radical breakthroughs but also incremental improvements to products, services, processes, and business models. Good innovation management creates the framework conditions under which innovation becomes repeatable and plannable – instead of depending on chance.
In the DACH region, innovation management is gaining particular importance: increasing competitive intensity, digital disruption, and a shortage of skilled workers are forcing companies of all sizes to systematically expand their innovation capabilities.
The 4 Dimensions of Innovation Management
Effective innovation management unites four closely intertwined dimensions:
1. Innovation Strategy
The innovation strategy defines the areas in which the company wants to innovate, how aggressively it proceeds, and what resources are invested. It sets the direction and ensures that innovation activities contribute to corporate goals.
2. Innovation Culture
The innovation culture describes the values, attitudes, and behaviors that promote or hinder innovation in everyday life. Without a culture that supports experimentation, learning from mistakes, and cross-functional collaboration, all processes remain ineffective.
3. Innovation Process
The innovation process structures the path from idea to implementation. Typical models include Stage-Gate processes, Design Thinking, Lean Startup, or hybrid approaches that combine different methods situationally.
4. Innovation Organization
The organizational embedding determines whether innovation is a top management priority or organized decentrally: dedicated innovation teams, labs, intrapreneurship programs, or agile cross-functional teams.
The Innovation Process: From Idea to Market
A typical innovation process goes through the following phases:
- Idea Generation (Fuzzy Front End): Systematic idea finding through idea management, Open Innovation, customer observation, and trend analyses
- Idea Evaluation & Selection: Prioritization based on market potential, feasibility, and strategic fit
- Concept Development: Elaboration of the most promising ideas with Business Model Canvas, Value Proposition Design, and initial prototypes
- Validation: Testing with real customers – e.g., via MVP approaches and Lean Startup experiments
- Development & Scaling: Implementation into market-ready products/services and market launch
Methods and Tools
Innovation managers today have access to a broad repertoire of methods:
- Design Thinking: User-centric approach to problem-solving in interdisciplinary teams
- Lean Startup: Hypothesis-based testing and rapid iteration
- Business Model Canvas: Visualization and design of business models
- Jobs-to-be-Done: Understanding customer needs along their “jobs”
- Blue Ocean Strategy: Creating new markets instead of competing in existing ones
- OKR: Objectives & Key Results for managing innovation goals
- Agile Methods / Scrum: Iterative development in short cycles
- SWOT Analysis: Strategic positioning
Innovation Management in SMEs
Special conditions apply to SMEs and mid-sized companies:
- Pragmatic instead of academic: SMEs don’t need an innovation lab with 50 employees – a structured process and clear responsibilities are often sufficient
- Customer proximity as a strength: Direct contact with customers is the most valuable innovation input – use it systematically
- Management as a driver: In SMEs, innovation stands or falls with the commitment of the leadership team
- Utilize networks: Open Innovation, collaborations with universities, and funding programs compensate for a lack of internal resources
- Innovation Coaching: External support helps identify blind spots and set up the process professionally
How to Establish Innovation Management
- Analyze the status quo: How innovative is your company today? Where are the strengths and gaps?
- Define innovation strategy: Which innovation areas are strategically relevant?
- Set up the process: Establish a clear path from idea to implementation with defined decision points
- Develop culture: Create spaces and formats that foster creativity and experimentation
- Measure and control: Define innovation KPIs and regularly review progress and effectiveness
- Build competencies: Train your team in innovation methods – e.g., in an innovation workshop
Professionally establish innovation management?
We help you systematically establish innovation management in your company – from strategy to implementation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between innovation management and idea management?
Idea management is a sub-area of innovation management and focuses on the systematic collection and evaluation of ideas. Innovation management also includes strategic alignment, the entire development process, market launch, and the organizational embedding of innovation.
Which methods are suitable for innovation management in SMEs?
Particularly pragmatic methods are suitable for SMEs: Design Thinking for customer-centric solution development, Business Model Canvas for business model design, Lean Startup for rapid validation, and OKR for steering. The key is combining a few well-understood methods instead of an overloaded toolkit.
How do you measure the success of innovation management?
Proven KPIs include: revenue share of new products (under 3 years), time-to-market, number and quality of the innovation pipeline, ROI of innovation projects, and employee participation (submitted ideas, participation in innovation formats). Important: Measure both input and output metrics.
Does every company need an innovation manager?
Not necessarily as a dedicated position. In SMEs, innovation management can also be organized as an additional responsibility of management or a team leader. The crucial thing is that someone is responsible for the innovation process, sets priorities, and secures resources – regardless of the job title.