Identify the most suitable process for managing innovation in a changing external environment. You must consider the following processes and briefly describe all four processes before you offer your recommendation:
Stage-gate
Agile
Lean
Discover-iterate-pivot
Management of innovation is a challenge to an organization if not properly implemented. There is three process management that the organization can consider. They include stage-gate, agile, lean, and discover-iterate-pivot. Stage-gate is an approach used in project management where there is the creation of stages governed by decision points. In each of the respective stages, continuation decisions are made by the manager and the committee in charge of steering. In the agile process, the innovation is broken into different phases. However, unlike in stage-gate, there is continuity of collaboration among the stakeholders. Lean entails a process in the management of innovation where the primary intention is to eliminate waste to improve efficiency and effectiveness (Javadian, Babu, and Talari, 2013). There is an increase in the quality of products and services to be offered based on the needs and demands of the consumers. Lastly, the discover-iterate-pivot entails starting each innovation process from scratch. The main functionality involved revolves around having an implementation plan that is decentralized in nature. It implies that the decision-making on what is supposed to take place has been left wide open. Even the employees at the bottom level of management are granted the opportunity to offer their opinions.
Explain your rationale for your recommendation.
Describe the advantage of your chosen process over others.
Explain how it can address the changing external environment.
Therefore, the best recommendation is for the firm to consider using the lean process in the implementation of their innovation and preparing for the newly presented challenge by the organization presenting the new product in the market. The lean process is advantageous because there is an effective elimination of waste (Javadian, Babu, and Talari, 2013). Each operation that the company will be engaging in will be done at the least cost possible. So, there will be an increase in work efficacy. In the end, it will be possible to have a successful implementation of the innovation while creating strategies that will counter the new competition in the market (Heizer and Render, 2014). It will be possible to counter the changing external environment using the lean process by creating a competitive advantage. Besides reducing cost and increasing efficiency, the strategy is vital in creating skills and introducing new systems. Hence, it will be possible to create a staff willing to support the anticipated changes. Collaboration among the stakeholders will enable the company to gain the needed competitive advantage granting them an upper hand in dealing with competition arising from the external environment.
Explain recommendations for ensuring cross-functional team effectiveness in the chosen process.
How would you measure team success at each stage of a project?
How would you review and implement changes coming out of success measurements?
How do you know when you are done with the project?
Team success at each of the stages in the process will be measured based on performance level. There will be a need to set goals and objectives that are supposed to be accomplished at the end of each phase. Successful implementation will imply that the delivery is on point. More so, there will be a delegation of duties in each respective stage. Therefore, each stakeholder will have a role to play. Measuring their level of success will be determined by their competency and ability to accomplish each of the allocated objectives on a personal level (Javadian, Babu, and Talari, 2013). Completing a single milestone will realize the overall plan created at the start of the process. In addition, the review and implementation of changes arising from the success measurement will be done through an evaluation process. There will be a side-to-side comparison between the outputs and objectives set to be accomplished at the start. The report would provide answers if there were a success in the change implementation. Lastly, there is a need to evaluate the worker’s feedback. The main intention will be on determining the level of change acceptance and adoption, depicting the level of success in the implementation process. It will be possible to know if the project has reached completion if all the set objectives in the innovation implementation process have been accomplished.
Describe your plan for addressing the concerns of your key stakeholders. Select two of the following departments whose directors will be your audience: research and development (R&D), finance, human resources (HR), or marketing.
Identify key stakeholders who will use the report in your organization.
List at least two concerns they may have about processes for managing innovation.
Explain your response to their concerns.
The audience for the project will be from the human resource and marketing departments. The HR managers will take advantage of the report to realize the resources required to implement the proposed innovation successfully. Their main concerns will be staffing and training employees to realize their goals and objectives. More so, managers from the marketing department will use the information in the report to evaluate the market in which they are likely to face competition (Heizer and Render, 2014). A key focus will be on strategies that will make the organization gain the needed competitive advantage both in the short and long run. Concerns about the process for managing innovation will arise from the various stakeholder. One of the issues will be on the level of effectiveness and efficiency. Managers will want to know the forecasted level of success in using the approach compared to others. The second concern will be on the cost implication. Using the lean strategy for project management has cost implications, and there is a need to know for comparison. So, the end goal for the concern will be to make sure there are no losses encountered either during or at the end of the implementation. For the first concern, there is no need for the manager to be worried since the lean process’s waste reduction aims to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Equally, when there is waste reduction, the cost will reduce, and there is no need for concerns.
References
Heizer, J. & Render, B., (2014). Operations Management (11th ed.) Pearson Education.
Javadian, A., Babu, N., & Talari, F. (2013). Just-in-Time manufacturing system: From introduction to implement. International Journal of Economics, Business and Finance, 1(2), 7-25.
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