Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It

by Tony Dávila, Marc Epstein, Robert Shelton

Profitable innovation doesn’t just happen. It must be managed, measured, and properly executed, and few companies know how to accomplish this effectively. Making Innovation Work presents a formal innovation process proven to work at HP, Microsoft and Toyota, to help ordinary managers drive top and bottom line growth from innovation. The authors have drawn on their unsurpassed innovation consulting experience -- as well as the most thorough review of innovation research ever performed. They'll show what works, what doesn't, and how to use management tools to dramatically increase the payoff from innovation investments. Learn how to define the right strategy for effective innovation; how to structure an organization to innovate best; how to implement management systems to assess ongoing innovation; how to incentivize teams to deliver, and much more. This book offers the first authoritative guide to using metrics at every step of the innovation process -- from idea creation and selection through prototyping and commercialization. This updated edition refreshes the examples used throughout the book and features a new introduction that gives currency to the principles covered throughout.

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction, Research

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I needed for a PhD class. I was actually amazed when I started reading as there were a few times I kept going past the needed chapters for the week because of how detailed the book was written. Of course it provides details from beginning to end on organization and leadership but what I really liked about it was the fact of how it discussed things using case situations and gave examples every step along the way.

I would strongly recommend this study aide to anyone that wants to study organizational leadership.

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores innovation and how it can be implemented into business as well as what factors to consider when implementing innovation. The authors do a good job of defining the different types of innovation as well as why innovation is important. They provide some good case studies and practices that any business can use to implement innovation, and also demonstrate what happens when innovation is taken too far or not embraced by a company culture. The only complaint that I have is that the book seems a bit dated, even though its supposedly been updated. The examples that are used seem to come from the time when the book was originally written. Eve so, this is a good book to read if you want to understand innovation and how to implement it in your business.

[Apurva · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book for learning some entrepreneurial skills

[Vaiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaip suderinti inovacijų kūrimo kultūrą su tinkamu fokusu į pelno kūrimą? Kaip sužiūrėti, kad vykdomų projektų portfelis būtų subalansuotas iš radikalių, semi-radikalių ir inkrementinį pokytį kuriančių inovacijų? Kaip surinkti tinkamą komandą ir ją išlaikyti? Kaip subalansuoti motyvacinę sistemą ir apskritai, ką derėtų matuoti, kad suprastume, jog projektas yra sėkmingas (čia, sako, įmonės neretai susiduria su problema, nes iš anksto apgalvoti, kaip skaičiuosi naujo proceso sėkmę labai sunku; ilgainiui, to nesustygavus, darbuotojai ima bijoti rizikos ir tiesiog atlieka, kas jiem pasakyta, tad intelektinis kapitalas liekas nepanaudotas tinkamai)?
Daug išnašų, daug realių įmonių pavyzdžių, kaip šios susitvarkė (arba ne) su kilusiais iššūkiais vienoje ar kitoje inovacijos kūrimo vietoje. Ne, inovacijų proceso valdymo guru perskaitęs šią knygą netampi, bet faktas, kad pergalvoti tam tikrus procesus ir atsakomybes ji priverčia. O tai galbūt ir yra vienas iš verto dėmesio kūrinio požymis?

[Paul Harker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful book for anyone on a journey of innovation. Some chapters easier than others but nearly in all chapters were some new concepts that are really helpful if you are beginning down this route. Really helpful examples throughout the book and CEO tips and reminders. O

[Gede Suprayoga · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main conclusion of this book is that every organisation has to define its own business model and technology innovation that the organisation wants to achieve. Therefore, they can formulate right strategies, nurture best ideas, execute productively, monitor and evaluate precisely to deliver values to customers. This idea is developed through an innovation matrix that depicts 4 type of innovation.

The book also gives an attention to various aspects of culture in organisations that influence problems and challenges faced. Dealing with innovation, an awareness of type of culture both internal (inside of the company) and external market is an important thing to improve and maintain its position in the market.

[Emily Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I read this for an MBA class. Now, my class was online, so I did not have the benefit of lectures. This book could have used some additional details on certain things. For example, it mentions the Balanced Scorecard and then kind of glosses over it. However, the Balanced Scorecard is rather important for an MBA student to learn. I went to the Internet to get more information. I'm getting an A in the class, but part of the reason I'm getting an A is because I am curious and look up more information about things I want to know about. I don't just take what the teacher/school gives to me to read.

[Karim Faramawy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and noninformative. One of the most things made me excited to read this book, that it claims they provide precise strategy for measuring innovation. Unfortunately, that strategy (chapter 6) is totally lacking for innovation. They didn't provide anything new, but naive and very basic info about metrics. Disappointing !

[Kristian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring book, never got to finish this thing.

[Michael Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

clearly shows models to map the different types of innovation and the problems involved to manage it.

[Stan]

Innovation is not something that a company just does. It take a deliberate act to enable innovation within an organization. Yes, process and innovation can work together.

[Doruk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good one about innovation. The authors effort on it deserves a good respect. Highly suggested and easy to read.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for managing innovation in the enterprise.