The world’s first certifiable standard for innovation management systems, ISO 56001, was just published this week. Can it do the same for innovation as ISO 9001 did for quality? Early evidence shows that a shared framework and language can support building innovation capabilities, facilitate top management engagement, improve visibility and legitimacy for innovation activities, and accelerate innovation collaboration.
The innovation management discipline is well-researched and covers topics such as creativity, strategy, leadership, culture, organization, portfolio, processes, and measurements. However, this knowledge has not been applied to its full potential in companies and other organizations. I have met many innovation managers who are confused and don’t know where to start. To be useful for practitioners, it all has to come together as a system of enabling factors, all interrelated and interacting.
An innovation management system codifies the existing research and experience-based knowledge and brings all the success factors together. The standard provides a foundational framework and a shared language for the discipline. It outlines the key factors for innovation success with a systems approach, helps organizations understand their innovation capabilities and how to improve them, and provides the core of a body of knowledge for professionals and students.
With ISO 56001, we are innovating the innovation management discipline itself, and we are just at the beginning.
The standard is a powerful tool for creating the best possible conditions and removing barriers in an organization that wants to boost innovation performance and make a meaningful impact. It applies to all kinds of organizations, private and public, large and small, and all types of innovations, from incremental to radical.
Here is what you should be doing right now, if you’re not yet up to speed on this new standard:
- Familiarize yourself with the standard. You might be surprised how relevant it is for your organization.
- Discuss with your team how it can support you to boost innovation performance and, if relevant, get certified. Start by exploring the framework and principles of systematic innovation management as a team. Training programs with AI assistants are available.
- Conduct an assessment of your current innovation practices and capabilities to seehow you measure up to the standard. You can do a self-assessment or invite a consultant for an outside-in perspective. ISO 56001 checklists and tools are available to support you. Create an action plan to improve.
With ISO 56001, we are innovating the innovation management discipline itself, and we are just at the beginning. We will monitor how the standard will be received and used in the next few years. As true innovators, we will capture the lessons learned, gain new knowledge, and regularly improve the standard to ensure it is updated and relevant.
I am optimistic about the future and proud to be part of an increasing community of innovation management practitioners who want to strengthen the discipline and profession to make a meaningful impact. Innovating is not only an option; it is a responsibility. It is an epic opportunity, and it starts now!
Magnus Karlsson has been actively contributing to writing these standards for the past 15 years and has pioneered analyzing and implementing innovation management systems in organizations in Sweden and internationally. He is an Adjunct Professor of innovation management at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, and Chairman of the standardization committee on innovation management at SIS Swedish Institute for Standards, Partner at the training and consulting firm Amplify, and previously the Director for New Business Development and Innovation at Group Function Strategy at the Ericsson headquarters in Stockholm.
