Measuring innovation performance and innovati on capabilities

Purpose and goal

Many managers start with and get bogged down in the hundreds of possible innovation measures available. If done wrong, measurement of innovation can produce volumes of data rather than meaning, and may direct behavior in undesirable directions. To help managers circumvent measurement traps, we have, in the project, developed: 1) a diagnostic tool for innovation auditing; 2) a step-by-step framework for innovation measurement (a roadmap); 3) a model explaining how innovation measures evolve over time.

Expected results and effects

Our project have resulted in 1) a diagnostic tool; 2) a roadmap; 3) a model explaining how innovation measures evolve over time. Our research is based on in-depth case studies of innovation measurement. We´ve held workshops with more than 80 managers from more than 50 different companies sharing our results. United Minds, a consulting agency, have developed a new offering based on our diagnostic tool. Veckans Affärer have recognized our project and our roadmap in particular. We have crafted and presented five conference articles and have three articles in peer-review processes.

Planned approach and implementation

We conducted our project in four stages, working with our case companies and with companies from three different networks to spread and validate our results. In addition, we have presented and discussed our results and provided input to innovation measurement practices in some ten additional companies. Step 1: qualitative interviews and literature studies. Step 2: In-depth case studies and model development. Step 3: detailed verification, feedback and adaptation of the developed tools and models to the cases companies. Step 4: wide verification and dissemination of results.