What’s the right/best innovation organizational structure for our business?

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Resource Type
Whitepaper
Publish Date
11/14/2019
Authors
Jeffrey Phillips, Michael Blades, Tim Dennison, Mike Blackburn
Topics
Managing Innovation and R+D, Portfolio Management, Strategic Planning
Associated Event
Publication
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Author:  Jeffrey Phillips
Contributors:  Mike Blackburn (Cargill), Michael Blades (National Gypsum), Tim Dennison (Sealed Air), RTI Innovation Advisors
 
 
November, 2019
The purpose of this short white paper is to examine key considerations that will shape how your company defines its innovation structure(s) and governance necessary to help shape and manage innovation activities within those structures.
 
Ultimately, the questions we want to provide answers to are:
  1. What are the appropriate organizational structures (teams, activities and programs) for the innovation we need to accomplish?
  2. For each organizational structure that is deployed, what is the best governance model to ensure successful innovation?
 
Our experience suggests that far too little consideration is given to determining the best innovation structures.  Further, while temporary and permanent innovation structures exist, people and teams often lack good information about roles, scope, expected outcomes, and other factors of governance.  Defining the best structure for the purpose, and providing good governance, will lead to better innovation outcomes.
 
Since budgets for innovation activities are often limited, conducting approved innovation programs and projects effectively is critical.  Innovation investments in people, time and money are simply too important to waste.  Therefore, a focus on innovation structures and governance is very important.