Defining Innovation

[Steven Bonacorsi]

What is Innovation?

"Innovation is something new and contrary to established customs,
manners or rites." (Sir Francis Bacon, 1561-1626)

"A process of handling new things that deliver value." (Imaginatik
Research)

"Taking an idea to the perfect and profitable execution" (Anonymous)

"Going outside the box (framework) to create solutions and
implementing them. It's creating opportunities and the environment for
change and learning." (Smithsonian Institution, Office of Finance and
Administration)

"The transformation of thoughts to new ideas, the application of these
ideas to fulfill goals and therefore improve the current business or
create new business." (R.J. Reynolds, R&D)

"Implementing creative ideas to produce new and improved processes and
products is innovation. This includes better ways of doing our jobs
and new tools to make us more productive." (The Clorox Company, R&D)

"Innovation is implementing the creative idea and benefiting from it.
Implementation is the key to innovation."

" . . . introducing new commodities or qualitatively better versions
of existing ones; finding new markets; new methods of production and
distribution; or new sources of production for existing commodities;
or introducing new forms of economic organization." (Schumpeter, 1942)

"An innovation is an idea, practice or object that is perceived as new
by an individual or other unit of adoption." (Rogers, 1995)

"The intersection of invention and insight, leading to the creation of
economic value." (U.S. National Innovation Initiative, 2005)

"An innovation is anything new that is actually used (enters the
market place) - whether major or minor." (von Hippel, 2005)

"The adoption of an internally generated or purchased device, system,
policy, program, process, product, or service that is new to the
adopting organization." (Damanpour, 1991)

"Creating new and better ways of doing things that your customers
value and that create value for your shareholders." (George et al.,
2005)

"A new way of doing things . . . that is commercialized." (Porter,
1990)

"The successful exploitation of new ideas." (U.K. Department of Trade
and Industry, 2003)

"An innovation is anything new that is actually used (enters the
market place) - whether major or minor." (von Hippel, 2005)

"A new way of doing things . . . that is commercialized." (Porter,
1990)

"The successful exploitation of new ideas." (U.K. Department of Trade
and Industry, 2003)

What concepts that should be included in the definition of Innovation?

"You can't Lean Six Sigma your way to innovation...Lean Six Sigma is
all about process and cost, while innovation is all about the new.
Companies led by CEOs trained in Lean Six Sigma are finding it hard to
shift paradigms." Bruce Nussbaum (Industry Week)

"In the appropriate setting, process management activities [Lean Six
Sigma] can help companies improve efficiency, but the risk is that you
misapply these programs, in particular in areas where people are
supposed to be innovative. Brand new technologies to produce products
that don't exist are difficult to measure. This kind of innovation may
be crowded out when you focus too much on processes you can measure."
- Mary J. Benner, Wharton professor


Steven Bonacorsi is a Senior Master Black Belt instructor and coach.
Steven Bonacorsi has trained hundreds of Master Black Belts, Black
Belts, Green Belts, and Project Sponsors and Executive Leaders in Lean
Six Sigma DMAIC and Design for Lean Six Sigma process improvement
methodologies.

Bonacorsi Consulting, LLC.
Steven Bonacorsi, President
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
14 Clinton Street
Salem NH 03079
sbona...@comcast.net
603-401-7047

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