„Open Innovation Monitor 2012“ – Study Unveils Backlog of the Innovation Management of Organizations

English Summary

The "Open-Innovation-Monitor 2012" is a regular survey among more than 200 German-speaking executives about the use of the Open Innovation methodology and the tools within the Open Innovation process. The survey was conducted by the Innovation Society, St.Gallen and the University of Applied Sciences, St.Gallen. The results of the study unveil some interesting aspects:

1. Innovation is the key: The results of the survey show that a majority of the companies and organizations considers innovation as a key topic. Irrespective of the industry sector over 70% of the respondents rate the innovation topic "important" or "very important". This means that in practice innovation is a key topic.
2. Innovation is a strategic issue: Innovation seems to be a strategic issue for most companies. More than 70% of the respondents indicated that Innovation is positioned on a strategic level in their organization. In contrast only 42% said that the topic is positioned on a cultural level and only 30% indicated that innovation is also structurally anchored in the organization. However, in larger organizations innovation is represented on all three levels.
3. Innovation management is little innovative: The tools which are used in the innovation management process are traditional tools like Continuous Improvement Process (CIP), Staff Suggestion Schemes (SSS) or creativity techniques. In R&D projects traditional sources for innovation are often used, like scientific papers or research partners (e. g. universities, universities of applied sciences). Newer instruments or partners (social media channels) are less often used. Social media channels would be used by 14% of the respondents in research and 16% in development projects.
4. Crowdsourcing: Unknown and rarely used: Executives seem to be less familiar with crowdsourcing than assumed by experts in the past. Among 50% are familiar with the term "Crowdsourcing". Only 30% could explain the word. Unsurprisingly only 22% indicate that crowdsourcing has been used in their organization in the past.
5. Lack of confidentiality as main hindrance: 50% of the organizations indicate that the main hindrance to use crowdsourcing would be the lack of confidentiality in the crowdsourcing process. In particular within the industries pharmaceutical, chemical industry or banking this figure is 71%. This indicates that the main hindrance for the use of crowdsourcing elements in the innovation process is the assumed lack of confidentiality. The problems in the innovation management could by all means be solved by crowdsourcing.

 

Conclusion

Innovation is a key topic for many companies and organizations. However, the innovation methods currently used in many organizations are less innovative. New instruments as e. g. crowdsourcing are significantly less widespread as supposed by the authors. These instruments could provide a significant improvement of efficiency (money, time, results). Facing the plentitude of new instruments and crowdinnovation-based concepts there is an enormous potential for information and training services. The efficiency and the quality of innovation projects could be remarkably improved by these new tools in many organizations.

Contact and Further Information

Die Innovationsgesellschaft, St.Gallen

Robert Rekece

Lerchefeldstrasse 5

CH-9014 St.Gallen

Phone: +41 71 274 72 66

robert.rekece@innovationsgesellschaft.ch

www.innovationsgesellschaft.ch

Downloads

The study "Open Innovation Monitor 2012" can be ordered here (In German - free of charge).

The press release can be downloaded here (In German, pdf 145 KB)