Purpose:

Maintain an awareness of information technology and related service trends, identify innovation opportunities, and plan how to benefit from innovation in relation to business needs. Analyse what opportunities for business innovation or improvement can be created by emerging technologies, services or IT-enabled business innovation, as well as through existing established technologies and by business and IT process innovation. Influence strategic planning and enterprise architecture decisions.

Objective:

Achieve competitive advantage, business innovation, and improved operational effectiveness and efficiency by exploiting information
technology developments.

Description:

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Inputs:

• Emerging Technologies

Outputs:

• Innovation Plan
• Recognition and Reward Program
• Innovation Opportunities Linked to Business Drivers
• Research Analyses of Innovation Possibilities
• Evaluations of Innovation Ideas
• Proof-of-concept scope and outline Business Case
• Test Results from Proof-of-concept Initiatives
• Results and Recommendations form Proof-of-concept Initiatives
• Analysis of reject ted Initiatives
• Assessments of Using Innovation Benefits
• Adjusted Innovation Plans

Controls:

• Enterprise Strategy and Enterprise SWOT Analysis
• Emerging Technologies

Task Instructions:

Create an Environment Conducive to Innovation

1. 1. Create an innovation plan that includes risk appetite, the envisioned budget to spend on innovation initiatives, and innovation objectives.
   2. Provide infrastructure that can be an enabler for innovation, such as collaboration tools for enhancing work between geographic locations and divisions.
   3. Create an environment that is conducive to change by maintaining relevant HR initiatives, such as innovation recognition and reward programs, appropriate job rotation, and discretionary time for experimentation.
   4. Maintain a program enabling staff to submit innovative ideas and create a proper decision-making structure to assess and take these ideas forward.
   5. Encourage innovation ideas from customers, suppliers, and business partners.

Maintain an understanding of the Enterprise Environment

1. 1. Maintain an understanding of the business drivers, enterprise strategy, industry drivers, enterprise operations, and other issues so that the potential value-add of technologies or IT innovation can be identified.
   2. Conduct regular meetings with business units, divisions, and other stakeholder entities to understand current business problems, process bottlenecks, or other constraints where emerging technologies or IT innovation can create opportunities.
   3. Understand enterprise investment parameters for innovation and new technologies, so appropriate strategies are developed.

Monitor and Scan the Technology Environment

1. 1. Understand the enterprise’s interest and potential for adopting new technology innovations and focus awareness efforts on the most opportunistic technology innovations.
   2. Perform research and scanning of the external environment, including appropriate web sites, journals, and conferences, to identify emerging technologies.
   3. Consult with third-party experts were needed to confirm research findings or as a source of information on emerging technologies.
   4. Capture staff members’ IT innovation ideas and analyze them for potential implementation.

Assess the Potential of Emerging Technologies and Innovation Ideas

1. 1. Evaluate identified technologies, considering aspects such as time to reach maturity, the inherent risk of new technologies (including potential legal implications), fit with the enterprise architecture, and potential to provide additional value.
   2. Identify any issues that may need to be resolved or proven through a proof-of-concept initiative.
   3. Scope the proof-of-concept initiative, including desired outcomes, required budget, time frames, and responsibilities.
   4. Obtain approval for the proof-of-concept initiative.
   5. Conduct proof-of-concept initiatives to test emerging technologies or other innovation ideas, identify any issues and determine whether further implementation or roll-out should be considered based on feasibility and potential ROI.

Recommend Appropriate Further Initiatives

1. 1. Document proof-of-concept results, including guidance and recommendations for trends and innovation programs.
   2. Communicate viable innovation opportunities into the IT strategy and enterprise architecture processes.
   3. Follow up on proof-of-concept initiatives to measure the degree to which they have been leveraged in actual investment.
   4. Analyze and communicate reasons for rejected proof-of-concept initiatives.

Monitor the Implementation and Use of Innovation

1. 1. Assess the implementation of the new technologies or IT innovations adopted as part of IT strategy and enterprise architecture developments and their realization during program management of initiatives.
   2. Capture lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
   3. Adjust the innovation plan, if required.
   4. Identify and evaluate the potential value to be realized from the use of innovation.