The implementation of the Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework.

How difficult would it be to embrace this Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework, as it is often argued that most people want to keep innovation management and its process simple? I wonder if that is the current incumbents, be these current innovation management software providers or individuals inside the organizations resisting change, as it brings significant uncertainty of change and disruption to the (inadequate) process, one that I feel is not fit for today’s and tomorrow’s innovation purpose.

So how to set about making this change and who should be involved as it is a more radical design of a holistic nature is what I am outlining in this post and the next one focuses more on the project organization needed.

Organizations in today’s business environment need to adapt rapidly and dynamically, the need to bring the innovation management process into a constant technological advancement, and more designed by their own specific needs and not “offered” as a rigid set of solutions. We need to embrace a significant change in the way we “set about” innovation.

It needs increased agility and looks to have innovation consistently redesigned to meet different challenges and needs. It needs a better set of flexible design elements and system thinking to gain from reuse and redesign rapidly. I like the term I saw the other day “systems of gravity” to get tasks completed faster than what is being offered today in innovating software solutions.

The need is to set about building a compelling business case to make the move to embrace this (radical) design change and its potential value in returns and flexibility. I want to begin to sketch out the pathway of change this might need. It will be hard work, but doing this in stages gives growing understanding and value, and I believe ultimately rewarding.

We cannot afford not to avoid changing our innovation processes as we deal with a far more complex and challenging world. We seem to be keeping innovation as a disappointing and often frustrating outcome for many leaders of organizations today, innovation needs to be top of mind and better equipped to deliver.

Here I will offer up some thoughts on how to make this change and who in the next post who should be involved, as it is a more radical design of a holistic nature. Any enterprise-enabled framework will require serious change management thinking. It is not a “big bang” solution; it should be phased. Any enterprise-enabled framework will require serious change management to understand build-up validation, the level of returns, and the growing understanding of cost/ benefit conversion.

Embracing a Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework will undoubtedly involve a significant shift in mindset and processes, which could raise concerns about complexity. Indeed our existing innovation processes are doing an (adequate) job. Why change? It is recognized the world over change is uncomfortable, often painful and uncertain, but still constantly confronts us, but change we must give new innovations the real chance to “crack” the complex and challenging tasks facing us all.

The Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework

This visual shows the full framework components and a helpful “familiarizing” checklist.

However, it is important to highlight the compelling business case and potential value in returns, both in the short and long term, to motivate organizations to make this radical change. Here’s a sketch of a pathway of change and the associated benefits:

1. Identify pain points and limitations: Start by identifying the pain points and limitations of existing innovation management processes and software. This could include difficulties adapting to rapidly changing market dynamics, a lack of collaboration and integration, inefficient resource allocation, or the inability to leverage emerging technologies effectively.
2. Communicate the need for change: Clearly articulate the organization’s challenges and limitations and explain how a Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework can address these issues. Emphasize the importance of staying competitive in a rapidly evolving business landscape and the potential risks of falling behind.
3. Highlight the benefits of adaptability and flexibility: One of the key advantages of a Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework is its adaptability and flexibility. Showcase how this approach allows for dynamic assembly and reconfiguration of innovation processes and resources, enabling the organization to respond quickly to market changes and customer needs. Emphasize the potential for increased agility, faster time-to-market, and improved innovation outcomes. Organizations continue to struggle with being adaptable and flexible. Does this solution offer a pathway?
4. Showcase the power of collaboration and ecosystem thinking: Illustrate how embracing an innovation ecosystem and ecosystem thinking can unlock new opportunities for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and shared value creation. Highlight examples of successful ecosystem-driven innovations and the potential for increased access to resources, expertise, and markets. Ecosystem design is becoming organizations’ “go-to” solution to accelerate their competitiveness.
5. Demonstrate the potential return on investment: The task of building and validating a comprehensive analysis of the potential returns on investment associated with adopting a Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework is difficult as it is radical and new, but that is the essence of groundbreaking innovation solutions; we need to push through the knowns and find answers to the unknowns. This evaluation must identify cost savings through more efficient resource allocation, revenue growth through faster innovation cycles, improved product/service development, and increased market share through enhanced competitiveness. This needs a staged approach to build the validation, so the framework itself must build out in “validation” steps.
6. Showcase success stories and case studies: As you learn you can justify. Share success stories and case studies of organizations successfully embracing similar frameworks. Highlight their positive outcomes, such as increased innovation efficiency, improved customer satisfaction, and market leadership. These examples can serve as proof of concept and inspire confidence in the potential value of the framework. In my limited research, multiple parts of this Composable framework have been made by how Lego has undergone change, South Western Airlines, IKEA, and many of the technology giants building out the Platform solutions with building blocks and stacks as part of their designs.
7. Develop a phased implementation plan: To address concerns about complexity, develop a phased implementation plan that allows for this gradual adoption of the Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework. Start with a pilot project or a specific business unit to test parts of the framework’s structure and effectiveness and build confidence among stakeholders. Using the suggested building blocks and learning components are all common today. This phased approach minimizes disruption and allows for iterative improvements based on real-world feedback.
8. Provide training and support: Offer different and structured training programs and workshops to bring the idea to life within the organization and then give ongoing support to help employees adapt to the new framework. This ensures that they understand the rationale behind the change, have the necessary skills to operate within the framework, and feel supported throughout the transition process. The diverge/converge framework and design thinking methodology are relevant and useful to see the value of change.
9. Continuously measure and communicate success: Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact of the Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework. Regularly communicate progress and success stories to reinforce the value of the change. Celebrate wins and highlight the positive outcomes achieved through the framework’s implementation. Measuring success is no different than any innovation or change project. These need to be broken down into the framework parts that need to be assessed.

By following this pathway of change and effectively communicating a constant and compelling business case for embracing a Composable Innovation Enterprise Framework, organizations can overcome resistance to change and build a strong foundation for driving innovation excellence.