Title: Assessing the management of innovation with software tools: an application of innovationEnterprizer

Authors: Steffen J. Conn, Marko T. Torkkeli, Iain Bitran

Addresses: The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM), P.O. Box 18, Worsley, Manchester M28 1XP, UK. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Prikaatintie 9, FIN-45100 Kouvola, Finland. ' Enterprizer Technologies Ltd, P.O. Box 18, Worsley, Manchester M28 1XP, UK

Abstract: This paper presents an NPD managerial decision-making software system: innovationEnterprizer. Furthermore, the paper reports on the application of the system at a major European parts supplier to the German automotive industry which was carried out during September 2004. Ten facilitated sessions were conducted with managers. The main results indicated that the project team (human and integration factors) were extremely weak when compared with the formal side of innovation, for which the company had formal processes and scored very strongly. Furthermore, the consistency between units was very high, indicating that general innovation policy, which was formulated at corporate board level, was not adapted to the unit-specific level. This was despite the board|s recognition that each unit has a need for its own uniquely combined set of success factors.

Keywords: innovation management; measurement; new product development; NPD; software tools; toolkit; managerial decision making; Germany; automotive parts suppliers; automobile industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2009.022656

International Journal of Technology Management, 2009 Vol.45 No.3/4, pp.323 - 336

Published online: 24 Jan 2009 *

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