Title: Improving performance evaluation metrics to manage innovative projects

Authors: Vincent Boly; Laure Morel; Mauricio Camargo

Addresses: Nancy University/ERPI, Equipe de Recherche des Processus Innovatifs/Research Laboratory on Innovative Processes, 8, rue Bastien Lepage, 54010 Nancy Cedex, France. ' Nancy University/ERPI, Equipe de Recherche des Processus Innovatifs/Research Laboratory on Innovative Processes, 8, rue Bastien Lepage, 54010 Nancy Cedex, France. ' Nancy University/ERPI, Equipe de Recherche des Processus Innovatifs/Research Laboratory on Innovative Processes, 8, rue Bastien Lepage, 54010 Nancy Cedex, France

Abstract: As with any process, innovation requires control and evaluation operations in order to improve management practices. This research focuses on the concept of evaluation concerning innovation project management (from idea to launch). Indeed, literature attests to numerous productions in the field of project management and there are many software packages available. A performance benchmark conducted on the most successful software confirms that the project manager has few elements in relation to the characteristics of innovation, including: newness, uncertainty and learning. Consequently, this research fills the gap in the field of project reporting and evaluation of innovation. The research results are a list of variables to be followed by innovators throughout a project (in particular during the fuzzy front end).

Keywords: innovation; innovative projects; project management; evaluation operations; newness; customer integration; confrontation; performance evaluation; evaluation metrics; control operations; management practices; software packages; performance benchmarks; project managers; uncertainty; learning; project reporting; variables; innovators; fuzzy front ends; food industry; France; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; delicatessen; technology intelligence; technology planning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTIP.2012.048571

International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 2012 Vol.8 No.3, pp.215 - 232

Published online: 16 Aug 2012 *

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