Ensure That Your Innovation Management Tool Is Not Just Another Empty Suggestion Box

While many organizations realize the importance of business innovation, the relatively minuscule size of the software market for innovation management tools indicates that most organizations do not yet see the utility in acquiring and implementing such tools to support their internal and external innovation programs. Over the course of evaluating 14 innovation management tools for a recent Forrester Wave™, we had the opportunity to speak with more than 40 customers and users of these tools. In addition to getting to know each of the vendors and their products, we extended our insight into real-world experiences in implementing this class of tool to support an innovation program. We also gathered advice about running an innovation program to deliver the maximum business value and the contribution this type of software can make to increase business benefits resulting from innovation programs. Organizations looking to improve their programs will benefit from these lessons.