Transform Your I&O Organization Into An Innovation Machine

Innovation is seen as the major force behind productivity, competitiveness, and eventually, sustained business growth. IT has been one of the major contributors to business productivity and has shown its ability to radically change many business processes. Within IT, however, the I&O organization takes a backseat role, perceived as the supporter of innovation but not the innovator. In this context, how can I&O executives get their organizations to participate or even initiate innovation? If I&O can be the spark than ignites innovation, what are the organizational factors that inhibit or promote innovation? Finally, is there a process or set of best practices that I&O execs can put in place to select, validate, and implement innovative projects? To answer these questions, this report examines the nature of innovation in the age of the customer, details the major obstacles to innovation, and proposes a set of best practices that I&O executives can enact to transform I&O into an innovation machine.