Are we ready to implement innovation management systems?

In 2014, I stood at an international conference on quality where we were discussing a controversial idea about innovation:

Can innovation be framed by methodologies, procedures, and processes just like quality is now?

I remember that I strongly opposed this idea at that time, arguing that standards, especially when they require periodic auditing and review, would kill innovation. Innovation would become sterile, merely fulfilling system requirements as is currently practiced in other management systems. I believed that innovation systems should be supported by guideline standards only.

Years have passed, and I admit I have completely changed my mind. I found that setting requirements for innovation management systems is extremely important. The reason for my change in opinion stems from my experience studying the ISO26000 social responsibility standard. For several years, I chaired the technical committee studying the standard in Bahrain and represented my country at regional and international meetings. Today, after significant international effort, it saddens me that I have not seen practical application of this guideline standard in our business environment.

The reason is very simple: What motivates companies to undertake initiatives that increase their social responsibility if there is no material or moral reward?

Unfortunately, few companies would do so without a reward!

More than three years ago, I joined, representing my beloved country, the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the international movement to create the ISO 56001 innovation standard. As specialists know, this standard is a requirement standard and needs to have periodic auditing. During our many international meetings, our biggest concern was designing a standard that could be applied by various organizations and would have a real impact on driving innovation. Today, as we are on the verge of issuing the new standard, I find myself caught between two realities:

One optimistic and the other pessimistic.

The optimism is clear—we hope that this standard will make a significant shift in our organizations, especially in the Arab region, and that it will promote the building and continuity of an innovation culture, leading to products or services that add real value to the customer. The pessimism stems from our ingrained habit of spending efforts and money on obtaining certificates and awards without measuring the actual implementation return on this investment.

I hope that our institutions in our region realize that the mad rush to collect certificates, if it does not have a tangible impact on development and beneficiaries, is a waste of time, effort, and money.

All we need to do is to truly push towards sound application, supported by effective strategies and conscious leadership, to achieve real performance indicators. I hope this happens and that we understand the importance of the application of standards in building our competitive system.

There is no room for laziness in this changing world. Every moment that passes without providing something new and useful means someone else has surpassed us, and we might find ourselves completely out of the race.

Hassan Isa Al-Sharqi

Consultant in Management Systems