Terms related to »Sustainability«
Ecosystem
A complex network or interconnected system of participants collectively generating an output. The ‘whole’ of an ecosystem is more than the ‘sum of its parts’ through network effects. [ » read more ]
Frugal Innovation
The process of developing products, services and business models that are simple, affordable and accessible to low-income and underserved communities, with the goal of improving their lives and creating new markets and opportunities. [ » read more ]
Innovation
We follow a very basic formula here: creativity + implementation = innovation. In non-commercial environments, this would be an idea that creates value because it got implemented. In commercial environments, it would be the introduction of something new to the market, or if you will, an invention that is commercialized. [ » read more ]
Innovation Barrier
Innovation barriers are organization-specific obstacles that internal innovators or intrapreneurs will run into when trying to push their idea or venture to implementation or market. [ » read more ]
Innovation Capability
The skills and knowledge required to bring innovation forward through the stages of discovery, incubation and acceleration, while managing their interfaces with the core organization with as little unproductive friction as possible. [ » read more ]
Innovation Ecosystem
This term is often used synonymously for ‘innovation system’ and can mean many different things at different levels. For more information, refer to the levels of an ‘ecosystem’. [ » read more ]
Innovation Practice
The customary, habitual, or ‘expected’ procedure or way of doing innovation in an organization. Often driven by underlying management ideas, beliefs, or method(ologie)s. [ » read more ]
Innovation System Design
The application of design and lean innovation thinking and proven change management approaches to the design of interventions to create a sustainable innovation system. [ » read more ]
Invention
According to U.S. Patent Law an invention is “a new, useful process, machine, improvement, etc., that did not exist previously and that is recognized as the product of some unique intuition or genius, as distinguished from ordinary mechanical skill or craftsmanship.” [ » read more ]
Lean Innovation
A combination of discovery, creation, and value delivery approaches in an organization’s innovation process. The goal is to reduce ‘waste’ in the pipeline of new business exploration projects. To name but a few examples of waste in this context: untested customer/problem/value proposition or business model assumptions, insufficient validation of prototypes/experiments with customers, or, even carrying forward political and zombie projects. Usually, three main methodologies are used in lean innovation: design thinking, Lean Startup, and ‘Lean processes’. [ » read more ]
Lens
A specific way to view, comprehend and discuss the world guided by principles and an underlying philosophy. [ » read more ]
Management Innovation
When management subscribes to a new way of thinking and (radically) alters its own decision-making, organizational structures and processes to pave the way for wider organizational change. [ » read more ]
Method
We say: it’s a way of carrying out a particular task, which often comes as a detailed set of step-by-step instructions on what to do. The Oxford Dictionary says: it’s “a particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one.” [ » read more ]
Method(ology) Misfit
The application of a methodology or method which was created for a particular context in a situation or environment to which it is poorly adapted to, or not applicable at all. [ » read more ]
Platform
A platform is a set of solutions to problems that is made available to the members of an ecosystem through a set of access points or interfaces. [ » read more ]
Service Design
The application of design thinking to the improvement or creation of services. [ » read more ]
Sustainable Innovation
Innovation that creates economic benefit within the boundaries of social and environmental capital. [ » read more ]
Technique
A way of carrying out a particular task. Often comes as a detailed set of step-by-step instructions on what to do. Often used as a synonym for ‘method’. [ » read more ]