Innovation is a ‘buzzword’ adopted by many businesses. Being ‘innovative’ becomes something companies strive to achieve. But what is innovation and how does being innovative translate from our products to our ways of doing business?
Firstly, innovation is born from creativity. Creativity is, by its nature, the process of creating something new, whether that’s an idea, a concept or a method. Innovation in a business setting uses creativity to enhance the performance of a process, person, team or organisation.
We can all innovate, and by instilling a culture of innovation within our businesses we can save time, save money and, most importantly, gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
What many people fail to realise about innovation is that it’s not just restricted to the product. Having a cutting-edge, market-leading, innovative product is great but not every business will be in the position to be able to do this. What everyone can do is adopt innovation across all aspects of their business – whether this is in staff management, business processes or customer service.
There are no hard and fast ways on how to be ‘innovative’ but the following can help create a culture where creativity, and therefore innovation, will thrive.
Break down barriers
It’s easy to feel stifled by rules, accepted norms and a set way of doing things. Break down these barriers and open up to all aspects of the business. The best ideas can come from the most unlikely of sources. Open organisations where everyone is heard are the best innovators.
Listen
Listening to your staff, whether it’s the CFO or the latest intern, will give you invaluable insights into your company. You’ll be able to build up a complete view and increase the chances of hearing the idea that can spark change and success.
Work together
The best innovators are the best collaborators. Collaborative working across departments and with co-workers will generate new ideas and different perspectives that can be applied to improve the accepted way of doing business.
Empower
By listening to your staff and giving them a voice you empower them to believe in their job and enjoy work. Through every industry we work in we always find the most successful companies are the ones where the employees enjoy work.
Embrace technology
New technology from time-tracking apps to workforce management software is changing the way businesses operate by embracing all the elements needed to create a winning team. Early adopters of new technology constantly gain an edge over their competitors and ultimately deliver a better product and service.
Innovation stems from having the right mindset, from the top of the organisation to the bottom. This is a mindset that challenges people to see the world in a different light, to find a solution where one might not exist and to not be afraid of embracing change.
At Quinyx, innovation runs through the heart of our product and the way we do business.