Improve your organisation’s capabilities to identify and realise new value
Sean McNulty, a certified Innovation Management Professional and past chair of TC 45 Innovation Mirror Committee with NSAI, writes about innovation, its benefits and where to start when adopting the standard
All organisations must innovate and renew themselves to stay relevant over time.
Sean McNulty Certified Innovation Management Professional
Why is innovation important?
All organisations must innovate and renew themselves to stay relevant over time. It can be about what they offer to users and customers, how they design their business or operational models, how they work in terms of processes and organisations, or how they collaborate with partners in an ecosystem.
This framework can be used to increase and maximise the customer and stakeholder benefits and value for all types of transformations, for example, digital, green circular economy or even the application of AI. In the short term, it may address an urgent need for solutions, while in the long term, it aims to foster the creation of improved systems and transformations in how things are done, ultimately benefiting sustainable development and societal impact.
What is innovation?
Innovation is a new or changed entity, realising or redistributing value. An entity can be anything – a product, process, service, business model etc. Innovation ensures that measurable value and outcomes are generated, delivered and deployed in terms of its wider impact and a specific set of benefits.
What are the benefits?
ISO 56001 provides a credible and internationally agreed-upon framework and shared language for managing innovation efforts across multiple departments, sites and countries within any organisation.
Organisations can enhance their skills to effectively drive and manage innovation activities using a systems approach. This involves looking at the entire picture, understanding how different elements interact and impact one another, rather than just concentrating on individual components. It enables organisations and their leaders to exhibit professional leadership and a strong commitment to innovation.
Adopting this standard can help realise higher value more quickly and with greater precision for users, customers, employees, and other stakeholders. It will increase the likelihood of hitting your innovation targets and securing prosperous returns on your innovation investments. Moreover, it establishes a robust foundation for all kinds of transformations, such as digital and green shifts, contributing to the sustainable development of society. For further Information visit Innovation Management Systems Standards | NSAI
It enables organisations and their leaders to exhibit professional leadership and a strong commitment to innovation.
Sean McNulty Certified Innovation Management Professional
The following key standards are part of the ISO 56000 family:
- I.S. EN ISO 56000:2021 Innovation management – Fundamentals and vocabulary
- ISO/FDIS 56001 Innovation management system – Requirements (launch Q4 2024 – certifiable standard)
- I.S. EN ISO 56002:2021 Innovation management – Innovation management
- I.S. EN ISO 56003:2021 Innovation Management – Tools and Methods for Innovation Partnership – Guidance
- S.R. CEN ISO/TR 56004:2020 Innovation Management – Innovation Management Assessment – Guidance
- I.S. EN ISO 56005:2021 Innovation Management – Tools and Methods for Intellectual Property Management – Guidance
- ISO 56006:2021 Innovation management – Tools and methods for strategic intelligence management – Guidance
- I.S. EN ISO 56007:2023 Innovation management – Tools and methods for managing opportunities and ideas – Guidance
- I.S. EN ISO 56008:2024 Innovation management – Tools and methods for innovation operation measurements – Guidance
- ISO/TS 56010:2023 Innovation management – Illustrative examples of ISO 56000
Here are the steps to get started.
- Understand and create awareness in your organisation about ISO 56001 – what it is and why it is essential for boosting your innovation performance, as most organisations and business want to find new growth and/or new innovative ways of doing things as well as deliver excellent operation management.
- Learn and build competence in leadership teams and other key groups about how your organisation can drive systematic innovation activities based on ISO 56001.
- Determine the urgency for change within your organisation and propose a pilot innovation initiative.
- Plan your innovation project, identify capability gaps, and prioritize actions to lead, build, enhance, and then begin implementing an innovation pilot project in line with ISO 56001. Subsequently, you may pursue ISO certification for your organisation or individual certification as an Innovation Management Professional.
With thanks to Sean McNulty, a certified Innovation Management Professional and past chair of TC45 Innovation Mirror Committee in NSAI. Sean has over 30 years’ experience in the practical application of innovation and the resulting game changing solutions through his role as Founder of Dolmen Design and Innovation and as Founder of Insight Innovate, an organisation focused on applying a Needs-Led Innovation process to identify and validate ‘unmet’ and ‘unarticulated’ user needs across a range of sectors.
Pictured: Sean McNulty of Dolmen Design & Innovation
The views and opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of NSAI, nor does it assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information published.
Purchasing standards through Standards.ie:
Innovation Management collection including I.S. EN ISO 56000:2021; I.S. EN ISO 56002:2021; I.S. EN ISO 56003:2021; S.R. CEN ISO/TR 56004:2020 & I.S. EN ISO 56005:2021
Innovation Management collection including I.S. EN ISO 56000:2021; I.S. EN ISO 56002:2021; I.S. EN ISO 56003:2021 & S.R. CEN ISO/TR 56004:202
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