Strategy and planning for innovation management – a business excellence approach

This paper highlights how the European Business Excellence Model can be adapted to innovation when formulating strategies and plans. The Business Excellence Model is too general to be applied directly to innovation, and the authors find that specific criterion parts have to be supplemented. A cause and effect diagram is formulated showing eight criterion parts to be relevant when formulating strategies and plans for the company’s innovation programme. These eight criterion parts can be combined in an extended PDSA loop, where the first loop reflects the strategy and planning phases for innovations and the second loop reflects the “right” innovative, creative and learning culture that is required when implementing these strategies and plans. The paper goes into details with the first loop, where each of the four phases (PDSA) are discussed and specific areas to address are highlighted.