What Is an Innovation Outpost?

Technology is the driving force powering the ever-shifting nature of the modern world. But world-altering technologies like the Internet, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data come with their own unique implications, challenges, and opportunities. Understanding the implications, overcoming the challenges, and taking advantage of the opportunities presented by new technologies in a competitive manner is only possible through innovation.

(This article is part of our Innovation in The Enterprise series. Use the right-hand menu to navigate.)

What is Innovation?

Innovating is the act of creating new concepts or new approaches to existing concepts. But it’s not only about coming up with new ways of overcoming new obstacles; it’s also about anticipating issues that are yet to arise. With how quickly things change and how high the expectations of modern consumers are, failing to innovate can easily result in your organization crumbling into a heap of rubble.

It’s safe to say innovation isn’t just important in today’s world—it’s imperative. Without innovation, even managing to keep up with new technologies as they arise becomes virtually impossible and that’s saying nothing about getting ahead of the competition. What makes things even more difficult, especially for larger organizations, is the fact that contemporary technology and business practices have drastically lowered the barrier for entry into the competitive space.

Due to modern business conditions (relatively low cost of technology and access to funds through venture capitalist investments, to name a couple), smaller and newer organizations have the tools, resources, and agility to give even the most well-seasoned veteran companies a run for their money. The good news is that this low barrier to entry applies to organizations of all sizes that are willing to make the changes necessary to embrace innovation from within.

How Can Innovation Be Embraced?

It’s true that innovation can sometimes happen by accident. In fact, there are many products famous for being accidental inventions. However, innovating by accident isn’t a reliable model in a competitive environment. Furthermore, most of those accidental inventions were only possible because someone was actively trying to develop something new and innovative.

Specific innovations can be accidental, but they are almost always byproducts of a very intentional process of innovating. Much like with DevOps, embracing innovation requires a change in more than just policy and corporate structure. Innovation can be encouraged and empowered by establishing a culture of innovation within the organization that values creativity and encourages risk-taking.

Creating an atmosphere where innovations can be reliably manufactured is no simple task, but the rewards made possible through such an environment are vast. One way that organizations are empowering innovation is through the use of innovation outposts.