A Simple Way to Assess a Company’s Innovation Strategy

Any innovation strategy must address different areas of the business over different time periods. In our map, the horizontal axis distinguishes short-term innovation (usually focused on P&L issues such as cost reduction); medium-term innovations (e.g. growth issues such as new niche markets); and long-term innovations (usually focused on the brand). The vertical axis shows which areas of the business areas will be affected, ranging from business processes at the bottom of the chart to the business model at the top.

This map will reveal whether your innovation projects are too narrowly focussed. An effective innovation strategy has projects that fill most if not all the squares, with greatest disruption potential (marked in red) likely to occur where business model innovation is achieved over the long term.