Description

The innovation theme allows a social organisation to add information on innovations (management as well as technological innovations) that it has implemented and that contribute to the achievement of its vision of success. Innovations demonstrate the uniqueness and creativeness of a ToC and its approach to create societal value. They can also give a social organisation a competitive advantage.

You can include innovations already fully developed as well as innovations you’re currently exploring. Similarly, you can consider something to be an innovation because it’s new to your ToC or because it’s one of a kind in the market. On the other hand, if it is a need for a new innovation, such can also be included via the needs theme instead of the innovation theme.

Stakeholder Engagement

Social organisations

Stakeholders can engage to add information from their perspective about how innovations work out and possibly add relevant background information about an innovation.

Bringing relevant innovations from elsewhere to the attention of the organisation is not part of the Innovation theme. Instead, stakeholders can use the Opportunities & Threats theme to include such innovations.

Stakeholders

As a stakeholder, this theme allows you to learn about the ToC’s level of innovativeness and potential sources of competitive advantage. You can engage:

To inform the organisation about how innovations work out in practice. Note: Do bear in mind it’s about objective observations and please use the discussion page in case of more subjective experiences.
To add background information about an innovation relevant to societal value creation.

Bringing relevant innovations from elsewhere to the attention of the organisation is not part of the Innovation theme. Instead, you can use the Opportunities & Threats theme (or even better the Discussion page) to bring such innovations to the attention of social organisations.

Questions to Ask

What makes us different compared to other organisations with a similar vision of success? What makes us stand out?
What gives our ToC a competitive advantage over other organisations? That is, why do we belief we will be more successful?
What innovations are implemented throughout our ToC?
What technological innovations and what forms of social innovation are characteristic for our operations?
Have we developed new products or services, new methods of production or sales, new sources of supply, expanded to new markets or developed workplace innovations? (see “more about innovations” below, about the types of innovation)
In what areas are we exploring new innovations for the future?

What to Describe

Typical information to describe for an innovation:

The effects and consequences for the organisation and stakeholders. How the innovation contributes to achieving your vision of success.
Any challenges or limitations regarding the innovation.
When the innovation was or will be implemented.
The process by which the innovation came about.

More About Innovations

Still considered an innovation?

At a certain point in time an innovation often becomes common practice. If it doesn’t set the organisation apart anymore, there may be no need to include it as an innovation any longer.

Types of Innovation

Various types of innovations can be distinguished such as:http://faculty.london.edu/rchandy/innovation%20typologies.pdf

Product or service innovation: a product or service new to customers.
Process innovation: new methods of production or sales of a product.
New sources of supply of resources.
Exploitation of new markets.
Business model innovation: new forms of organisation, new ways to organise business, or new industry structures.
Social or management innovation: innovation in management practices and organising work.

Community Guidelines

To make sure the Changeroo platform is a powerful vehicle for change, we’ve put together a few ground rules.

Content pages focus on consensus, integration of information and objective facts, instead of repetition and endless texts. Social organisations can open up these pages to stakeholder feedback and input.

Guidelines

Share your expertise and resources to be of influence and help social organisations move their social mission forward. Seek opportunities to contribute that align with your own values. Present yourself through your contributions.
Learn from stakeholders’ feedback and improve your understanding of an organisation.
Be constructive in your criticism.
Be open to disagreement and listen to other people’s opinions. Change happens when people with different backgrounds and perspectives can participate in a conversation.
Be reasonable, kind, respectful and use common sense.
Do not use hate speech, do not impersonate others, do not violate others’ privacy, do not bully, do not be unnecessarily graphic, do not spam and do not break the law (which includes respecting copyrights in your posts).
Update your ToC with developments. When you’re candid with stakeholders and tell them what we do and don’t know and make them part of the process, it’s much more engaging for them.