The Role of Innovation Management Standards in Fostering Innovation Processes in Enterprises

Summary

Abstract

The paper presents the essence and role of innovation management standards in fostering innovation processes in enterprises. It demonstrates the scope of the selected management standards and specifies the scope of the impact of innovation management standards CEN/TS 16555 and ISO 56000 in this context. Based on the substantive standards of innovation management, the paper elaborates on the way they may assist in implementing contemporary innovation management concepts. The paper also tries to specify practical recommendations concerning the formation of the innovation management system in an enterprise, according to the standards.

Keywords: innovation, innovation management, innovation processes, standardisation, enterprises

Introduction

Using the standards that significantly affect the operations and processes implemented within organisations is a very important issue of management practice. This standard is defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as follows: “document established by consensus and approved by a recognised body that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context” (ISO 1996). According to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) “standards are documents that set out specifications and other technical information with regard to various kinds of products, materials, services and processes” (CEN). The essence of the standard is its practical dimension—it should not be subject to scientific discussions and instead it should utilise recognised scientific achievements. The managers, using management standards, are expected to use a common system of terms and knowledge that rationalise and improve the processes implemented within organisations.

Within recent years, one may observe the cooperation of institutions supplying standards within the scope of developing innovation management standards. In 2013, the European Standard CEN/TS 16555 was issued, within the scope of the Technical Committee CEN/TC 389—Innovation Management, under the auspices of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). Its further versions and parts were published in 2015. At the global level, the progress of tasks’ implementation within the scope of developing innovation management standards is much smaller. In 2013, within the International Standardization Organization, a new technical committee ISO/TC 279 Innovation Management has been appointed in order to develop international innovation management standards, i.e. ISO 56000.