5 - Level 3

Summary

The aim of the planning level of The Innovation Pyramid is to develop a creation and delivery plan for the designed innovation. Delivery is critical, for without adoption of the designed innovation there will be no impact. There are four components to the plan. That plan may vary in detail, depending on the complexity of the innovation, but it must always contain those four components. The Operations component of the plan can range from a simple scope document to a detailed Gantt chart. The Delivery portion can range from a description of the innovation's pathway to the adopter to a full-blown marketing plan. The Resources section can be a commitment list of key required resources to a complete project financial analysis. Finally, the Risk portion can range from the identification of key project risks to strategies for their mitigation. Regardless of the complexity of the innovation project, if a precise plan cannot be crafted or the necessary resources cannot be committed to the project, then the design must be altered. This chapter also covers various means to pitch the plan, necessary to gain project support, from the elevator pitch to the full-blown project pitch.