Industrialised, Integrated, Intelligent sustainable Construction - I3con

SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK 2
The innovation process
The innovation process encompasses several systematic steps, beginning from problem/requirement
analysis to idea generation, idea evaluation, project planning, product development and testing to
finally product marketing. The steps may overlap each other. These steps could be categorised into 3
broad phases, which represent a simplified innovation process, see Figure 1 (Tiwari et al., 2007).
Figure 1. Three phases of a simplified innovation process
Innovation and Uncertainty
Although innovation usually adds value, it has negative impact and involves a certain level of
uncertainty. Radical Innovation involves the maximum level of uncertainty on four major fronts:
Technical, Organisational, Market and Resource.
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(1) Technical uncertainty
This is concerned with the development of a product that possesses the right specification;
the availability of technology and trained personnel needed for developing products with
those specifications and the availability of these technologies elsewhere.
(2) Organisational uncertainty
This is concerned with the impact of the new technology on the organisation’s vision,
mission and structure; the adaptability of the new technology by employees and the reaction
of the organisation as a whole to the development of this innovation.
(3) Market uncertainty
This is concerned with identifying the type of customers who will use the product of the
innovation process and the ability of the produced product to meet the customers’ needs and
achieve their satisfaction.
(4) Resource uncertainty
This is concerned with the role of management towards providing enough financial
resources for the development of these products; the availability of adequate technology;
the level of outside assistance required (TBS, 2009).