While every Creative Realities innovation program is customized to meet the unique needs of our diverse client base, we’ve learned that there is a certain Zen to innovation; a flow or path that any successful innovator must follow. Since our founding in 1988, we have discovered 3 Keys that are critical to achieving value-creating innovations. While each client solution is different, every CRI client program leverages these 3 Keys.

Innovation’s 9 Critical Success Factors. Creative Realities has been helping clients be more innovative for almost 20 years. Over time we began to notice that there were some things our clients had in common that either fostered or hampered the success of their innovation efforts. We began testing for these factors as we began new client engagements and as we evaluated completed ones. Over the years, 9 Critical Success Factors have consistently demonstrated their importance as the foundation for successful innovation. These factors are now key insight drivers for the design and implementation of innovation programs to help our clients succeed.

CRI’s 5-Phased Innovation Model. Many companies recognize 3 phases of innovation: idea generation, development (stage-gates), and commercialization). To be successful on a sustainable basis, innovators must understand and participate in 5 discrete stages. In fact, organizations that are truly committed to long-term sustainable growth should be actively doing something in each of these 5 stages at any given time. Over the years CRI has developed an extensive toolkit of processes, and proprietary tools to leverage each phase of the process.

4 Uncontrollable Drivers of Innovation. These are the drivers of change that are bigger than any single industry. They can’t be managed, nor are they subject to anyone’s strategies. The sad fact is that only a very few enlightened organizations want to change. Change is painful. Change involves risk. Change disrupts established processes and systems, upsetting the comfort of the past. However, change happens whether you seek it or not. Those who are prepared benefit. Those who drive change successfully benefit more. There are 4 drivers of change. To succeed, innovators must study and leverage them all.