Benefits of ISO 56002

ISO 56002, also known as the ISO for innovation, is getting on the radar of more and more companies around the world. Its implementation provides important benefits for its growth and prominence in the market, thanks to the opening of new and prosperous ideas to the business.

Created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), its proposal is to encourage organizations to leave their comfort zones guided by the principle of innovation.

Today, many businesses have already understood the importance of innovation for their success and survival in the market. However, many are still moving slowly towards this path.

A survey conducted by PALAS proves such theory. In its data released, 55% of companies already have an innovation department, especially the large ones, but most do not have a structured governance.

Innovation can come from different sources, be it a product, service, or process. When aligned with the purpose of the company, its desired goals and, developed based on a governance for innovation, tend to generate much more positive results.

In this text, we will explore in depth what ISO 56002 consists of, the pillars that guide it, the greatest benefits it can bring to your company, and how to implement it effectively.

What is ISO 56002?
ISO 56002 is an innovation management standard.

Unlike the others developed by ISO, which are focused on the requirements to be followed by companies, the innovation ISO, as it is also known, points out the guidelines to be adapted by companies according to their demands and stipulated goals.

In practice, it is up to the companies to choose the best path based on the strategies that make sense for the business. In this context, its proposal is precisely to bring greater flexibility, as opposed to establishing strict rules, which could stifle or bureaucratize innovation, as many believe.

Its creation took place after ten years of study on the best practices of the member countries that make up ISO. As a result, one of the starting points was to establish a consensus about the definition of innovation, since its concept diverged among experts in the field.

For the institution, innovation can be a product, service, process, model, method, or a combination of any of these. However, it must be marked by the generation of value – otherwise, the ideas will be considered only inventions and not innovations.

What are the pillars of ISO 56002?
According to ISO 56002, innovation can come from anywhere, as long as it generates value for the organization. To this end, the standard was developed based on eight fundamental pillars for its effective implementation. They are

Strategic direction: every innovation project needs a strategic direction, which must be defined by the companies themselves based on their objectives and purpose.

Approach by processes: The transformation of creativity into a bill of sale is one of the main objectives of ISO 56002, a goal that can only be achieved by defining the roles and responsibilities of those involved, in addition to the resources needed to innovate.

Value Generation: Innovation needs to generate measurable and tangible results for the company. One of the most common examples is the reduction of expenses and the generation of new sources of revenue.

Leadership focused on the future: Leadership is fundamental to multiply and generate the engagement of employees in the innovation process.

Adaptive culture: Having an adaptive culture focused on empathy, collaboration, and experimentation is fundamental for the process of implementing this system to be effective.

Uncertainty management: the risks that every business can suffer are faced with fear by many companies. But, for ISO 56002, they should be seen as possible opportunities for growth – for example, used to develop a contentious action plan for such threats.

Resilience and adaptation: The labor market is constantly changing. In the face of countless changes, it is the role of the leader and those responsible for the innovation process to know how to deal with these situations in the best possible way, being resilient and adaptive.

Insight management: to operationalize all the previous pillars, ISO 56002 suggests the use of a funnel with five stages: hypothesis identification, concept creation, concept validation, idea development, and innovation implementation. These indicators should be analyzed to assess whether it is time to move forward or backward in the development of each initiative.

What are the benefits of ISO 56002?
The main advantage of ISO 56002 is, through a set of guidelines adapted to the needs of each company, to provide a strategic direction focused on innovation.

Its proposal is to help companies deal with the constant changes in the labor market, giving life to new ideas that will take advantage of the best that the environment and people have to offer an organization.

Focused on the elaboration of an innovation management system, ISO 56002 allows companies to become a reference in their area. It helps to control and manage internal processes, gathering the best market insights and how to use them in favor of growth and prominence.

The standard is extremely important to help in the ability to deal with market uncertainties. But also to reduce costs and tiresome processes, increase profitability, employee engagement, and overall company image and possible partnerships with other businesses.

How many companies have already adopted ISO 56002?
To date, about 200 companies around the world have adopted ISO 56002. Among them, AirBus, from the aeronautical sector, is the largest, with more than 150,000 employees.

In Brazil, six companies have already adopted the ISO for innovation. The first of these was MZF4, a nylon transformation industry located in the capital city of São Paulo. At the same time, CSI Locações, an equipment leasing company from Fortaleza, in the state of Ceará, also won the certificate of conformity in this norm.

The third company was PALAS, which understands that it is fundamental to live in house what it takes to its clients. Alexandre Pierro, founding partner of the company, was one of the only Brazilians who participated in the process of formatting ISO 56002 with the international committee ISO/TC 279. The professional was in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO’s headquarters.

Among the Brazilian companies that have adopted ISO for innovation are the contact center giant Atento; one of the largest Brazilian multinationals, Stefanini; and Messer Gases, a German industrial gases company. In 2022, at least five other companies should conclude the process here, one of which is public.

In addition, more than 100 companies are seeking to understand the applicability and benefits of the ISO’s innovation management system. This demonstrates that Brazil is in tune with the best innovation management practices in the world.

What are the requirements to obtain ISO 56002?
ISO 56002 can be adopted by any company, regardless of its size or segment. The only requirement is to be willing to implement a governance model for innovation.

In this process, the ideal is to have the support of a specialized consultancy that has success stories to share and enough knowledge to implement the governance model focused on value generation. Adopting the ISO for innovation just to get the certificate is not relevant.

PALAS was the only consulting company in Brazil to participate in the process of formatting this norm with the international committee, besides being the only one certified in ISO 56002 and already having several cases of implementation. These credentials are fundamental for your company to be well oriented throughout the implementation process.

To find out how we can help your company on this journey, please contact us.

Conclusion
ISO 56002 is already a major trend. With great results tangible by those who have implemented this standard, more and more companies are seeking to adopt this international model of innovation governance.

The process demands team dedication, but can be completed in just four months. For the implementation to achieve the goals set by the company, it is essential to resort to the help of a specialized consulting firm.

In our blog, we have complete articles about this process, as well as other innovation content for your business. Be sure to check it out!

Published in PALAS website on November 4th, 2021:
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