Driving innovation through information

Creating a culture of continuous innovation isn’t as difficult as you think. Today’s work environment is the most complex in history, and the way that we view information is changing rapidly—part of a broader change that is impacting organizations of all sizes and in all industries. Where technology used to be the primary means of achieving business goals, the focus today is on how people work, share information and collaborate.

This has been a difficult environment for many organizations to navigate, but some leaders have stood out for their ability to quickly capture, transform and manage their critical business information. At Ricoh, we call this information mobility, and it’s at the very foundation of business success in the new world of work. Specifically, it is a key enabler of innovation—and organizations looking to create an innovative climate must first examine how information flows throughout their organization, and how they can best use that information to make better business decisions.

Information: The heart of innovation

If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.” – Jack Welch

Understanding how information flows through an organization is key to harnessing its power and using it to drive innovation and business success.

This information cycle starts with capture — the creation of information, whether that’s by generating ideas from internal stakeholders, or by capturing ideas and data from external sources. From there, information moves to the transform phase, where information moves throughout the organization, carrying business value. Finally, information must be delivered, at the right time, in the right place, in the right format, so that it can be most useful to the intended audience, allowing them to make better business decisions. This is the manage phase.

Innovation leaders enjoy:

In my time working with organizations, I’ve found that the more of these information cycles exist during the total lifespan of the information in question, the more turbulent the flow of information throughout the organization. This leads to lost integrity, diffused value and increased risks, and is complicated further when organizations become more mobile, and information must be managed effectively enough to reach multiple sources, often at the same time.

These issues are only exacerbated by the external challenges facing many modern organizations: the speed of workstyle and technological change; an increasingly competitive landscape dotted with lean, agile competition; and increased scrutiny of regulatory requirements. To create a culture that encourages innovation, organizations must look to break down these barriers and open the flow of information throughout an entire organization. The benefits of this approach are clear.

No challenge is too big

In a successful organization, information becomes innovation—and information mobility is the gateway.

Of course, there are a number of potential stumbling blocks within an organization. Perhaps your information is siloed, or you’re struggling to do more with less. Maybe you’re being forced to respond to the business challenges of 2016 with equipment built 10 or 20 years ago. Or perhaps you’re struggling to keep employees on board with changes in your organization, or adapting to their unique workstyle needs. Whatever the case, this transformation to a culture of continuous innovation requires a robust mobility strategy.