equitable distribution and job satisfaction provide the best starting point for increased innovative ability. Human beings constitute the most important resource in our effort to achieve an innovative and sustainable Norway.
research, and adaptation of working life, as well as by working to bring about a culture that encourages creativity and entrepreneurship in society.
The Government believes that it also concerns issues such as employees trust and participation, as well as low wage dispersion.
young people and elderly people to have opportunities to contribute to innovation at their workplaces
in order to ensure access to manpower with sound and relevant competency. Private research investments must be strengthened
and to organise work in a smarter way. This applies not least to the healthcare sector.
and develop it further through work experience, learning and knowledge sharing. The demand for competent personnel provides challenges for the education system.
Collaboration between education and working life has been strengthened, but there are still major gaps both in scope and intensity.
Both work tasks and production processes are becoming increasingly complex, and therefore the need for continuous competence development and on the job training is increasing.
We will strengthen the collaboration between education and working life, as well as invest in lifelong learning through on the job training.
science and technology Review how the education sector and working life are working together, and consider various strategies to strengthen this field Submit a white paper to the Storting considering the structure of the education system with a view to future competence needs Advance a mentality encouraging entrepreneurship, among other ways,
social responsibility and the environment to play a role throughout the work of the administrative apparatus. The Government will:
and a more up-to-date statutory framework Strengthen the use of design as an innovation tool by setting up a design-driven innovation programme Focus on the employees,
and consider new measures for promoting staff-driven innovation in collaboration with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade unions
As the employer of approximately 30 percent of the country's workforce, with a volume of procurements amounting to approximately NOK 249 billion,
with a particular focus on the promotion of innovation in the social care sector Aim at strengthening clinical testing units for trial of new medicines Innovation in the publ ic sector 21 The road
Human resources management policies to support innovation 11. Innovation Networks 12. Other tools for business innovation support The following partners from the UK were involved in this project
We do not address experienced R&d experts but staff in SMES (managers, employees and trainees) who have to develop innovative products
and services to suit their own circumstances and look for some tools that may assist them.
Business consultants might wish to use it as an additional tool to support their clients
and to support the learning of the processes in the workplace. First, the material informs you of what a certain technique
After reading the content you will be in a better position to make a sound decision on the usefulness of a certain innovation tool for your purposes and your working environment.
Human resources management policies to support innovation...207 10.1. Human resources competence requirements for innovations...207 10.1.0.
Introduction...208 10.2. Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES...215 10.3. Creating a company culture for continuous innovation...
including for example employment, community and training related actions such as the European Social Fund and related programmes such as Equal and also Leonardo Da vinci. Again support is made also available at national level,
and academics or researchers that work together on commercially and strategically important development projects that are vital to a company's future
Innovations in the working place page 7 of 271 Vision & Strategy Leadership Processes Culture Physical Work Environment The recent report for the European commission Innovation Management and the Knowledge
1. Knowledge management techniques 2. Market intelligence techniques 3. Cooperative and networking techniques 4. Human resources management techniques 5. Interface management techniques 6. Creativity
First, there is a need to prepare European citizens better for entering the labour market, thereby reducing the number of unemployed.
which supports businesses in accessing University expertise through academic staff and graduates with the aim to facilitate innovation.
for identifying the major company requirements, needs, weaknesses and strengths on both human resources and infrastructure. The Technology Audit is a technique,
and identifies the human resources relation to company's performance. The objective of Technology Audit is to provide a clear identification of company's first priority needs as well as strengths
and stimulate the staff Whoever is interested in the organisation, in terms of contracting, funding, VC investment, or acquisition. 2. 1. 3. Where Technology Audit applies
but for a more accurate and less biased diagnosis, an external specialised consultant is proposed. Example Questionnaire for Technology Audit (at the end of the article:
They also wanted recommendations for economies or process improvement in technical support, help desk and staff development areas.
At this point, the participation of experts for recommendations and solutions was necessary. So the district used the help of Wright
Second, the audit report uncovered a number of redundancies and organisational inefficiencies. Wright & Hunter recommended a streamlined organisational structure that eliminated the overlaps and improved communication.
The new budget realities were met with the least amount of employee disruption and service level degradation as possible.
A study of the problems and benefits of product Innovation, The Design Counsil, 1985 Gross, Clifford M.,The right fit The power of ergonomics as a competitive strategy, Productivity Press, Portland Oregon
Loss of key staff? Sustainable financial backing? Economy-home, abroad? Seasonality, weather effects?""Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-2. 2. SWOT Analysis page 19 of 271 2. 2. 4. Tips for successful SWOT analysis Top Tips But remember 1
The staff lack of motivation The building was really small The facility was old There was a lot of paper work and bureaucracy"Innosupport:
The manager of the health centre encouraged all the members of staff to freely express their opinions about what they felt to be appropriate.
Willingness of staff to change Good location of the health centre Perception of quality services Weaknesses:
Staff lack of motivation Building was really small Paper work and bureaucracy Cultural differences with users Opportunities:
training of the staff in interactive techniques of quality improvement coordination with other providers to cover all user needs remodelling of the facility with local government funds
and lab supplies with user fees payment of incentives to staff based on performance review of procedures for decreasing costs and waiting times and increasing perceived quality."
27%increase of patients reduction of waiting times to 15minutes 20%increase of staff performance remodelling of the facility 2. 2. 6. Resources Bibliography 2001-2002, Prof.
whilst minimising the redundancy amongst the other cases. 3. 1. 3. 1. Equivalence Testing and Boundary Value Analysis Equivalence testing, combined with boundary value analysis,
If the product works correctly for any one test case in the range 1 to 16,383, then it will probably work for any other test case in the range.
an eye-opener in innovation work http://www. hi. is/joner/eaps/y3 16047. htm"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-3. 2. System and Process Analysis page 28 of 271 3. 2. System and Process Analysis Introduction As mentioned in 3. 1 system
This diagram helps to identify interrelationships of major tasks, work phases, and opportunities for improvements through the use of feedback loops at the organisation and the customer levels. 3. 2. 2. Where
the organisation can discover it is much more efficient to find solutions using its own employees than asking for consultancy elsewhere);
and the relations between the employees of an organisation (for example, creating a relaxed open to communication atmosphere,
employers can discover potential problems of the organisation no matter the level of their occurrence before the situation gets out of control)."
the new employees as well as the regular people can be valuable sources of alternative ways of using the technologies of the providers or of the competition, of new ideas;
this is not in our plan"it doesn't work";"2. We cannot do this without taking into account the regulations;
I'm sure it will not work; it is absolutely absurd; 4. We will not be taken seriously;
and cultivates employees'self respect; he/she encourages the employees to seek solutions, to get involved,
to take upon the consequences of their decisions; he/she avoids critics and humiliations; he/she creates an atmosphere of openness,
only if he/she has talented very and motivated employees. We have to make an important statement:
Mini guide for creating a creative environment Ask for each employee's opinion in order to produce a large number of ideas.
it is a public company founded in 1930 with over 28,000 employees worldwide. Context: the company fights its capacity to serve its clients,
and repeating old inefficient work habits; this behavior limits individuasl, groups, and organisational performance having an impact on the company's business.
the staff of the firm will work together, in a brainstorming session the communication will increase,
3. a special place with a large board or paper that can be see by all participants. 4. an expert called facilitator,
1. Selection of a facilitator (she/he has to have good communication skills, hold a certain level of authority in the group.
2-should be solved with the actual employers; 3-speed of implementation; 4-implementation difficulty. 7. Marking ideas:
if experts in different fields of knowledge and levels of qualification participate in the session. 4. 3. 1
The innovative potentials of a group can be used (experts in different fields of knowledge. All participants are active (not necessarily achieved by a brainstorming session.
Suitable analogies can be found in different fields of work or disciplines which seem to be distant from each other.
Therefore, for the composition of a work group, experts from different fields are useful (technicians, doctors, biologists etc.
In looking for analogies from distant fields of work, solution concepts can be developed that are completely different from the original context of our problem.
Clear definition of the problem Available knowledge in different levels/expertise of different fields of knowledge (natural science, technical expertise, medicine) group work with experts from distant fields can be very useful
experts-and abilities to use them"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 4. Analogical Reasoning page 62 of 271 From the point of view of patent protection analogies should be found in fields which are farther away
not all will work but some of them will lead to completely new products, services and structures. 4. 5. 2. How to proceed?
we discuss their feasibility (with staff and clients). Good luck! If you would like to get to know more about this method
From these many experiences and from being creative every day for both employers and clients, he has gained a rich resource of examples to help others expand
mainly existed in people (employees) minds, firstly you have to manage people specific behavior regarding knowledge.
We train our employees but we don't let them use their knowledge We learn mostly in projects
but we don't pass on our expertise We have an expert for every question but few people know how to locate him/her We document everything thoroughly
built after many years of work, it is mainly personal knowledge and difficult to be expressed with text, formulas and handbooks.
and the participation of each employee to the firm cognitive capital is recognized also. KM alignment with the firm strategic aims KM is not an end in itself.
Knowledge gaps might arise from missing people (special know-how or experts) or missing technology or a combination of the two.
This process is also possible to recognise knowledge redundancy in some departments as well. A well-described tool in the literature for implementing A k. M audit is the Knowledge Management Audit tool.
Implement a culture change policy In today's very competitive work environment many employees don't feel safe in their work position and usually‘'hide''knowledge,
make mistakes or ask other employees if they don't know something. People at work also shouldn't be afraid to have small conversations at work (water cooler discussions),
Specific knowledge might exist in every employee due to his/her past experience, first degree, etc. 4. 6. 5. Case study Golden West Foods Improved site management methods help meet growing demand Brief Golden West Foods operates the UK warehousing and delivery
pressure is intense and much of the work is routine and repetitive. In this environment, best practice working procedures are business-critical-information.
and accurately communicated to employees. Solution To help the company maintain and improve the quality of their working methods,
which all staff should use. The 2 consulting companies then developed a comprehensive set of Work Instructions to communicate this information to groups of warehousemen, drivers and office staff.
The drivers'work instructions, for example, covered starting a run, delivery to the store, collecting goods from warehouses, changing trailers and ending a run.
Clear step-by-step procedures included health and safety information, instructions on what to look out for, and actions to take
To help build staff knowledge, work instructions were accompanied by Training Modules and Assessments, used by the trainers to train staff
and validate the training. These provided"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 6. Knowledge management page 75 of 271 trainers with the skills to train their colleagues,
The experience of working with the groups of trainers in Golden West demonstrates how relatively easy it is for organisations to improve their effectiveness by harnessing the knowledge held by a workforce that is often doing very routine work. 4. 6. 6. Obstacles to develop Knowledge management (The cultural challenge
publications, teaming, job rotation Lack of time and meeting places, narrow idea of productive work Establish times and places fro knowledge transfers:
talk rooms, conference reports Status and rewards go to knowledge owners Evaluate performance and provide incentives based on sharing Lack of absorptive capacity in recipients Educate employees for flexibility,
provide time for learning, hire for openness to ideas Belief that knowledge is prerogative of particular groups,
Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 6. Knowledge management page 76 of 271 Individual work bias Promote
and reward work in teams and communities, and show how this gives better results No time to share Capturing
and CIO. com are published by CXO Media Inc. to meet the needs of CIOS (Chief Information Officers) and other information executives.
Has any worker on the assembly line the authority to make changes that he thinks will improve its efficiency?
Maybe that under the pressure of the daily work and stress, some firms will neglect this aspect.
They will not waste the innovative potential of their employees (practically the most valuable asset of a company.
They will create among employees the sentiment of participation, the sentiment that their ideas are taken into account.
This will result in a strong bond between the company and the employees, which is in itself beneficial. 4. 7. 1. Why
Better stimulation of employees and a proper way to motivate them in terms of performance and com-New organizational culture based on responsibility of each employee, teamwork, good communication
awareness of the innovation importance for the company's performance, excellent work relations Proper capitalization of innovative potential of employees, adequate reward for each important innovative proposal,
Nurturing an environment that encourage the creativity of employees (blue sky thinking that use toys to stimulate creativity are to be considered-see links) Setting up organizational structures/mechanisms that support,
using tools that will make the most of the creative potential of the employees. Details on that subject will be given later in the module.
and belongings at the work place Openness to learn from others Ask more questions about other people's experiences,
Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 7. Systemic Management of internal innovative proposals page 83 of 271 Gather information about employees'The management asks for the innovativegeneration of information inside the organization
A quality circle is a group of persons that work in the same workshop or office,
the procedures they use, the environment they work in. Basically, the success of the quality circles is based on the feeling the employees get
that they are taken into account, that their opinion counts. When implementing quality circles, it is better to start with two-three pilot circles,
Suggestion boxes http://www. its. qut. edu. au/cip/qmf/section1/1 2 4/The method implies the creation of a number of boxes where the employees deposited ideas, suggestions,
a Mexican cement company, regularly uses all its employees and its customers for ideas. These firms understand that corporations cannot have out-of-the-box thinking
Other innovation routines may include mentoring of innovators by senior management, seeking advice and resources outside established channels, celebration of successes and learning from failures.
and employees may see, at a glance, for instance, what kind of innovations are under development in the pipeline.
Innovation is hard work. Most managers make the mistake of assuming it will just happen.
For example, at Kraft Foods, a small dedicated staff skilled in networking with the business divisions is driving innovation.
Appointment to fellow does not change an employee's work function or business unit. But, in exchange for the honour, fellows assume an ambassadorial role in the company.
And, finally, reward your executives as entrepreneurs-not simply as stewards of the corporate legacy. 4. 7. 6. Case studies Case study 1 A firm's (working in house appliances) experience in organizing quality circles can be summarized as follows:
The circle comprised of 12 workers, under the supervision of a foreman. They met one hour every week.
One has to mention that every employee has the right to participate to the program.
of Work http://www. accenture. com Innovation and SME Programme http://www. cordis. lu/innovation-smes/home. html Case studies http://www. nap
which can then be compared easily by just looking at the points the different elements scored. 5. 2. 1. How the rating system works...
Supporting Innovation in SMES"-5. 2. Point Rating system page 96 of 271 5. 2. 1. How the rating system works The rating system works by setting a scale
and have staff constraints, in terms of staff numbers, skills, qualifications, etc. Often companies are not in a position where new strategies can just be developed, implemented and tested.
If you belong to a trade union or other kind of association, then this may be a useful way of searching for benchmarking partners.
specifying the objectives, potential partners and the members of staff involved in the project. It is important to have a person
and you have to ensure that the members of staff involved will be able to deal with the changes.
The initial transitional phase was rather laborious as the staff had to be trained and adapted to the new working procedures,
and well-defined series of activities concerned with the particular stage of the development and each gate is a decision point where senior management can continue
and support staff, and procurement managers. 6. 1. 3. How NPD is applied? One of the most widespread and well-accepted conceptual descriptions of the NPD process is that of Clark
At the beginning of a project, the outcome and the work that will have to be undertaken are often uncertain.
According to a business consultant helped ENERGEX, "We were surprised initially by the call from ENERGEX-energy retailing is a long way from our usual customers in manufacturing".
According to business consultant the results of the ENERGEX Retail review were positive.""We found high-energy teams passionate about their industry,
With the help of the business consultant we have tailored the Stage Gate product development system to suit our managerial needs.
ENERGEX chose business consultants to help them develop its new process and tackle the shortcomings identified.
ENERGEX has seen that process development by an empowered crossfunctional team is crucial to long-term project success. Such teams must have the authority to make real decisions as well as the personal backing of the senior management team.
Good senior management support speeds process acceptance and early success."Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-6. 1. New product development methods page 115 of 271 The initial plan was to involve the PIT crew in all aspects of process development,
and communicated to all staff. It was a relatively easy process to express this strategy as a series of must meet filtering questions
the launch should consist of education and practical hands-on training for users and gatekeepers (senior management), accurate and concise process documentation,
New employees should also be trained in the process. The Results During the implementation of RAPID, existing projects were mapped to the process
The senior management gatekeeping team has welcomed already the consistency of business cases produced"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-6. 1. New product development methods page 116 of 271 by the new process,
magnifies the positive effects of all marketing activities (advertising, promotion, selling, etc.),and often allows the superior product to command a premium price relative to competitors.
But it also works the opposite way and catalyser manufacturers often buy our components and then sell the complete unit as their own product.
whether overtime or extra shifts are necessary, and what the sequence of production will be. They monitor the production run to make sure that it stays on schedule
Because the work of many departments is related production managers work closely with heads of other departments such as sales, procurement,
For example, the production manager works with the procurement department to ensure that plant inventories are maintained at their optimal level.
and we need to be prepared to patiently work to establish the necessity of change and the magnitude of the benefits."
continuous deliveries Finished goods None Varies High Very High quality control responsibility Direct Labour Varies QC specialists Process control Production information requirements High Varies Moderate
frequent changes Frequent expending Process design around schedule Inflexible sequence dictated by technology Operations challenges Increasing labour and machine utilisation, fast response, breaking bottlenecks Balancing stages,
Little Intermediate Little High Capital versus labour/material intensive Labour Labour & material Material & labour Capital 6. 3. 3. How decisions in a production context
and long-range choices concerning raw materials, energy and labour skills. Tactical planning Tactical (medium-range) plans, with a planning horizon from six months to two years into the future, take the basic physical production capacity constraints and projected demand
the size of the work force, the amount of overtime worked, the number of shifts worked, the rate of production, the amount of inventory,
labour skills needed, nature of production planning and inventory management decision systems Operation hours pf plants, work force sizes, inventory levels, subcontracting levels, output rates,
Solution The tyre company with the help of external consultants built a solution to monitor
Solution The engine manufacturer with the help of external consultants designed a solution with a multi-tiered software architecture that abstracts the functionality according to the business requirements.
and plan work. The engineering quality group is using information collected by the system to optimise
and so the need for the employment of recycling strategies has become of great importance for many industrial sectors.
In addition there are many technologies available for recycling purposes as well as expert consultants in several recycling areas.
Labour cost (€/hour) Dependent on level of skills required and location. Equipment investment cost (€) Influenced by need for special (expensive) equipment.
COPYRIGHT Copyright is concerned with new (original) literary musical or artistic works. The creators of such works automatically acquire rights,
which mean that they can control their further use. Copyright has become particularly important because of the wide range of works that are seen now to be covered by it.
These include computer software; any drawing, map, chart or plan; photographs and films; architectural works;
sculptures; sound recordings; tv and radio broadcasts etc. Rights are related not just to the originators of the works themselves
but apply also to people performing the works. DESIGNS Designs are concerned with the appearance of a product features of e g. shape, configuration,
texture or materials not dictated by functional considerations. A design means the appearance of the whole or part of a product.
Under this system of rights, creators are assured that their works can be disseminated without fear of unauthorized copying or piracy.
Copyright notice should be placed on all published works for the following reasons: It informs the public that the work is protected by copyright
(and thereby helps to scare aware potential infringers); It prevents a party from claiming the status of"innocent infringer,
and the year of first publication (so that third parties will know who to contact to request a license to the work).
or exploit the works or creations of others with the authorisation of the author or right holder on fair and reasonable terms;
b. Protect your own works or creations and make sure you make best use of your right
Novelty implies that the details of how the invention works are secret. If such details have been disseminated publicly
or the invention used in public where people could see how it works or if an identical product or process has already been invented then the application will fail.
business partners and professional advisers would normally be regarded as implicitly confidential and would not prejudice a subsequent patent application.
Copyright legislation deals with the rights of creators of original works to control their subsequent versions.
and artistic works include any drawing, map, chart or plan. The only absolute requirement is that the work is new,
i e. not copied from somewhere else and has required original intellectual effort by the author. How does one acquire copyright?
Basically the act of creating the work also creates the copyright, which then subsists in the physical expression of the work.
There is no formal registration process in most countries. However if one goes to court to sue an alleged infringer one must be able to prove ownership.
Works can therefore be dated, signed, witnessed and marked with the internationally recognised copyright symbol. Ownership normally rests with the creator
but there can be situations e g. employment contracts etc . which affect this. It is important also to recognise that copyright is not a monopoly.
and both can hold copyright in their respective works. Obtaining Protection Copyright protection is automatic
Once a work is created copyright subsists in it. It is important however that the originator be able to show subsequently
when the work and the consequential copyright were created. One way of doing this is deposit a copy of the work with a bank or"Innosupport:
Supporting Innovation in SMES"-7. 1. Intellectual Property Protection tools page 154 of 271 solicitor in such a way as the date and time of the deposit are recorded.
Alternatively one may send a copy of the work to oneself by registered post (which gives a clear date stamp on the envelope),
thus establishing that the work existed at this Claiming Protection It is essential that it is clear that copyright is claimed in a work.
One should mark the work clearly to show who the copyright owner is and the date from which the copyright is claimed.
First or subsequent copyright owners can choose to license others to use their works whilst retaining ownership themselves.
Using Material already covered by Copyright Your work may be a development of the works of others.
A performing rights society is a collective that deals with musical works collecting royalties on behalf of composers, lyricists, songwriters and music publishers for the public performance or broadcasting of their music.
Almost any form of unauthorised copying of a work will constitute infringement. The law does
Only the owner of copyright is allowed automatically to reproduce the work in question or to permit anyone else to do so.
These related rights grew up around copyrighted works. They provide similar, although often more limited rights and of shorter duration.
research and hard work of Mrs. Anna Grindi, founder of the company. In 1997, using only raw natural materials,
through an international treaty mechanism such as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.
if you are a national or resident of a country party to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works or member of the World trade organization (WTO) bound by the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement,
or if you have published your work for the first time or at least simultaneously in one of the above countries,
The Scottish company with the help of Marks & Clerk Scotland, IP experts initiated proceedings in South korea for infringement of their South korean design registration and succeeded immediately in stopping further manufacture
to new employees, independent contractors, venture capitalists or bankers. But they want to make sure the information stays relatively secret.
From employees to potential partners, every business needs a Non-Disclosure Agreement to protect itself.
Current and former employees are responsible for most breaches of confidentiality. Employees are implied under an duty not to use trade secrets in a manner that will harm your business.
But it is best to get this in writing and to specify to the employee exactly what is confidential,
and to make provisions for when the employee leaves your business. They can be used to:
share intellectual property share commercial or trading information formalise a relationship, eg between an employer and employee 7. 3. 2. What are the main types of NDAS
and where they are used? A precedent confidentiality agreement is used for mergers and acquisitions. If a company wants to buy your business,
and requiring the other side to obtain similar NDAS from employees, principals or agents of theirs who will come into contact with the information. 2) Second,
implements and distributes software management systems in the field of accounting, logistics, process tracking, communication, human resources and CRM.
So he began to seek information about how to best protect them, by consulting IP experts.
So the company owner protects his know-how by concluding non-disclosure agreements with future employees,
IP questions are dealt with as problems arise by seeking help from IP experts. Planning to diversify his business activities,
and contribute to the growth of the national economy through employment creation, investments and exports.
Academic and research institutions are known also for filing patent applications to achieve recognition of their research work.
In the last 4 years the company has established an informal technology monitoring activity with professional staff devoted to it.
or. kr/webeng/work/ksem/st/wr ksem st mn df. jsp-This site provides an overview of the Stock market 8. 1. 6. Business Angels Business Angels are wealthy private individuals
business angels will be retired executives or people who have built successful businesses and then sold them. In either case, they would have an extensive knowledge of their market sector, the best practices, existing business contacts or other experience
the Business plan should also introduce the main staff that will be involved in the project. The information on the personnel should include the roles of each involved member of staff
and the experience and key skills that each will bring into the project. Further, it is important to introduce the management team
a recruitment and training plan should be provided. Market and competition First of all, the market should be defined,
This plan should lay out the various stages of the project, the involvement of the staff throughout the project's progress and important milestones.
Use clear and simple language the person that will read the Business plan may not be an expert on the area of your project,
and proof read the document Reference others by referencing experts in the area of your project,
Product, Price, Place and Promotion, by examining each carefully and adapting them to your customer's needs,
and this can become indistinguishable from personal product/process promotion. Attention focuses on the following aspects of contacting companies:
or to improve the quality of the promotion (rather than to cut the price). The major marketing management decisions can be classified in the following categories:
Promotion This includes advertising, personal selling (eg attending exhibitions), sales promotions (e g. special offers), and atmospherics (creating the right impression through the working environment).
Public relations is included within Promotion by many marketing people (though PR people tend to see it as a separate discipline).
Place or distribution. Looking at location (eg of a library) and where a service is delivered (e g. are delivered search results to the user's desktop, office,
Enhancing the learning environment within the workplace is a key element in the facilitation and management of innovation. 9. 2. 1
and working environment creative thinking may emerge. 9. 2. 3. Why Media Based Training? Each approach to learning has advantages and disadvantages.
It is an innovative structure created to promote self learning among employees of the car manufacturer. The first of its kind in Italy, it has thirty-five multimedia computers, two telematic workstations and a room for videoconferences. 100 electronic programmes, CD-ROMS, encyclopedias and web sites,
Combine online marketing with conventional promotion such as direct mail, advertising and include your web site address on all business correspondence Include an online form for your prospect to respond to your offer,
Way too much white space leaves the eye nothing to go by. Hicks and Company (www. hicks. co. uk) A one-page encyclopaedia of what not to do:
Very clean site with clearly arranged information, leaves you with a feeling of trust. Needs to bring more information forward to home page
. i-define living (www. i-define. co. uk) Dawn Winder is a Personal Branding Consultant (first of a new breed?).
Human resources competence requirements for innovations page 207 of 271 10. Human resources management policies to support innovation 10.1.
Human resources competence requirements for innovations 10.1.1. What: what constitutes the requirements for the qualification of the employees?..
209 10.1.2. Why: The role of human resources in the company's ability for innovation...209 10.1.3.
How: Systematic training management training concept...209 10.1.3.1. Checklist: Typical questions related to further training concepts...211 10.1.4.
Examples...212 10.1.5. Resource...213"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-10.1.0. Introduction page 208 of 271 10.1.0.
and organisationally etc. in other words to be innovative depends to a high degree on their employees, their competence and knowledge.
Often they are lacking basic building blocks of Human resources Management. In this connection the various sub-components of component 10 Measures in the framework of Human resources Management to support innovation (see the graphics below) are designed to help the users to gain the basic principles needed for a professional Human resources Management in their individual SMES.
The component 10.1 treats the topics Guidelines for creating a training concept and Systematic training management.
Links to further topics such as human resources management, human resources development etc. can be found in the link collection at the end of this component.
what constitutes the requirements for the qualification of the employees? Changing market conditions such as: Increasing internationalisation and globalisation of the markets, high competition pressure, Decreasing product life cycles, increasing innovation speed, Growing market segmentation and customer orientation, Increasing demands
on quality, Increasing complexity, dynamics and technology etc. are great challenges for innovation strategies of the enterprises which in turn lead to complex qualification requirements of the employees.
Faster decline of the knowledge and the need for lifelong learning High demands on the specific subject skills but also on the methodical and social competence of the employees communicative and language competence need for more responsibility and self-control etc.
The role of human resources in the company's ability for innovation The qualification of the employees are, on the one hand, a prerequisite for innovation,
when technological, organisational and social innovation changes in the qualification profile are taking place among the employees.
without preparing their human resources in a suitable way. A foresighted and systematic human resources development and qualification plan can set the prerequisite for an enterprise to actively carry out its process of changes,
and thus remain at the top of the competition. The human resource becomes a decisive factor in the innovation ability of enterprises. 10.1.3.
Introduction page 210 of 271 A training needs assessment (analysing the current work situation) usually is the starting point of any demand-oriented training management.
problems and requirements of the work situation are collected, making goal-oriented training measures possible. On the basis of needs assessment, training objectives are to be defined (preferably together.
Within the concrete learning situation the participant is confronted actually with the teaching staff (as well as with the contents and activities.
as well as the use of new learning technologies A central position within the training process holds the transfer and the implementation of the acquired knowledge into the work situation,
the applicability of training results to the work place represents a main factor of successful training.
How does the company define further training (definitions for training, further training, human resources development, etc.?
Is staff's point of view accounted for?""Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-10.1.0. Introduction page 212 of 271 How does the company get from the assessed training-needs to the further training offer?
Examples By means of some examples from real life (SMES only) we wish to show which measures enterprises use in practice to make a professional job of their training and the human resources development.
The CEO of Eloxal Heuberger (an anodising institution with 22 employees) has an interview with the staff member before this person is sent to an external further training course.
Here the expectations of the enterprise and the employee from this training measure are made clear before the event.
and which supporting measures the employees would need to apply them. In addition, a summarising report is written after each seminar
and a short oral report is given in front of other employees. All training material is deposited in the company-owned library where it is readily accessible by all staff members.
Tips and Tricks If required, the company Winkelbauer (engineering enterprise with 46 employees) organises events under the title EDP:
Each staff member has the possibility to talk for two hours with an EDP expert about his EDP questions on the basis of a catalogue of questions prepared in advance
These minutes then serve the employees as reference books for further questions. Example Database Market place of experience The Gosch Consulting company (Consulting enterprise with 30 employees) has compiled a database with the title Market place of experience.
It is accessible via intranet and serves as an active knowledge management. Here any problems and their solutions that crop up during the work are entered by the employees.
If there is a problem during their daily work they then can access the Market place of experience
and check whether a colleague came across the same or a similar problem in the past. 10.1.5 Resource Bibliography Training and Qualification-Handbook for Consultants, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Institut für Organisations-und Personalmanagement GRAZ,
Graz 2003 Links http://www. evfh-nuernberg. de/data/dbfiles/entwickl. doc Employees are the basis of social organisations.
For workers to comply with their tasks the company has to plan the volume of need for employees and their qualification level and competence.
Furthermore, labour conditions have to be organised in such a way that the employees become motivated. http://www. hrtoday. ch/Artikel detail de. cfm?
A flexible human resources development, grants the employees labour market ability, and opens up new business fields for the enterprise. http://www. innovation-aktuell. de/kv0409. htm Systematic and continuous human resources development safeguards the innovation ability and the compatibility of the enterprise.
However, whereas big companies have their own departments for preparing their employees for future requirements,
professional human resources development is looked often vainly for in medium-sized and small enterprises. In this paper you will learn where cooperation makes sense for an SME,
which advantages they may have, what an enterprise striving for a joint staff development unit has to do,
and what the experience of six SMES in the project Porregio was. http://www. diw. de/deutsch/produkte/publikationen/materialien/docs/papers/diw rn02-01-12. pdf Human
Introduction page 214 of 271 http://www. fhso. ch/pdf/human/snp20 innovativ. pdf Innovative employer":
Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES Introduction Innovation in a business is very much dependent on the appropriate skills of its staff.
& Work that specifically addressed the issue of analysing training needs in business. The starting point being a review of how your business functions as an organisation
and interpret data to enable the identification of both staff and organisational performance improvement. Key in an TNA is to gain comprehensive data on training needs,
Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES page 217 of 271 A company's staff are its most important asset for the skills,
More often than not, staff performance is being challenged within an ever-changing market environment keeping up-to-date with the latest technology advancements, customer demands, new product or process standards, management techniques,
It is true to say that typically businesses will deal with these challenges by engaging support services such as consultants, lawyers,
preventing conflict with staff through communication and documenting the project. You will need to answer questions such as:
and explained to staff. You will need to think about staff briefings for example and how to keep staff informed during the process as a TNA may take several weeks to complete
and analyse. You will need also to think how the TNA project will be documented, for example justifying the solutions chosen to address skill gaps.
Confidentiality may also be an issue to be aware of. If you company does not have an HR department or an HR expert,
you will most likely work with an external consultant or advisor.""Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-10.2.
Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES page 218 of 271 So a good TNA ask appropriate questions around:
It must always be supported by the analysis of work processes and be oriented to the implementation of your company's business strategy.
or process steps that support the remaining processes (acceptance of the order, issue of invoices, training, recruitment, processing"Innosupport:
which in effect breaks down functions from the top manager of the enterprise through successive layers of management to the individual worker who touches the product or service,
because the employees of the different areas are the ones that will be involved in the training later on.
Management Marketing, Sales, Financial, Administrative Services, Human resources, Production, Quality assurance, Logistics, etc. In smaller businesses several of these functional areas may be carried out by the same person. 10.2.3.3.
Do this by talking to the key staff responsible for these key areas. Identify also the main opportunities foreseen for your business.
Critical opportunities may cause training needs of your employees; we give you a few examples: Introducing new technologies;
Hiring employees from specific target groups (e g. immigrants; or the mix of some of these factors."
If necessary, ask for the support of an external expert to help you structure the measures to improve your organisation's performance.
Training Needs Symptom Cause Proces s Functional Area Desired Output Employee Proposed Solution Solution Details Bad quality control Production Quality control Production
and shift quality manager High rate of returned products from customers Large delays in deliveries to customers Distribution Logistics Delivery time rate 98%Packaging employees Delivery workers Defining
and take prompt corrective actions. 1 day training for packaging and delivery employees about this new system.
Bad negotiation process with suppliers about payments policy Purchasing Purchasing Negotiation of larger payment deadlines with suppliers (90 days) s Purchase workers Negotiation and purchasing
217.205.66.230/VTS/form/first. asp 217.205.66.230/VTS/content/casestudies. asp The Institute for Employment Studies (IES) provides research in the employment market
and publishes various reports on employment related issues. The report Skills Pay-The Contribution of Skills to Business Success,
www. employment-studies. co. uk/pubs/report. php? id=ssda0804 The Investors in People Standard is a straightforward,
& Work is a Leonardo project that specifically addressed the issue of analysing training needs in business. www. citeforma. pt/html/pub/lw/lw. htm Rockwell Automation PLC provides a case study of an TNA
Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES page 223 of 271 Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is responsible for supporting employers in the development of appropriate skills in the labour market
The project is working with four main audiences, across the built environment, focusing on Contractors, Specialist Subcontractors, Consultants,
and Local authorities, where the departments work as SMES. The site also provides some case studies: http://www. cicsc. org. uk/tvcbec. htm training reference. co. uk provides an overview of some of training providers that offer a TNA services relevant to business:
www. trainingzone. co. uk Trainers'Library is an international online resource pool for trainers, HR managers and consultants,
Once embraced by employees, innovation becomes a way of life. It ensures that all the human capital is in step
which employees are motivated and confident enough to continually try new things Out to this end, employees would be equipped with the right types of knowledge,
skills and abilities to both effectively generate and implement new ideas. A company culture is the values
it is shared the values and practices of the company's employees. This tool can help companies in creating a culture in
which every employee has the opportunity to learn and grow in order to improve themselves and their business.
This includes a work environment striving to meet the needs of all employees. Why and where creating a company culture for continuous innovation is applied?
since it is well known that a company's staff is its most important asset for the skills,
Act with competitive urgency and decisive action Use knowledge of employees and data to make decisions in a timely manner Tolerate mistakes of employees in pursuit of continuous improvement Act with swift resolve
but you must gradually bring about modified employee behavior, leading from the top. But once a company sets out on the innovation journey
give employees a set of rights, responsibilities and rewards that make them accountable for their own actions. 2. Encourage Employee Innovations,
and Reward Them Accordingly Companies are often fast to turn to outside help, when in fact they already have the capabilities within their organisation to do the job. 3. Replace Rigid Processes With Clear Business Objectives Too often innovation is stifled
then hand those designs to the line that is expected to execute them from memory. 4. Challenge Employees to Compete
Koch gave this responsibility to all employees, with rewards both for uncovering unsafe conditions, and for discovering new ways to conduct business more safely.
A team of company employees decided that they could do the job themselves better and cheaper,
Now imagine that the company has only two employees. This is Universal Leven, a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Allianz, focused on large, professional broker organisations.
The two employees are in charge of corporate strategy, network expansion and product development. Everything else, including product branding, product design,
If someone has trouble understanding how individual innovators can work together to make a company itself work consider the elegant analogy below.
and processes), played by good jazz musicians (employees), playing high quality instruments (technology) in the right way, so that the audience (customer) enjoys the performance.
and customer satisfaction is involved directly in the selection of key personnel The employees: are competent and confident in their jobs are aware of their strengths
and participate fully are motivated both by job satisfaction and by financial reward have shared a vision that facilitates decision
Academy of Management Executive, 16:42-53. Jelinek, M. & Schoonhaven, C. 1990. The innovation marathon:
Innovation networks page 234 of 271 The implementation of the following points is a basic requirement for successful work in innovation networks.
centres Clients Suppliers Competitors Money givers Promotion and coordination systems Protection and Patent offices The innovating enterprise"Innosupport:
Strategy implementation Innovative yields of the joint work of the innovation teams, such as pilot plants or innovative approaches to market positioning are tested in pilot phases as to their marketing capability.
organisational and inter-organisational levels decisively improve the innovation behaviour Apart from business management effects there are manifold labour market political and political-economic effects 11.7.
Designing the frame conditions for innovation (promotion instruments, lobbying, environment processing, know-how transfer, etc.)can be influenced positively by bundling all regionally relevant players.
Clear competences and structures and a jointly agreed strategy for research, innovation, technology and qualification Public consciousness of the importance of innovation for wealth, employment and competitiveness for a highly innovative climate Marked sense
of innovation in the enterprises Efficient research institutions of international format inside and outside universities Sufficient potential of highly qualified employees Attractive frame conditions for scientists and researchers from home
and expanding the staff's horizons and enriching their knowledge. Practical application of the component Increased KNOWLEDGE and AWARENESS will give the enterprise:
or will contact directly some expert in the field; nevertheless, the Internet could be used more often as the most comprehensive and operational means of finding information. 12.1.1.1.
and detailed comments provided by an expert in the field. Depending on the type of the required information or specificity of data,
and contracting foreign experts Finding and using international sources for financing Marketing and sales (ads website,
1. Employing people who are professional experts and speak foreign languages e g . because they come from
and know how to establish useful contacts. 2. Getting the company's staff trained. The author of this component has taught
Learning in the workplace and in-house is very useful. In practice though, if a course is organised in the company,
employees sometimes arrive late or leave during the course due to work commitments (Mrs Y, there is a phone call for you).
This is different when the training takes place outside the company. Generally, for concentration, exercises and self-studies it is better to have 90 minutes twice a week instead of four hours once a week.
Case studies A manufacturing company realised that they needed to develop the language skills of their employees.
One of the aims of the company is to enable their staff to feel at ease:
It is therefore necessary for staff to be proficient in general language as well as the specific purpose language relating to their job.
The employee can assess skill and needs him or herself. The results speak for themselves and help both the management and the employees.
Key: Capabilities Needs 1 Fully competent 1 Essential 2 Can get by 2 Useful 3 No knowledge 3 Irrelevant"Innosupport:
Foreign language competence page 262 of 271 Presentation using transparencies Powerpoint presentation Design of documentation for the customer Rhetorical skills Negotiation skills Technical skills for searching for information/patents
what level of intercultural competency relevant staff are. At a basic level staff may be perceptive and open to other cultures
At anoher level staff have undergone more formal intercultural training and are able to deal with in unfamiliar situations in a more systematic and reflective manner.
At a more proficient level staff can draw on experiences and apply these to new situations,
learning in the work place has increasingly to take into account the cultural diversity of its workforce,
Company employees: It is important to know the cultural characteristics of your employees, so if you have a workforce comprising members of different cultural backgrounds,
then it is important that you know to what extend this will influence the way that they work,
communicate, socialise. Trading internationally: If a company is planning on expanding internationally, it is of utter importance that the intercultural differences are taken into consideration.
if added value is high enough Request for qualified workers increases, higher education becomes a decisive factor in competition Technical based professional skills lose against qualifications to adapt activities permanently to economic and technical changes;
An innovative idea In a radio discussion on the on petrol prices an employer introduced the innovative idea to raise prices for petrol to avoid that shoes produced in Europe are brought to a third world countries only to thread the shoestrings
He suggested using the extra money from higher prices for the payment of employers'social contributions for the employees.
cheapest still works but more and more customers are asking how products are produced, if production exploits resources and people in a not acceptable way.
Language skills needed A manufacturing company realised that they needed to develop the language skills of their employees.
The check list is followed by evaluative exercise to assess your or your staff's intercultural competencies.
A. Check List*1. Establish with your staff an intercultural action plan and review on a regular basis 2. Assess the intercultural competencies of you
and your staff 3. Assess your product, processes and services in relation to the cultural aspect of the markets 4. Assess your marketing
and promote a shared set of core values in the areas of labour standards, human rights and environmental practices between the UN and the business community http://www. unglobalcompact. org/"Innosupport:
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