Innovation Maturity Navigator	Beginner Intermediate The enterprise should actively pursue innovation opportunities. Align innovation management more closely with business strategy and focus idea management on business objectives Create opportunities to seek out and compare ideas and innovations, rather than reacting to ad hoc suggestions.	Intermediate Scaling The enterprise should share knowledge, drive collaboration, and centralize focus and support. Lobby executive leaders to integrate innovation into strategy, culture, vocabulary, and processes. Appoint an enterprise advocate and sponsor for innovation.	Scaling Advanced The enterprise should drive cultural and behavioral change, integrating and diffusing an innovation mindset for widespread adoption. Shift focus from best practices to pioneering 'next practices'. Adopt principles of co-development, open innovation, and experimentation to enhance innovation.	Advanced Beyond The enterprise should adapt to change and disruption and continue to innovate the innovation process. Pioneer industry-leading approaches in experimentation, entrepreneurship, incubation, and R&D. Enhance skills and capabilities for scaling transformative innovations.
Portfolio	Portfolio Beginner High Prioritizing core, adjacent and transformational products and services. Innovation happens in response to immediate business needs without focus on strategic business outcomes. Innovation teams focus on core innovation, often related to known opportunities in existing areas of focus. The remainder of the enterprise starts to work on a few core innovation initiatives.	Portfolio Intermediate High Executives recognize the importance of innovation; a distinct innovation strategy is developed and links form between ideation, innovation execution, and group strategy. Innovation teams take on some adjacent innovation initiatives in addition to core innovation work. The enterprise is enabled to ramp-up core innovation.	Portfolio Scaling High Innovation is an enterprise-wide commitment, well-defined in business strategy and focus. Innovation teams center on adjacent innovation work, while the enterprise self-generates core innovation work and supports adjacent innovation.	Portfolio Advanced High Innovation is ingrained in strategic planning processes and output, with vision, strategy, and innovation tightly linked. The enterprise fully supports core and adjacent innovation work; innovation teams focus exclusively on transformational innovation work.
People	People Beginner Medium Innovation is championed by a few individuals or a single business unit backed by conservative investments. The enterprise culture does not celebrate innovation and perceives it as trivial, distracting, and driving non-strategic ideas.	People Intermediate High Key business units have sponsors for innovation efforts, yet cultural and leadership gaps and barriers hinder progress. Employees and business units are encouraged to actively participate, and training in innovation methods and functional disciplines begins for select groups.	People Scaling High A culture of innovation permeates the entire organization, allowing everyone to partake in the opportunities it presents. Experienced innovators provide training, support, and guidance. Executive leaders prioritize innovation as a prominent concern.	People Advanced High The enterprise focuses on recruiting creative individuals, nurturing a deeply collaborative innovation culture, and instilling an innovation mindset through 'train the trainer' programs. Innovation culture takes on unique characteristics and leads to unpredictable outcomes.
Process	Process Beginner Medium Teams or business units employ ad hoc processes, lacking consistency and a documented innovation process. The focus is often limited to specific issues. Metrics are determined at the initiative level and collective innovation metrics focus on activity levels.	Process Intermediate High Methods and tools are formalized and accessible across the enterprise. Best practices are shared, and performance uses ROI, CX and process metrics.	Process Scaling High A well-defined innovation process supports high participation and performance, rapid decision making, and a continuous innovation pipeline.	Process Advanced High Innovation is a business process with well-defined processes, roles, policies and guidelines. MeHAAHtrics ensure consistent and effective execution of innovative products. Incentives and innovation efforts are fully aligned, fostering reliability and repeatability.
Platform	Platform Beginner Medium Innovation management tools are limited and not widely used. There is no formalized innovation management infrastructure.	Platform Intermediate High Innovation management tools are adopted and used by some teams. There is a growing recognition of the need for a formalized innovation management infrastructure.	Platform Scaling High Permanent funding enables managed support and innovation management infrastructure for distributed innovators and teams. Innovation management infrastructure broadens to include more specialized tools tailored to the needs of the enterprise.	Platform Advanced High Innovation management tools are customized to support specific enterprise needs and are recognized as state of the art and leading the industry. R&D/innovation teams develop proprietary innovation management tools and bring them to market.
Practice	Practice Beginner Low Informal communities of innovation practitioners from various disciplines begin to form. Formal roles for innovation are established. Aside from nascent innovation teams, there is little talent development within innovation practice areas.	Practice Intermediate Medium Innovation-related Communities of Practice begin to organically develop. Innovation practice areas grow unevenly, and career pathways are uncertain.	Practice Scaling High Innovation-related Communities of Practice expand with dedicated budgets. Innovation talent is embedded within every business unit. Innovation practitioners further specialize and embed within the enterprise to unlock new competitive advantages.	Practice Advanced High Innovation-related Communities of Practice thrive with reliable funding. Innovation practitioners have leadership roles and influence. Innovation roles within the enterprise are highly sought after by internal and external innovation practitioners.
Place	Place Beginner Low Innovation lacks dedicated spaces, but passionate individuals organize co-creation activities in available areas. Rail spaces serve as creative canvases for field research, but testing is limited due to regulations, safety concerns, and skeptical managers.	Place Intermediate Medium Centralized R&D/innovation units and specific project teams have dedicated physical spaces and equipment for their own testing and use within limited partnerships. These resources are part of formal initiatives obtained through traditional processes.	Place Scaling High Dedicated innovation spaces are readily available to the enterprise. These spaces are well-funded, equipped for experimentation, and staffed with experts. They have specific purposes, but may not be directly tied to specific innovation initiatives, supporting the entire portfolio.	Place Advanced High Innovation spaces and groups operate independently and partner with external entities to develop transformative initiatives. Conversations are at a national level and projects are untethered to specific business units. There is competition to partner.
Partnership	Partnership Beginner Low Innovation verbiage exists in sourcing or provider contracts, but little active innovation exists with these partners. There are no formalized channels for open innovation, and customer innovation is nascent.	Partnership Intermediate Low Some degrees of open innovation occurs, and innovation mainly focuses on enhancements and process improvements. Customer innovation is active. Key partners are actively engaged to contribute to innovation as part of their services and contributions have defined expectations.	Partnership Scaling High Open innovation and design thinking are used with expert and crowd initiatives. Innovation includes active academic, vendor, and long-term ecosystem partnerships.	Partnership Advanced High The enterprise has open innovation programs that integrate staff, partner, and customer input, allowing diverse challenges to be successfully addressed. Partners actively approach the enterprise for co-development and co-funding opportunities.

Innovation Maturity Navigator

Beginner

Intermediate

The enterprise should actively pursue innovation opportunities.

Align innovation management more closely with business strategy and focus idea management on business objectives
Create opportunities to seek out and compare ideas and innovations, rather than reacting to ad hoc suggestions.

Intermediate

Scaling

The enterprise should share knowledge, drive collaboration, and centralize focus and support.

Lobby executive leaders to integrate innovation into strategy, culture, vocabulary, and processes.
Appoint an enterprise advocate and sponsor for innovation.

Scaling

Advanced

The enterprise should drive cultural and behavioral change, integrating and diffusing an innovation mindset for widespread adoption.

Shift focus from best practices to pioneering 'next practices'.
Adopt principles of co-development, open innovation, and experimentation to enhance innovation.

Advanced

Beyond

The enterprise should adapt to change and disruption and continue to innovate the innovation process.

Pioneer industry-leading approaches in experimentation, entrepreneurship, incubation, and R&D.
Enhance skills and capabilities for scaling transformative innovations.

Portfolio

Portfolio Beginner High

Prioritizing core, adjacent and transformational products and services. Innovation happens in response to immediate business needs without focus on strategic business outcomes. Innovation teams focus on core innovation, often related to known opportunities in existing areas of focus. The remainder of the enterprise starts to work on a few core innovation initiatives.

Portfolio Intermediate High

Executives recognize the importance of innovation; a distinct innovation strategy is developed and links form between ideation, innovation execution, and group strategy. Innovation teams take on some adjacent innovation initiatives in addition to core innovation work. The enterprise is enabled to ramp-up core innovation.

Portfolio Scaling High

Innovation is an enterprise-wide commitment, well-defined in business strategy and focus. Innovation teams center on adjacent innovation work, while the enterprise self-generates core innovation work and supports adjacent innovation.

Portfolio Advanced High

Innovation is ingrained in strategic planning processes and output, with vision, strategy, and innovation tightly linked. The enterprise fully supports core and adjacent innovation work; innovation teams focus exclusively on transformational innovation work.

People

People Beginner Medium

Innovation is championed by a few individuals or a single business unit backed by conservative investments. The enterprise culture does not celebrate innovation and perceives it as trivial, distracting, and driving non-strategic ideas.

People Intermediate High

Key business units have sponsors for innovation efforts, yet cultural and leadership gaps and barriers hinder progress. Employees and business units are encouraged to actively participate, and training in innovation methods and functional disciplines begins for select groups.

People Scaling High

A culture of innovation permeates the entire organization, allowing everyone to partake in the opportunities it presents. Experienced innovators provide training, support, and guidance. Executive leaders prioritize innovation as a prominent concern.

People Advanced High

The enterprise focuses on recruiting creative individuals, nurturing a deeply collaborative innovation culture, and instilling an innovation mindset through 'train the trainer' programs. Innovation culture takes on unique characteristics and leads to unpredictable outcomes.

Process

Process Beginner Medium

Teams or business units employ ad hoc processes, lacking consistency and a documented innovation process. The focus is often limited to specific issues. Metrics are determined at the initiative level and collective innovation metrics focus on activity levels.

Process Intermediate High

Methods and tools are formalized and accessible across the enterprise. Best practices are shared, and performance uses ROI, CX and process metrics.

Process Scaling High

A well-defined innovation process supports high participation and performance, rapid decision making, and a continuous innovation pipeline.

Process Advanced High

Innovation is a business process with well-defined processes, roles, policies and guidelines. MeHAAHtrics ensure consistent and effective execution of innovative products. Incentives and innovation efforts are fully aligned, fostering reliability and repeatability.

Platform

Platform Beginner Medium

Innovation management tools are limited and not widely used. There is no formalized innovation management infrastructure.

Platform Intermediate High

Innovation management tools are adopted and used by some teams. There is a growing recognition of the need for a formalized innovation management infrastructure.

Platform Scaling High

Permanent funding enables managed support and innovation management infrastructure for distributed innovators and teams. Innovation management infrastructure broadens to include more specialized tools tailored to the needs of the enterprise.

Platform Advanced High

Innovation management tools are customized to support specific enterprise needs and are recognized as state of the art and leading the industry. R&D/innovation teams develop proprietary innovation management tools and bring them to market.

Practice

Practice Beginner Low

Informal communities of innovation practitioners from various disciplines begin to form. Formal roles for innovation are established. Aside from nascent innovation teams, there is little talent development within innovation practice areas.

Practice Intermediate Medium

Innovation-related Communities of Practice begin to organically develop. Innovation practice areas grow unevenly, and career pathways are uncertain.

Practice Scaling High

Innovation-related Communities of Practice expand with dedicated budgets. Innovation talent is embedded within every business unit. Innovation practitioners further specialize and embed within the enterprise to unlock new competitive advantages.

Practice Advanced High

Innovation-related Communities of Practice thrive with reliable funding. Innovation practitioners have leadership roles and influence. Innovation roles within the enterprise are highly sought after by internal and external innovation practitioners.

Place

Place Beginner Low

Innovation lacks dedicated spaces, but passionate individuals organize co-creation activities in available areas. Rail spaces serve as creative canvases for field research, but testing is limited due to regulations, safety concerns, and skeptical managers.

Place Intermediate Medium

Centralized R&D/innovation units and specific project teams have dedicated physical spaces and equipment for their own testing and use within limited partnerships. These resources are part of formal initiatives obtained through traditional processes.

Place Scaling High

Dedicated innovation spaces are readily available to the enterprise. These spaces are well-funded, equipped for experimentation, and staffed with experts. They have specific purposes, but may not be directly tied to specific innovation initiatives, supporting the entire portfolio.

Place Advanced High

Innovation spaces and groups operate independently and partner with external entities to develop transformative initiatives. Conversations are at a national level and projects are untethered to specific business units. There is competition to partner.

Partnership

Partnership Beginner Low

Innovation verbiage exists in sourcing or provider contracts, but little active innovation exists with these partners. There are no formalized channels for open innovation, and customer innovation is nascent.

Partnership Intermediate Low

Some degrees of open innovation occurs, and innovation mainly focuses on enhancements and process improvements. Customer innovation is active. Key partners are actively engaged to contribute to innovation as part of their services and contributions have defined expectations.

Partnership Scaling High

Open innovation and design thinking are used with expert and crowd initiatives. Innovation includes active academic, vendor, and long-term ecosystem partnerships.

Partnership Advanced High

The enterprise has open innovation programs that integrate staff, partner, and customer input, allowing diverse challenges to be successfully addressed. Partners actively approach the enterprise for co-development and co-funding opportunities.