How do you manage innovation effectively? The first ever ISO standards on innovation management were published in 2019 and subsequently adopted by BSI.

The BS EN ISO 56000 series on innovation management will eventually contain a family of eight standards. Three were published in 2019, led by the UK implementation and publication of BS EN ISO 56002:2021 Innovation management — Innovation management system — Guidance.

The standards were developed in order to give clear guidelines to readers on managing innovation by offering an iterative process that is accessible to all types of organizations and individuals.

The series of standards, including the overarching BS EN ISO 56002:2021, focuses on embedding good practices, encouraging the implementation of voluntary approaches, and promoting organizational agility and continuous improvement.

How to use Standards to Manage Innovation

At the annual BSI Standards Conference and Awards held in London on 21st November 2019, three committee members from IMS/1 presented to and engaged with the audience on the topic 'Using standards to successfully manage innovation'. With the attendees' participation, the debate centered on innovation and the standardization of innovation management processes.

The UK experts, the subject matter, and the exchanges with the assembled audience were fascinating. As a Standards Development Manager, I engage with stakeholders to shape standards and identify opportunities across the industry. I frequently witness these discussions in committee meetings, at events, and on the international stage. 

However, at that moment I felt extremely privileged to have been part of their journey, to have facilitated collaboration between a unique and diverse group of industry experts, and for them to finally be able to impart their knowledge and wisdom.

To learn how to identify the right standards for your organization’s needs, click here.

The Development of Innovation Management

Innovation management is not a new idea; it has existed in the commercial environment for many years and is currently taught in many academic institutions. In the arena of standards, it is a relatively new concept; 2008 saw the publication of the British Standard BS 7000-1:2008 Design management systems – Part 1: Guide to managing innovation, which was well received nationally. CEN (the European Committee for Standardization) published a series of seven standards on innovation management between 2013 and 2015 with participation from BSI's UK committee.

In 2013, ISO created the technical committee ISO/TC 279, Innovation Management. UK participation in the preparation of international standards was entrusted to IMS/1, which was tasked with codifying the best learning across the globe into an innovation management system and ensuring that UK expertise and industry were represented in the ISO technical committee.

Sharing Ideas and Expertise

The process of creating international standards in this area has taken several years. It would not have been possible without a dedicated committee of UK experts who attend committee meetings to share their knowledge – committee members who lead international project teams, contribute to reviewing and developing standards, and promote awareness to the wider innovation community and industry through a variety of methods.

The currently available guidance standards from the BS ISO 56000 innovation management series are:

• BS EN ISO 56000:2021 Innovation management — Fundamentals and vocabulary

• BS EN ISO 56002:2021 Innovation management — Innovation management system — Guidance

• BS EN ISO 56003:2021 Innovation management — Tools and methods for innovation partnership — Guidance

• BS EN ISO 56005:2020 Innovation management — Tools and methods for intellectual property management — Guidance

• PD ISO/TR 56004:2020 Innovation Management Assessment — Guidance

We also look forward to bringing you the following standards as they are published in the future:

• BS EN ISO 56006 Innovation management — Strategic intelligence management — Guidance

• BS EN ISO 56007 Innovation management — Idea management, due April 2022

• BS EN ISO 56008 Innovation management — Tools and methods for innovation operation measurements — Guidance, due August 2023

As technology continues to advance rapidly across every sector, accessing the standards your business needs to adapt to these innovations does not have to be complicated and time-consuming. Our tailored BSI Knowledge subscription service provides flexibility, access, visibility, and control over the standards and insights your team needs to adopt emerging processes. Request to learn more.

Add these key innovation management standards to your collection today.