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Chapter 1

Summary

The aim of this book is to present ways to improve innovation performance
through the development and successful implementation of an innovation strategy.
This chapter has showed that:

• The need for innovation is increasing and being driven by technology,
  customers, new forms of competition, and the business environment.
  
• There are four main dimensions of innovation – product, service, process
  and business process innovation. Companies need to identify which types
  of innovation are important for them and how successful they have been in
  the past.
  
• Innovation has different degrees. It consists of not only of breakthroughs
  (radical innovations) but also incremental improvements, which are
  equally important to companies in both the manufacturing and service
  sectors.
• Extensive research has shown that innovation management is complex and
  multi-facetted. Its scope is wide, ranging from business strategy, managing
  technology and new product development, to organization and people
  management. The Innovation Pentathlon Framework is a diagnostic framework
  for managing innovation.