Innovation is more than technology, apps and online. It is thinking inside and outside of the box. It is new ways of thinking, managing, organising and working (together). This social innovation forms the basis of 60% of the disruptive innovations.

Changes in the world happen fast: competition can come from all directions. Radical innovation often occurs outside one's own organisation. For example, you may have heard of blockchain. Combined with superfast computers it will cause many changes. It is therefore useful to look beyond your own business.

You can learn to innovate

Everyone within your organisation must understand how a new idea fits into the strategy, making collaboration very important. Many innovators have a good idea, but trust nobody. But it will help you to do the opposite: be open-minded and inquisitive. Talk to other parties, look for collaborations. This is where BDO can help you.

Innovation Scan

BDO's Innovation Scan provides you with a new perspective on your capacity for innovation. The results will show you what buttons to press to make your organisation more innovative. Three important pillars:

1. Aim & Ambition

Why does the organisation exist? If you want to successfully set up innovation, everyone must understand what it is aiming for. What do you want to achieve with innovation? What are the customers and market waiting for? How does innovation contribute to the strategy? An innovation does not need to be substantial, but may be a product or work method that is new to your organisation.

2. Culture

Is there sufficient time and room for new ideas, and are these appreciated? And is there sufficient trust within the business to share knowledge with each other? Bureaucracy and hierarchy hinder innovation. Many people are anxious about making mistakes, while this is part and parcel of innovation.

3. Leadership

Innovation is something that should happen at any level within the organisation. It is therefore the management's responsibility to create the right environment. By actively supporting innovation, but also by removing any obstacles. Management must lead by example.

Do you want to innovate but do not know how?

Innovation is an uncertain process. It is difficulty to incorporate this uncertainty: by definition, innovation must have direction. It is possible to create an environment where there is room for things to happen by chance. Contact one of our specialists and have your business scanned by us.

Tax advantage for innovators

Businesses need to innovate in order to survive and innovation requires investment. To help achieve this, tax subsidies have been introduced to promote innovation. Read (more) about tax advantages and the accompanying innovation box.