Standardizing SME's Innovation Management Process: Insights from Innovation Experiences.

In 2019 the ISO 56002 standard for managing innovation systems was published, based on the common opinion that effective management of innovation requires a systematic approach. Standardizing would enable organizations to perform innovation processes in a structured way, thus making them controllable and repeatable. ISO states that standardization can be pursued also by SMEs, although various studies underline that generally SMEs follow a non-systematic approach to innovation. Therefore, there is a need to understand if a structured approach like that proposed by ISO can be suitable to SMEs. To provide insights into the potential and drawbacks of standardizing innovation processes in SMEs, the paper discusses the findings of a study on innovation projects carried out by metalworking Italian SMEs. By contrasting the approach suggested by the ISO clauses with the real behaviour of SMEs, it provides food for thought about the applicability of such standard by SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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