Accelerating innovation at Hewlett-Packard: a case study identifies significant enablers as well as barriers to innovation, along with management lessons for speeding the process

OVERVIEW: Accelerating the rate of innovation is a top priority for technology managers; understanding and managing common innovation enablers and barriers saves time and money. A review of multiple programs in Hewlett-Packard revealed that the top enablers of innovation are highly skilled people, a helping culture, management support, using checkpoints to provide focus, and interdisciplinary people working together. However, barriers are different across programs; consequently, managers should regularly interview teams to determine which barriers need to be addressed. And, barriers can be predicted on the basis of technology and market newness. For example, products with technologies that are new to the company face capability issues while products with new markets may experience market planning issues. KEY CONCEPTS: managing innovation, portfolio management, effective R&D.