When it comes to a successful Innovation project, it is all too often the innovation project Manager who is the unsung hero. The role that they play is a vital one when it comes to facilitating and coordinating communication between all of the parties involved in a project. The task is a challenging one. This is particularly true when different members of a team have differing agendas and priorities. But what is the difference between traditional project Management and innovation management? And is one style or the other better for different projects?

Project management

There are two main approaches that can be used in project management, traditional project management and innovation project management. Traditional project management has a focus on the development of detailed plans and innovation management gives project managers the chance to take an approach that is more emergent with plans that are high level and allow for innovation and flexibility. Whilst the project management skills that many project managers learn may be more linked to a more traditional style there is room to adapt them. 

Whilst a traditional project management approach is all about control with the project manager creating detailed plans that lay out every step that will be taken on the project, an innovation approach is much more flexible and allows for more changes along the way. Whilst there is certainly something to be said for the routine and planning of a more traditional method its inflexibility unfortunately is not always suited to the changes that can occur once a project starts. Instead of creating a detailed plan for a project, innovation managers can focus their efforts on creating high-level plans that give them a greater chance for flexibility, and creativity. This is often a much more effective approach when it comes to working with teams that have a number of creative individuals as it allows them to look at more possible new ideas and consider innovative solutions. 

Completing projects – Project management v innovation management

Every business regardless of their industry has projects that they need to be able to complete in order to move forward. However, these projects can often stall. This may be as a result of cuts to the budget or a number of other reasons. 

Innovation project managers come into their own in this instance as they can focus more on the stage-by-stage aspects of the budget. They can adapt to any changes in the budget that occur more easily than a more traditional project manager. This type of project management can be very effective when it comes to making sure that projects are completed to set timescales and on budget. 

There really is no one-size-fits-all approach to projects, and this is a concept that innovation project managers understand very well. They are able to tailor the budget processes that they use to fit to each project they undertake. They can not only budget an amount of money for the remainder of the project but also for those unseen issues that might arise.

Value delivery

Whilst a traditional project manager is more focused on the control of the time management of the resources within the project, an innovation project manager can coordinate the value of the products of the project. This approach may often include working closely with the product owner in order to make sure that the final product is suitable for the expectations of the client. 

A traditional project manager, may be more focused on making sure that resources are used in a more efficient way and that the project is completed to budget and timescale. An innovation manager will focus more of their attention on producing an end product that is of a higher quality and meets the expectations of the customer. 

Deliverables

When it comes to any project the deliverables are key. This refers to any tangible or intangible element of the project that is delivered at the finish of the project. It might be a physical item or something that is less physical like improved satisfaction on the part of the customer. If a project is to ensure that it meets its goals, deliverables like these must be identified at the start of the project and met by the end. The more holistic approach that they take when it comes to the breaking down of deliverables into tasks and stages is one that allows them to research, define and then coordinate the stages of the project. The whole process allows them to be more flexible in how they approach the entire project cycle and this can help them to develop a better understanding of each different stage of the project and the impact it has on the end result. The entire approach allows for more changes to be made along the way which ultimately can deliver better value in a more effective way. 

Why does it work?

What is project management? Ultimately project management is all about how the project manager plans out the work that is needed for a project, how they divide the work between the member of their team and how they work to solve the inevitable problems that will come up along the way that will require them to change some timescales and tasks along the way. 

A project plan that is completely inflexible is unlikely to ever work fully so a degree of flexibility is wise. However, innovation management gives the project manager a greater degree of flexibility to change a wider range of things along the way, making it easier to anticipate many of the issues before they really happen and thus changing the plan to suit any of these issues to incorporate solutions. With project management, there is never truly a correct way that will suit every project and the flexibility for a more experienced project manager to adapt the methodology that they use must surely be a good thing when it offers great results from any project that they do undertake.