Strategic Plan
2006 – 2010
Approved November 2005
I. VISION
Be the acknowledged leader in the creation, identification, and dissemination of the best practices in innovation.
II. MISSION
To enhance the effectiveness of technological innovation in industry.
III. PLANNING ENVIRONMENT
- Top line growth and avoiding the commoditization of products will be more important objectives for companies.
- “Business innovation” will be more important than just product innovation.
- Using intellectual property as a strategic business driver is increasingly important.
- There will be an increasing impact of Asian countries on the world economy, both as markets and suppliers of products, technology and people.
- There is a need for information to be available immediately.
- Executives will have shorter tenures in industrial leadership positions, causing greater emphasis on short term accomplishments.
- There are greater demands on everyone’s time.
- The outsourcing of functions and use of external capabilities to increase productivity will increase.
- There will be frequent changes in the industrial landscape, due to mergers, reorganizations and start-ups.
- Industry leaders will have greater concerns about policy issues (e.g., quantifying the value of science and technology.)
- The planning environment will be more volatile, due to factors such as oil pricing, stock market pressures, political instability and terrorism.
- Competition is increasing among professional organizations, journals, websites, books and conferences related to innovation, with the results that best practices are rapidly and widely disseminated, and leadership and differentiation is more difficult to sustain.
IV. PURPOSES OF THE INSTITUTE
- Identify, promote and disseminate effective techniques for the organization and management of research, development, and engineering in support of technological innovation.
- Encourage high standards in technological innovation.
- Develop methods for determining the effectiveness of technological innovation, and promote an understanding of the value of technological innovation to the economy, industry, and society.
- Strengthen understanding of business issues by technology leaders as well as business leaders' understanding of the technological innovation process.
- Monitor and clarify government policy issues that relate to technological innovation, act as an effective source of information to the U.S. government, and afford member companies opportunities to influence policies.
- Foster cooperation on a worldwide basis with academia, government, and other organizations active in technological innovation.
- Provide member-company representatives a forum for building a network of contacts among their peers.
V. STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE
Deliver outstanding value to IRI members by:
- Providing insight and actionable learning into R&D’s best practices;
- Creating networking opportunities with technical leaders; and ,
- Quickly disseminating knowledge in appropriate formats.
VI. GOALS, OBJECTIVES and STRATEGIES
Goal Area I – Learning Center
- Provide information in the timeliest manner and in the most appropriate format.
Strategies
- Make the IRI website the website of choice for managers of innovation, at all levels.
- Have searchable data bases accessible from the website for all pertinent information.
- Support and expand VSAGE.
- Explore mechanisms for the creation of an IRI member help desk.
- Continually enhance the learning component of all IRI meetings.
Strategies
- Coordinate use of RTM papers with other learning programs.
- Increase subscriptions and other publication revenue.
- Increase advertising in RTM and elsewhere.
- Align RTM subscription rates with actual usage and value.
Goal Area II – Member Services
- Provide offerings that attract both small and large companies in all industries and address the needs of member employees at all levels.
Strategies
- Develop programs to attract senior technology executives (CTO or similar title).
- Study the possibility of different levels of membership.
- Increase the number of Associate Members by recruiting non-industry R&D entities such as federal labs and university research institututes
Strategies
- Create an explicit strategy that focuses on retaining current member companies.
- Align dues with IRI’s value to each member.
- Improve information regarding the true value of IRI and enhance the differentiation between IRI and competing organizations.
- Provide portfolio management of all programs and services.
Goal Area III – Best Practices
- Organize, create and support mechanisms to develop techniques or positions for dealing with issues related to technological innovation.
Strategies
- Increase the effectiveness of Research on Research work groups and other communities, including those that are web-based.
- Enhance the ability to create forums and other networking opportunities on ad hoc issues.
- Actively encourage, support, and promote Networks.
- Coordinate the activities of all IRI content developers to ensure the highest quality products.
Goal Area IV – Advancing the Field
- Assure IRI visibility and recognition on issues of national policy and strategy relevant to technological innovation.
Strategies
- Monitor developing issues, and create mechanisms to recommend beneficial actions.
- Open appropriate communication channels with relevant agencies and associations.
Goal Area V – Administration
- Assure a strong and dynamic organization to accomplish the mission of IRI.
Strategies
- Continually evaluate the effectiveness of IRI in achieving its Mission.
- Examine the effectiveness and action plans of the individual committees.
- Ensure financial stability and fiduciary responsibility.
- Assure member needs are being served.