Innovation from within - intrapreneurship

Employees are the number 1 source of ideas

Innovation starts with our own employees. They know the processes, the technologies, the products and services and also the opinion, expectations and wishes of the customers. They know where best to start for future innovations. This is where intrapreneurship begins.

Intrapreneurship briefly explained

Even though the word "intrapreneurship" is still marked as a spelling mistake, this is not to be confused with entrepreneurship, but is a term in its own right. Intrapreneurship refers to a system that allows an employee to act like an entrepreneur within a company with internal skills and assets. Unlike external entrepreneurs, they know their own company well. And they are experts who believe in a sustainable future for the company, which creates greater motivation. It gives employees the freedom to experiment and the potential for growth within their own company. Intrapreneurs are self-motivated, proactive and action-oriented people who take the initiative to develop or adapt an innovative product, service or even processes and strategies. If companies do not encourage intrapreneurship or do not recognise their employees, this is certainly detrimental to the company and the brand.

6 birds with one stone

Today's market is very fast-moving. Constant improvements and creative input are essential for companies to stay ahead of the competition. Changing the organisation and its ways of working itself is also increasingly crucial for tomorrow's success in the course of the digital transformation. Intrapreneurship is the solution to many such problems. When companies promote intrapreneurship, they kill several birds with one stone. Why? Because intrapreneurship not only produces innovations, but also promotes talent, increases turnover, creates competitive advantages, improves corporate culture and, last but not least, increases profits. Why intrapreneurship is so trendy in the DACH region can also be read here.

Intrapreneurship in practice

Intrapreneurship should not be seen as just another innovation programme - but it should be part of the company's innovation-related DNA. The first step is to encourage employees to put forward their views and opinions. Not everyone is a visionary, but everyone can contribute in some way to improvements with ideas. Here is a best practice example. AnyIdea as a software for idea and innovation management offers the digital platform to easily involve all employees and generate ideas. In order to identify ideas with potential, they can be evaluated in terms of e.g. organisational needs, novelty, sustainability, customer satisfaction or feasibility.

Conclusion

At AnyIdea, the topics of open innovation and intrapreneurship are an important part of the corporate philosophy. Because intrapreneurship is more than just another innovation programme - intrapreneurship is a step towards transformation into a creative, learning and self-directing organisation. This transformation takes time. There are structures that need to be broken down and outdated ways of thinking that need to be challenged. But through this transformation process, the company grows by many committed and motivated intrapreneurs. They are just waiting to find new ways to solve future challenges.