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INSIDE LATIN AMERICA
THE PROCESS ANGLE
Innovation may mean different things to different companies and
countries—and it’s not always about the big breakthrough.
BY ROBERTO TOLEDO, MBA, PMP
From music, architecture and entertainment to the products and services we consume, innovation is at
the root of everything. It crosses all
boundaries and affects how companies around the world actually
perform their work.
Yet innovation is a tricky concept
to execute, especially for organizations in developing countries. In
Latin America, the common model
of a company consistently investing a fixed percentage of its revenue
in research and development of new
products and services is scarce. So it’s
no surprise then that most of the so-called breakthrough innovations,
especially in technology, come
almost exclusively from developed countries.
In Latin America, innovation is less about dramatic
discoveries and more about uncovering new processes or
new ways to meet customer needs.
On the Wings of Innovation
Over the last year and a half, I’ve done some consulting
work on an IT project for Mexicana Airlines. It’s hard to
find a global industry that has been hit harder by economic
turmoil than the airlines. For them, innovation isn’t an
option, but a means of survival.
Mexicana launched an IT project to give the company an edge on acquiring customer information and
allow it to offer customers a completely new experience
during the reservation and departure process.
I clearly remember Mexicana CEO Manuel Borja
telling our team a few months ago: “The success of this
project lies not only on the new platform we are implementing, but also on the demonstrated ability of our
company to perform changes and innovations in our service that let the market know we can do successful projects
and adapt to a new environment.”
Although project management
processes and policies are sometimes
seen as barriers to innovation, in reality the opposite is true. Establishing a
method for innovation can lay the
foundation for success. Inspired by
the Mexicana Airlines experience and
the work I’ve done inside my own
company, I’ve developed a set of innovation rules:
1. It’s up to leaders to establish
the culture and environment for
innovation. They need to make the
case for why innovation is important
and how it will be rewarded.
2. Innovation is a social process.
Creativity and new ideas come from
many different sources. We can’t rely
on a couple of minds to innovate.
3. Innovation is all about failure. Leaving enough room
to crash and burn fosters creativity and eliminates
barriers that could seriously limit our ability to change.
At the same time, project managers can’t be afraid to
quickly abandon bad ideas.
4. Cutting-edge creativity alone is not enough.
Innovation depends on the ability to make good ideas
happen and communicate their value to stakeholders.
5. Innovation can be the number-one competitive
advantage. For companies that compete on a global
scale, innovation can be the sole factor that truly sets
them apart from the pack.
Innovation might sound like the new mantra, but this
is not a passing whim. The future has always belonged to
the countries, companies and teams that aren’t afraid to
shake things up. PM
Roberto Toledo, MBA, PMP, is managing
director of Alpha Consultoria and a trainer
and consultant who works across Latin
America. He can be reached at rtoledo@alpha-
consultoria.com.
