Standard : Teams prioritise innovation in areas that create competitive advantage
Purpose and Strategic Importance
This standard ensures that teams direct innovation efforts towards opportunities that create lasting competitive advantage. It promotes outcome-focused experimentation and continuous learning that supports our strategic goals.
Aligned to our "Psychological Safety First" and "Invest in Differentiators" policies, this standard enables purpose-led innovation without fear. Without it, innovation risks becoming scattered, short-term, or misaligned with the organisation's direction.
Strategic Impact
- Increased alignment of innovation with business priorities
- Differentiated customer experience and value creation
- Higher return on innovation investment
- Stronger organisational learning and resilience
Risks of Not Having This Standard
- Fragmented or duplicated innovation efforts
- Wasted investment on low-value initiatives
- Innovation fatigue due to unclear outcomes or priorities
- Inability to respond to market or customer shifts effectively
- Undermined employee motivation and strategic alignment
CMMI Maturity Model
Level 1 – Initial
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
Innovation is informal and varies by individual initiative. |
| Process & Governance |
No clear prioritisation or evaluation process exists for innovation. |
| Technology & Tools |
Tools and platforms for experimentation are unavailable or ad hoc. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
Innovation outcomes are not tracked. |
Level 2 – Managed
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
Some teams experiment during low-risk periods but lack support or clarity. |
| Process & Governance |
Occasional innovation sprints or time allocations exist. |
| Technology & Tools |
Tools may support basic exploration but without repeatability. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
Anecdotal benefits are shared, but no formal measurement is in place. |
Level 3 – Defined
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
Teams are encouraged to explore ideas aligned with strategic goals. |
| Process & Governance |
Innovation backlog or focus areas are clearly prioritised. |
| Technology & Tools |
Teams have access to secure sandboxes and prototyping environments. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
Innovation success is reviewed and shared across teams. |
Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
Innovation efforts are recognised, resourced, and reflected in team plans. |
| Process & Governance |
Frameworks guide how innovation is planned, funded, and reviewed. |
| Technology & Tools |
Tooling enables repeatable and safe innovation across the org. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
Success is tied to value outcomes, speed to insight, and competitive lift. |
Level 5 – Optimising
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
Teams routinely innovate and learn, with failure viewed as progress. |
| Process & Governance |
Innovation cycles are embedded in delivery cadence and decision-making. |
| Technology & Tools |
Platforms support low-friction experimentation and rapid feedback loops. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
Innovation ROI and market impact are continuously assessed and optimised. |
Key Measures
- % of innovation initiatives aligned to strategic differentiators
- Lead time from idea to tested insight
- Innovation success rate (e.g. adopted, scaled, or informing roadmap)
- Employee engagement in innovation activities
- Measured contribution of innovation to business value or differentiation