18. Prototyping Innovation as a Business Process

The chapter proposes that only innovative companies can deliver sustainable performance over time. How to ensure a robust pipeline of innovative projects to build a sustainable innovative company is a very relevant question. The authors claim that innovation processes which constantly deliver innovation-powered projects can be prototyped. So far prototyping was developed and explored as a stage in innovation process linking idea with refined solution. We use prototyping as a method of getting innovation processes done. In an attempt to find some insights, the authors examine a particular example of prototyping an innovation process step by step, materialize it in a software that enables to automatize and stabilize the process, and fine-tune it with employees in an inclusive approach in a medium-sized construction business. The case study discusses key factors in determining a sustainable innovation process based on a true understanding of the external environment and contextual business requirements. Although rooted in construction specifics, the presented approach can gain broader application.