Simplex: modelling the phases and stages of the innovation process in open-system organizations

Abstract

<p>In an era of rapidly accelerating change, thriving organizations are not merely efficient or flexible, but adaptable, or innovative. This means that they act as open systems sensitive to their environment and continuously transform changing inputs into changing outputs. This paper models organizational creativity or innovation as a three-phase, circular transformation process of deliberately and continuously anticipating and finding valuable problems, developing solutions and implementing those solutions. The four stages of this process, called the Simplex process, are generation, conceptualization, optimization and implementation. Within the process are eight steps: problem finding, fact finding, problem defining (including challenge mapping), idea finding, evaluating and selecting, planning, gaining acceptance and taking action. Each step is activated by a sequential thinking process involving active divergence and active convergence. While this paper focuses on organizations, the model, the process and all of the concepts can equally apply to individuals and groups or teams of individuals.</p>