Infusing Innovation into Organizations: A Systems Engineering Approach

Foster a Culture of Innovation inside Your Organization

Introducing a new approach that blends the practical applications of engineering with innovative concepts and techniques, Infusing Innovation into Organizations: A Systems Engineering Approach illustrates how a company’s culture influences innovation results and demonstrates how organizations can successfully create, explore, and test ideas. The book outlines an innovation framework representing a "systemic" approach that works within an organization’s culture (or context). It describes the principles and practices of innovation, relates these principles to systemic practices and the culture of a research and development organization, and incorporates innovation initiatives that can revitalize the performance of an organization.

The book utilizes numerous case studies that help determine what makes an organization more likely to produce innovative products and ideas. Providing relevant background and a description for each case study, it details innovative activity, innovative impact, and the characteristics and features of each innovation. It also describes the principles and practices of innovation and relates these principles to systemic practices and culture in a research and development organization.

Using systems engineering processes to apply innovation to operations, the authors:

• Describe general initiatives that have been, and could be, considered to address the principles of innovation in the context of an innovation framework
• Outline some indicators of effectiveness that can be used to implement a systemic organization-wide program
• Explain the linear and non-linear processes of design thinking (includes key methods and tools, and provides illustrative case studies)
• Offer an understanding of how to integrate problem-solving and underlying methods and tools into your organization

Infusing Innovation into Organizations: A Systems Engineering Approach introduces a systemic approach that supports an innovative culture and describes novel approaches to addressing problems using creative, viable solutions. This book serves undergraduate and graduate-level professors and students in systems engineering as well as managers and consultants working in systems analysis and design.

Ms. M. Ann Garrison Darrin has an extensive background in technology and engineering man agement in government (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Department of Defense), academia, and industry. She is the managing executive for the Space Exploration Sector of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. She is cochair and founder of the Mid-Atlantic Micro/Nano Alliance Group, board member of the Maryland Space Business Roundtable and the Science Council at the Maryland Science Center, and technical reviewer for IEEE Sensors. Darrin is the editor/author of several books on space/engineering published by CRC Press: Systems Engineering for Micro and Nano Scale Technologies, Handbook of Space Engineering, Archaeology, and Heritage, and MEMS and Microsystems for Aerospace Applications. She holds a master of science degree in technical management from UMUC, a bachelor of arts from Pennsylvania State University, and is a Certified Quality Engineer (ASQC). She is the recipient of several awards, including the Johns Hopkins University Women’s Leadership Award, and holds several patents and has authored more than 60 papers. Dr. Jerry A. Krill is the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s (APL’s) assistant director for science and technology and chief technology officer. He is leading APL’s innovation initiatives. He led the conception, enabling technologies, and design of the sensor network called the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) and was responsible to the U.S. Navy CEC program manager for meeting the accelerated, congressionally directed fleet introduction in 1995. In 1996, he served as technical lead for the Navy’s “Mountain Top” advanced concept technology demonstration. Dr. Krill holds 21 patents and has written over 100 papers and technical documents. He received the American Society of Naval Engineers “Jimmie” Hamilton Award, was named a Maryland Daily Record Innovator of the Year, and was inducted into The Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame at the University of Maryland (College Park). He is featured in the book CTOs at Work (Apress). Dr. Krill received bachelor and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Michigan State University (Lansing), and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland.