Whats on the web
Article Type: What’s on the web From: Strategic Direction, Volume 25, Issue 6
Practical help
Right, let’s start with what the (UK) Government has to offer. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (the usual mouthful)boasts a home page that claims that innovation is the key business process that enables UK businesses to compete effectively in the increasingly competitive global environment. It also promises that the Department is working to stimulate a significant increase in innovation throughout the economy.
There are good sections on legislation, policy goals, such as the transfer of knowledge between the science and business communities, and support for small businesses, finance and investment and on management and skills. There are some useful case studies and we found two sections (one an external link) that we particularly liked – Digital Britain – an action plan to secure the UK’s place at the forefront of innovation, investment and quality in the digital and communications industries and Action for Business – a program to help UK business overcome current financial and economic challenges.
Design-wise, the site itself is a little dull but then it does have to fit into a suite of Government web sites.
Altogether there is a lot of useful practical information for companies and individuals.
Light but useful
The Innovation Unit is an innovation intermediary for public services, with a strong track record supporting innovation in education and children’s services, the third sector and local government.
They work in partnership with organizations from the public, private and third sectors in the UK to “stimulate, incubate and accelerate”innovation in public services “that delivers significantly better outcomes for significantly lower costs”. The site offers a service to schools,school trusts, governors, parents and carers, local authorities, national agencies, government departments and also has an international section.
It is pretty well designed and, although education-centered, has a lot to offer for the business reader. One element that might prove particularly useful is the facilitated toolkit which enables constructive dialogue around some complex issues; context, action, purpose, leadership and governance. Not essential reading (or viewing) but quite useful.
Creativity and technology
Innovation house offers resources, tools, software, tutorials and information for creative thinking, lateral thinking, problem solving, creativity and brainstorming. It is a commercial organization, but much of the software is offered on a free trial so you can give it a go without financial commitment. Areas that look useful are the e-mail reply software – time saving software for busy managers, helpdesks, customer services and human resources and health and safety and risk management software.
There is nothing particularly exciting about the web site design but it is clean and functional with quick links.
The parent organization, Infinite Innovations Ltd, was founded and expanded by Dr Peter Clayton who has skills in the creative field and technology field and has merged the two rather well it appears.
Leading the way
Introducing innovation into a business or increasing its importance to a brand is the remit of Project Leaders International who work with businesses in the public or private sector, anywhere in the world, to improve project management capabilities, the management of innovation, and business growth.
They offer a range of best-practice tools and techniques supported by “cutting-edge technology”.
While they are happy to discuss new products and services they rightly claim on their site that innovation covers much more than that. It is also about process improvements, new market approaches, and innovative ways of doing business.
They offer a range of project management courses and programs, consultancy services, and software platforms on a well designed commercial site that is certainly worth a visit.
Lively and bright
“Most businesspeople are so busy working for their business or in their business that they never find time to work on their business.”
We liked this home page introduction though much of the text is a little glib– “duke it out,” “move to the next curve” and so on. There are also some grammatical errors that detract from the overall message(s)and there is far too much capitalization. But the site is lively with lots of good links (and also very fast).
Worth a look.
And finally
The above site also offers quotes in its humorous business plans section. Read them for some good quotes … for as the site says, according to Mark Twain, “Humor is the good natured side of truth.”
Best of all
For a particularly interesting and useful site you could always try the Emerald one!
If you have any favorite (or otherwise) sites that you would like us to review on these pages, or wish us to consider your own site, please drop us an e-mail and we will ask our reviewers to check them out.
