Students of the Diploma in Innovation Management will learn about innovation and change and how it affects business operations. They will gain knowledge of new process technologies that contribute to improving operational efficiency and competitiveness in their organisations. The course will address the effective management of new product innovation strategies and identify appropriate business process improvements to facilitate the introduction of such change.
The course is delivered online, in association with University College Cork (UCC) and comprises 30 ECTS. There are four individual modules (5 ECTS) and a project (10 ECTS) to complete, see module descriptions below. The Project module runs over the full academic year. Modules are run on a sequential basis, students study one module every six weeks. Please see 2021-2022 Innovation Management Timetable for more details.
Managing Innovation
Innovation is crucial to the creation and development of organisations. Research has shown that the successful management of innovation can yield positive outcomes, yet the process of innovation management can often be misunderstood or poorly incorporated into business practices. This module is an introduction to the building-blocks of innovation management for organisations. It looks at the nature of innovation and examines different types of innovation. It explores the innovation management process from start to finish. The module covers topics such as: sources of new ideas, effective selection and portfolio processes, and the challenge of implementation. These innovation processes operate in a context defined through the interaction of people, technology and organisational goals, or more concisely, the innovation strategy of the company. As part of your learning, you will consider some of the key contemporary issues in innovation management such as the increasing trend towards accessing ideas and expertise from outside the organisation, and the need for organisations to develop capabilities in managing alliances and open innovation mechanisms. The module discusses the growing importance of innovation in services; the role of leadership in supporting innovation performance and the use of formal knowledge management systems to capture and leverage learning. The module is also designed to develop the learners’ understanding of the challenges of achieving an innovative organisation that is efficient at both exploiting current advantages and exploring for new opportunities.
Improving Business Processes
When trying to improve a process, one must understand the entire process from start to finish before making any changes. This module provides students with a detailed strategic process to implement the Business Process Management (BPM) discipline within an organisation. The BPM lifecycle is a continuous improvement procedure that can be utilised across all processes. Students will learn how to map a process, AS-IS and TO-BE, identify potential improvements, assess and implement those improvements, and finally monitor the progress by developing key process indicators. Even with so many processes, when a set of well tested steps are followed, there is less duplicated effort, resulting in staff and customers satisfaction.
User Centred Design
This module cover why and how to put the human user of systems, services and products at the centre of the design process. It explores the user-centered design paradigm from a broad perspective, emphasizing how user research and prototype assessment can be integrated into different phases of the design process. Students learn to think like a user-centered designer and carry out activities that are key to user-centered design. Topics include: Introducing the User Centred Design process; Introducing the Basic Psychology of the User; Introducing Cognition - how we problem solve in completing tasks; Introducing Anthropometrics and ergonomics - how our bodies influence how we can interact with systems and devices; Case studies in User Centred Design of systems, services and products.
Managing Technology Projects
Projects are becoming an increasingly important part of how all organisations across industry sectors do business. The primary objective of this module is to provide learners with the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to apply project management principles, tools and techniques to deliver value to the organisation. The module will explain the role of the project manager, and provide learners with skills and knowledge to perform this role in dealing with stakeholders’ needs and expectations, developing project plans and executing them in an efficient and effective manner.
In Company Project
The student completes a research/practical project in the area of Technology Commercialisation or Innovation Management. This module gives a student the opportunity to further develop novel technologies that are near-commercialization or start at the very beginning of identifying what needs to be done to get to commercialisation stage. This project may allow you to support research/development in all areas of technology including medical devices, electronics, software, communications, engineering, etc. This project module can give an opportunity to look at innovation projects that are integrated into the business at both strategic and operational levels.
