Innovation is a planned improvement of a process or condition. In the business environment, innovation is expected to lead to a measurable improvement in defined figures. It is usually measured in money or time. So anything that leads to more sales or profit or speeds up a process is generally celebrated as an improvement and therefore an innovation.

But the question is, how do you bring about change, innovation and modified processes? It should be clear that a single idea is usually not enough to change entire processes. Rather, it requires a chain of ideas or approaches and the will to implement them and try things out. Innovation can therefore not rest on the shoulders of individuals or a few who have the task of “Think of something new”, but must rather be implanted in the DNA of a company.

Why do we do something the way we do it? If you constantly question yourself or have to “sell” processes again and again, this inevitably leads to new insights and food for thought. And this doesn’t just refer to new products, which successful companies must constantly develop.

Innovation must therefore be part of the corporate culture, just like good coffee or the latest IT equipment. Employees can only leave the beaten track if change is desired and encouraged. To show how important innovation is, Compamedia even makes this measurable. The result is a seal of quality that evaluates a company’s innovative strength. The 100 best are honored with this award.

We are proud that we have met the criteria of the seal for the 2nd time and are once again among the Top100 companies.

In an extensive process, companies must demonstrate in a total of five categories that structures for innovation-promoting processes are in place and are practiced. Scientific Director Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke explains: “To what extent is a company geared towards innovation? How consistently do its structures pursue this goal? The most innovative SMEs receive the seal. It shows that they are excellently equipped for future challenges.”

In this study, companies are not successful with individual inventions, but through active innovation management and innovation success.

What exactly is being examined? Five different disciplines shed light on how innovation-friendly a company is. The first category examines “innovation-promoting top management” and looks at which innovation strategies the company pursues. A look is also taken at the market of the respective company. Which trends will pose the greatest strategic challenges for the industry in the next five years?

The “climate for innovation” category examines the freedom employees enjoy for creativity and how long it takes for an idea to be tested.

The analysis of processes and organ stations is intended to determine whether innovations were generated by chance or are the result of a systematic approach.

However, the study for the innovation seal does not only relate to the company’s internal processes, but also examines its collaboration with research institutes, customers, suppliers and other external partners. These parameters are summarized in the category “External orientation/open innovation”.

Finally, the “innovation success” is determined. The impact of the company’s innovation efforts on the market is assessed using both balance sheet indicators and questions relating to the number of patents and market position.

The bottom line is that TOP100 examines how conducive the structures are to innovation and how the company’s resources are used. To what extent is a climate created that enables innovation in the long term and how successful are companies with this?

An analysis of potential also provides information about resources that can still be used.

The award-winning companies are generally trendsetters in their sectors.