A type of innovation in which sometimes small, sometimes larger creative features or evolutions are integrated to existing products, services, technologies or processes on an ongoing basis.
Sustaining innovation is an enterprise-level strategy that requires placing customer value at the top of the company’s priorities (and thus move other priorities such as shareholder value further down). It often will influence – sometimes significantly – the organisation’s managerial culture and processes.
Unlike disruptive innovation, sustaining innovation does not fundamentally alter the industry’s dynamic or upset its hierarchy.
see also: disruptive innovation
related articles: planisware enterprise demo: building an innovation strategy into your product portfolio