How well do your OI initiatives align with your company’s strategic drivers? Alignment drives maximum value.

Be prepared to measure and justify your OI spend as early as possible.

Obtain executive sponsorship for your program.

Commitment to OI means commitment from the top to the bottom of the organization.

A physical "Collaboratory" in your office can promote cross-functional collaboration.

Social media tools can help share data and support employee interaction.

A 'Yellow Pages' approach effectively maintains information on your network partners.

Intermediaries can identify new partners and capabilities outside your existing network.

An OI Steering Committee can act as a board of advisors as you implement your program.

Consider using a Technology Map in the solution evaluation process. A Green, Yellow, Red classification provides an easy method to determine final selections.

Follow up and more follow up. All innovation partnerships require extensive follow up.

Don’t be satisfied by random responses to your website. Drive qualified innovators to your external website with a communication campaign prior to launch.

Test how well you are articulating your Need by sharing it with someone outside your group. If they have a lot of questions, then think about re-drafting.

Have an action plan ready to discuss with potential partners, including timeframe and deliverables.

Encourage entrepreneurial drive and risk taking in your Open Innovation team.

Set aggressive timetables for evaluating potential partners. Seal the deal while enthusiasm, interest, and relevance is high.

Nurture "failure". Create incentives and support to encourage individuals to embrace risks and seek change. Innovation does not happen in a “safe” zone.