Determinación del nivel de innovación dentro del sector metalmecánico aplicando un modelo de evaluación de capacidades, resultados e impactos. Caso de estudio: SEDEMI S.C.C.

Abstract

Innovation is considered a business development factor; therefore, the continuous improvement of innovation activities is the key to success. Innovation conduces companies to enhance their performance and, in this way, it makes companies more competitive improving at the same time living standards. Nowadays, there are not evidence about quantification of the innovation level in the Ecuadorian metalworking industrial sector. However, this is a relevant productive sector, so it is important to know its innovation level. The aim of this research is to estimate the innovation level in the company SEDEMI S.C.C., which is a representative company of the metalworking industrial sector of Ecuador. For that a model that analyze capabilities, results and impacts of innovation in the organization has been applied in order to estimate its innovation level; for the model application, two dimensions (implementation and importance) have been considered. Data has been collected through a questionnaire that evaluates the capabilities, results and impacts of innovation in the organization. Then, there was applied a principal component analysis in order to find the factors that better represent these three aspects (capabilities, results and impacts of innovation). Subsequently, the results obtained were compared with a baseline generated in previous researches. The results show that SEDEMI has an innovation behavior similar to the innovation behavior observed in other organizations of its regional business environment. Moreover, it is important to note that SEDEMI business model is focused on the satisfaction of client needs, then, its innovation objectives usually consider this approach. Finally, the existence of innovations in SEDEMI is observed, but there is not improved any formal procedures to promote and record the realize innovations, for this reason usually innovations are not visualized.