Technological innovation management through root cause prioritization

Purpose Technological innovation has become a significant part of textile and apparel industries. To become distinguished from competitors, it is essential to harness the potentials of the organizations in achieving higher speeds, faster delivery times, more precise research and development processes followed by modern manufacturing techniques, lower inventory and lower costs. This paper aims to present the risk factors, root causes and their impact related to technological innovation. This uncovers deeper problems inherent to the technological innovation process while providing insight to develop a more robust risk management strategy in marking the survival and growth of the organizations in the textile and apparel trade. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and structured interviews with industry experts were conducted to identify the risk factors and root causes associated with technological innovations related to textile and apparel industries. The impact of root causes to the risk factors was determined through priorities, derived according to analytic network process using Super Decision software. Findings Impact of the root causes on risk factors take different priorities, highlighting the most alarming root causes, which contribute more to the outcome. This provides insight for a more precise decision-making on the order of prioritization of root causes in managing risks involved. Originality/value Findings of this research provide insight on the most influential competencies of any textile and apparel organization for a thriving innovation. Profound knowledge on risk factors, root causes and their contribution to the outcome enhances complex decision-making. This ultimately leads to “credible performances’’ of the technological innovation and optimizing the resources available, which bridges the gap that exists in the current literature.