Meaning ● Innovation Performance Metrics (IPMs) quantify the efficacy of an SMB’s innovation initiatives, guiding resource allocation and strategic decision-making. For growing SMBs, these metrics gauge the return on investment from automation efforts, assessing whether implemented technologies truly foster efficiency and competitive advantage. ● Accurately measuring innovation performance helps businesses adjust strategies, prioritize initiatives, and ultimately accelerate their growth trajectories, leading to stronger market positioning. The scope often includes measurements of new product adoption rates, process efficiency gains attributable to innovation, and employee engagement levels in innovation programs. Furthermore, successful implementation is not simply adopting new technologies, but rather assessing how these adoptions contribute to measurable growth targets, reflecting both operational gains and strategic advances.