Rome, as the old saying goes, wasn't built in a day. Likewise, open innovation is not something you can achieve overnight. It is not a single event, but a process and a culture that must grow over time.

Rome did not build itself, either, and similarly, open innovation won't just happen. It takes work, commitment and patience to cultivate an effective program. It is a major initiative requiring focus, investment and time.

But the rewards are great. Open innovation takes a company beyond its own R&D capabilities. Through this strategy, a company reaches out to access innovation resources that expand internal capabilities and become an asset for the company.

The strategy focuses on outcomes rather than on sources. In today's rapidly evolving business environment, the companies that can adapt and innovate quickly will be successful.

Your company can be one of them, relying on open innovation to keep it on the cutting edge of its industry and accelerate the development and rollout of new products. Here are 10 steps that companies should follow to create and cultivate a successful open-innovation program.

1. Create a needs list. This is a process that should involve senior innovation leadership, research and product-development leaders, as well as people from the business units.

Together, they should create a prioritized list of critical strategic and business needs that can become the starting point to initiate the search for new innovations.

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