In today's rapidly changing business landscape, it’s not only innovation teams who are using idea management solutions to find new solutions and encourage fresh thinking among employees. If you're considering implementing an idea management platform in your business unit, here are three key features you need to look out for:
1. Design that drives user engagement
Have you ever started filling out a form just to quit halfway through because it’s not worth the headache? Design and usability of your idea management platform is crucial for employee engagement. If your team finds it hard to use or navigate, they'll soon lose interest.
So, when choosing your platform, make sure it's simple to use and has a user-friendly design. The experience should feel as easy as using any modern website and beloved b2c app. That means users can easily find what they're looking, functionalities are intuitive, and visual elements bring the page or app to life. Remember, this is a place where your team should inspire and feel inspired!
Finally, a great design isn't static. It should evolve based on user feedback and needs. Therefore, choose a vendor committed to continuously improving the platform based on users' experiences and suggestions.
2. Best-practice templates to hit the ground running
With the plethora of idea management literature out there, it can be overwhelming to set up your first campaign. That’s why guidance should be included in your idea management platform with off-the-shelf templates so you can hit the ground running.
Templates give you a head start by providing a structure for generating and managing ideas. They should match your goals and needs, including defining submission forms and idea stages. Plus, they should be flexible enough for you to change the wording to fit your company. For example, do you want to ask for “ideas,” “feedback,” or “best practices?”
Finally, these tried-and-true templates ensure you follow industry best practices. They’re based on the most common processes being followed by thousands of companies across sectors. Forget about re-inventing the wheel - unless you’re running an idea campaign on the future of mobility!
3. Connectivity to your innovation management platform to streamline implementation
Once your campaign is over and winning ideas have been selected, what next? Your idea management platform should easily connect to your innovation management platform to avoid falling into the idea sandbox syndrome where ideas accumulate but lack concrete follow-up.
Having both platforms integrated speeds up the process of turning an idea into action. This connectivity also allows you to better leverage existing partners in your portfolio who could help implement the idea, saving even more time.
Finally, having your entire innovation funnel managed on a single platform means more accurate and holistic analytics from idea to implementation. You should also be able to track topics such as your most engaged internal innovators, hot innovation topics, and innovation ROI.
Remember, these three features - simplicity, ready-to-use templates, and connectivity - are crucial for any idea management platform. They'll help to ensure the successful creation and management of innovative ideas within your department.
