Effective Steps to Implement a Robust Idea Management System

What is an Idea Management System?

An idea management system is used to help organizations collect, evaluate, and manage ideas from their employees. It is a structured framework that streamlines the innovation process in an organization in an  effective way. 

While idea management has in the past been reduced to spreadsheets or a physical idea submission box, there are plenty of modern digital tools that exist to help streamline the process of idea collection in an organization.

For example, many idea management software solutions now exist that support efficiency and transparency while additionally providing better usability and simplified management and oversight of the innovation funnel.

Successfully Transition From Spreadsheets to Modern Idea Management Systems

While collecting ideas with the use of a spreadsheet might have been standard practice somewhere in the early 2000s, we can attest, that's no longer needed. Even though the switch can be daunting, finding the right idea management system and approach that is suitable for the needs of your organization, will make the process far smoother.

Get started with a structured approach to idea management using the five simple steps below, and you're sure to have a winning recipe:

1. Inform your employees

Innovation can become accessible to every employee when they are provided with the right tools. This is only the case however when company-wide buy-in is secured. Informing your team  about the intentions to move away from traditional tooling when it comes to idea collection, is an opportunity to inject some excitement. You can show demonstrations of the capabilities of the new idea management tools or software, while also highlighting that it will streamline ideation processes and ensure that all ideas stand a fair chance. For the best results, you can also set up some training in the use of the new tooling when introducing it. 

2. Define your objectives

Every organization has unique goals and challenges. An idea management solution should be customized to specific needs and requirements, to ensure that your organization can utilize it to its full potential. Setting out to define the objectives of your organization and its innovation priorities, can help to clarify what tool is the right fit for your team. It is also important to select a solution that is tailored to support long-term objectives as well as your immediate needs, and can adapt to the evolving strategy of the business; as market trends and internal priorities change.

3. Set up your software and tooling

Setting up your choice of software or tooling entails setting up the onboarding, workflows and roles to your specific requirements. It is also necessary to set up projects to guide employees as they deliver and work on their ideas. The right tools will streamline the idea collection process for all parties involved.

4. Migrate data

Before making the switch from traditional ways of operating, whether it be spreadsheets or physical ideas boxes, it’s vital that all data has been migrated and organized within the new frameworks. Cleaning and formatting data can be a challenge. However, overcoming the obstacle with a dedicated data migration strategy enables users to pick up ideas that they had previously worked on or access relevant data that could support their future ideations. 

5. Promote your idea management program

This step goes hand-in-hand with step 1, except that promoting your organization's idea management program is not a one-time effort.  Particularly in traditional companies that are more resistant to change, it will take some time for employees to get into the swing of innovating and openly submit their ideas for everyone to see.

Hence the need for consistent marketing of your idea management program through various channels (e.g. launching a LinkedIn campaign) and different mediums (e.g. putting up posters on bathroom doors to motivate employees to submit their ideas). The possibilities are endless, it really depends only on how creative you can be.  

6. Innovate and improve

Finally, with the right features in place, employees must be given a chance to innovate. Give them the freedom to work on ideas while they are fresh in the mind i.e. with a program that is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year.

Experience should help employees develop mindsets that align with the new ideation processes. Crucially, you should always look to improve and streamline the innovation process with the help of further innovation management tools that can be used during the later stages of the process including validation and implementation. Whether it’s adapting the system or collaborating with external parties, continuous growth — even when it comes to the idea management tools you're using — is vital for success.

Adopting  new methods and transitioning to modern technology in innovation practices can sometimes be daunting, particularly for more traditional companies with rigid systems and processes in place. However, it is a necessary shift if you want to ensure that your organization continues to operate at the pace of change. The longer the delay in switching to modern technologies, the greater the sunk cost of not embracing them sooner will be.