By: Steven Telio,
Director of Product Management at ideaPoint
Director of Product Management at ideaPoint
What is Idea
Submission and Why Does It Matter?
Submission and Why Does It Matter?
Idea submission is the act of articulating a proposal and
getting it into the hands of people who might be interested in it. It is among
the first steps of any innovation process and plays a pivotal role in the
overall success of the process, since the quality of your downstream work
depends on what happens early on.
getting it into the hands of people who might be interested in it. It is among
the first steps of any innovation process and plays a pivotal role in the
overall success of the process, since the quality of your downstream work
depends on what happens early on.
Where Do Ideas Come from?
There is no shortage of places to look for ideas. They could
come from the person sitting next to you, people in your department, those
co-located with you or everyone within your organization. Many of the most
innovative ideas are likely to come from outside of your organization, from
others within your marketspace or industry, or from subject matter experts a
world away. Another rich source of ideas? External partners, trusted people who
work for another company or organization and can bring unique skills and
expertise to bear.
come from the person sitting next to you, people in your department, those
co-located with you or everyone within your organization. Many of the most
innovative ideas are likely to come from outside of your organization, from
others within your marketspace or industry, or from subject matter experts a
world away. Another rich source of ideas? External partners, trusted people who
work for another company or organization and can bring unique skills and
expertise to bear.
No matter where the ideas originate, one fundamental
decision point you will face is whether you prefer quantity or quality. In
other words, do you want to establish an ideation and idea submission process
which makes it easy to submit ideas even if they are not fully formed, or would
you prefer to receive only the highest quality, most well-rounded submissions?
decision point you will face is whether you prefer quantity or quality. In
other words, do you want to establish an ideation and idea submission process
which makes it easy to submit ideas even if they are not fully formed, or would
you prefer to receive only the highest quality, most well-rounded submissions?
Lean towards the former and you may receive a higher volume
of ideas, yet the onus will be on the organization to effectively review and
vet all of them to find those of consequence. You may also need to follow up
directly with the submitter to fill in any gaps in their submission.
of ideas, yet the onus will be on the organization to effectively review and
vet all of them to find those of consequence. You may also need to follow up
directly with the submitter to fill in any gaps in their submission.
Alternatively, leaning towards the latter by raising the bar
on what information is required before a submission can even be made, shifts
the burden back to the submitter. This may also involve providing visibility
into your internal corporate 'areas of interest' so that the submitter has
insight into what ideas or opportunities would be most likely to receive
consideration. Providing these things increases the odds that ideas will align
with your strategy and may make it easier for you to vet ideas.
on what information is required before a submission can even be made, shifts
the burden back to the submitter. This may also involve providing visibility
into your internal corporate 'areas of interest' so that the submitter has
insight into what ideas or opportunities would be most likely to receive
consideration. Providing these things increases the odds that ideas will align
with your strategy and may make it easier for you to vet ideas.
Yet, in the
process you may miss out on any diamonds in the rough, ideas which may not yet
be complete enough to meet your process benchmarks or concepts for new market
opportunities that may not be on your immediate strategic horizon. Or worse,
you may never learn about an idea because the potential submitter may have been
deterred by the submission process itself.
process you may miss out on any diamonds in the rough, ideas which may not yet
be complete enough to meet your process benchmarks or concepts for new market
opportunities that may not be on your immediate strategic horizon. Or worse,
you may never learn about an idea because the potential submitter may have been
deterred by the submission process itself.
Regardless of which approach you choose, align the process
with your organization's goals and ability to evaluate submissions.
with your organization's goals and ability to evaluate submissions.
This is the second
post in a series of blogs titled 'Removing Barriers for Idea Submission.' Each
blog will address different barriers and challenges that innovation programs
are faced with. For further information about a software solution to streamline
your process for gathering ideas and accelerating innovations, visit www.idea-point.com or contact Pat
McWilliams (Patrick.McWilliams@idea-point.com)
post in a series of blogs titled 'Removing Barriers for Idea Submission.' Each
blog will address different barriers and challenges that innovation programs
are faced with. For further information about a software solution to streamline
your process for gathering ideas and accelerating innovations, visit www.idea-point.com or contact Pat
McWilliams (Patrick.McWilliams@idea-point.com)
