Some of the best ideas will be ideas that come from outside your organisation and others from within.

As mentioned in the Idea Champions poll 'Where and when you get good ideas' of 2007, there are numerous opportunities for idea generation outside the work environment.

“Walking,” “Being in nature,” “Showering,” and “Working with your hands” are all great places to forget yourself and free-associate.

“Traveling,” “Commuting to and from work,” “Reading,” and “Brainstorming alone” allow the mind to encounter random triggers, theorize, and free associate. “Being in nature” and “Surfing the internet” are immersion experiences we can engage in at our own pace.

Two questions managers often ask when they learn how well some companies are doing at getting employee ideas are "Don't employees ever run out of ideas?" and "Can an organization get so good that there is nothing left to improve?" Capture and capitalize on the intellectual capital of the workforce using our idea management tools.

Idea Management tools enable the capture and organization of thought-provoking questions, ideas and solutions, conveying expert—as well as diverse—thinking on a particular topic to inspire innovative solutions.
Idea Management Software can be used anywhere decisions need to be made: new products and services, leadership, meeting and event planning, sales and marketing, strategic planning, etc. When managers first realize the value in the ideas of their employees, it is a profoundly liberating experience. When they learn how to go after these ideas, they also learn that it is well worth the time and effort. Ideas are free.

Employees become allies in solving problems, spotting opportunities, and moving the company forward, to the benefit of all. And when managers decide to let their employees think alongside them—and no longer seek to go it alone—they will have joined the Idea Revolution.

We have the technology and tools to enable the capture of ideas and suggestions from any mobile phone or via the Internet.

Open innovation is helping companies to succeed because it is reaching a larger audience of people and allowing people with outside perspectives to apply their expertise to solving a problem. For businesses, this means cost savings, new ideas and faster solutions.
For the public, this means a chance to use their knowledge and skills to solve problems.

Idea management tools offer these features

• A means for soliciting ideas
• Automatic way of capturing ideas
• Accessible 24/7 online or from any mobile phone
• Collaboration tools that allow people to build or collaborate
  upon ideas
• A reward mechanism
• Idea review tools for determining which ideas offer the most
  potential
  

Ideathon - Social Innovation with a Twist (Online & Offline)

Everyone has a big idea. Every organisation has big challenges that need solutions.

An ideathon is a marathon ideation event with a fundraising aspect. A typical ideathon runs 7-60 days. Ideas are managed via a collaborative online brainstorming platform that allows anyone to submit solutions and collaborate on ideas which may benefit the host organisation and society. Text messaging functionality is optional making it possible to submit ideas from anywhere, any time.

• Organisations define a problem, post a challenge then watch the ideas flow in
  

• Participants form teams, seek sponsors and are funded per number of ideas submitted to the website
  

• Teams brainstorm, evaluate ideas, vote on the best ideas, create solutions, submit top solutions to the website and raise money
  

• Generally ideas remain 'open source' and are available for any individual or organisation to implement

Every community group and charity is competing for attention, profile, impact and donations these days and the ideathon is unique way for your organisation to fund-raise while solving internal problems and societal issues.

Every business is competing to stay ahead of the competition and remain well resourced.

Ideas that Give – Open Innovation with a Charitable Twist

Find out what your audience really thinks. A group brainstorm, a community problem solver, a perfect opportunity to connect, create, collaborate and innovate. Tap into the imagination and wisdom of the crowd and engage them in a funraising campaign at the same time.

The Ideathon is a unique and entertaining way to engage your employees, customers or community and solicit ideas, comments or suggestions at meetings or events. Idea days, product development, AGM's, community promotion/development days, business improvement ideas.

Visit www.ideathon.net for more information.

To explore the possibilities for a real innovation experience or for more information on our consulting services and idea management tools contact us for a free demonstration and consultation. Download brochure here. (500 KB)

id8 Idea Management Toolbox (Online)

Traditional brainstorming requires structure and design and is limited to small groups. Opportunities to generate ideas are abundant. Every organisation has a wealth of intellectual capital most of which is untapped and crowdsourced or open brainstorms (idea jams) can bring new perspectives that generate new ideas.

The crowdsourced feedback model provides a community setting for management, staff or customers to share their ideas and expand on the ideas of other customers.

The Idea Management toolbox incentive and voting process is extremely important in harnessing this flow of customer ideas and making it an integral component of product innovation strategies.

How it works

• Users visit a company branded Idea Management Toolbox
  
• They post ideas, suggestions and comments in the appropriate categories
• Content can be power point presentations, video, audio, photos. Anything to support the idea can be embedded
• They may also expand upon other ideas
• They vote on other ideas

Features

The Business Brainstorming Idea Management Toolbox is a licensable innovation product. Brand your next idea campaign or licence the toolbox to provide to your clients.

To explore the possibilities for a real innovation experience or for more information on our consulting services and idea management tools contact us for a free demonstration and consultation. Download brochure here. (500 KB)

Visit Innovation and Idea Management Tools at  www.businessbrainstorming.com.au

SMS Idea Box^TM (mobile)

Ideas can appear at the strangest times. We know this to be true and we also know the reality is most of us DO NOT carry a pen and small pad to document your ideas as the appear. We got to thinking as we do and shortly after appeared our solution.

How it works

• A company posts the SMS idea box number and keyword either internally or publicly
• Users text a keyword followed by their idea or suggestion
• They post ideas, suggestions and comments
• Response messages can be delivered to stimulate further ideas using creativity prompts.

Vote

• A company posts the top ideas to evaluate (vote on) and the SMS idea box number and keyword either internally or publicly
• Users text a keyword followed their vote
• Ideas are exported in a standard data format.

Features

To explore the possibilities for a real innovation experience or for more information on our consulting services and idea management tools contact us for a free demonstration and consultation. Download brochure here. (500 KB)

Suggestion Box

As above with different set of questions to elicit suggestions rather than ideas. 

Collaborative Mind Map (online & mobile)

How it works

• Create an online mind map or series of mind maps
  
• Invite collaborators via email
  
• They post ideas, suggestions and comments in real-time
  
• Arrange and prioratise ideas
  
• Assign tasks
  
• Present idea maps and export in a several data formats.

Features

To explore the possibilities for a real innovation experience or for more information on our consulting services and idea management tools contact us for a free demonstration and consultation.

View our ideation strategy mind map   here.

Question Bank

Question Banks are organized collections of thought-provoking questions, conveying expert as well as diverse thinking on a particular topic to inspire innovative solutions.

Question Banks can be used anywhere decisions need to be made: new products and services, leadership, meeting and event planning, sales and marketing, strategic planning, etc.
When managers first realize the value in the ideas of their employees, it is a profoundly liberating experience. When they learn how to go after these ideas, they also learn that it is well worth the time and effort. Ideas are free.

Employees become allies in solving problems, spotting opportunities, and moving the company forward, to the benefit of all. And when managers decide to let their employees think alongside them—and no longer seek to go it alone—they will have joined the Idea Revolution.

Brendan O'Keefe, the idea - inception expert and will help you generate a supply of innovative and creative business ideas that will help you grow your business. Download brochure here. (500 KB)

If humour and fun are not tolerated in your organisation, please do not contact us.