Why organize a business innovation competition today? In a context of rapid transformation, companies must find agile ways to explore avenues for improvement. And if, combined with this, we consider employees' need to be more listened to and involved, then the innovation competition proves to be a perfect format.
On the one hand, it allows for rapid idea generation while aligning these initiatives with clear strategic objectives. Indeed, gathering ideas can truly contribute to building a strategic roadmap. On the other hand, employees' field expertise is recognized, strengthening their sense of belonging.
Find out more in this article:
- Mistakes to avoid (yes, surprisingly we start there, but we'll reveal how to get around them)
- Step-by-step implementation
- Concrete feedback
- Tangible benefits
Business Innovation Competitions: Classic Mistakes to Avoid
Organizing a corporate innovation competition may seem simple on paper. But even with the best intentions, certain common errors often hinder its real impact on the transformation of the company.
❌ Harvest without processing
Dozens, even hundreds of ideas collected… and no follow-up. It's exactly as if you were asking your teams for a symbolic approach. You're then turning innovation into an isolated exercise, with no resonance in operational reality.
THEREFORE : This generates significant frustration among participants. They mobilize, take the time to propose ideas, but never see their ideas evolve or come to fruition.
❌ Leaving employees without feedback
No feedback, no results, no communication… Post-competition silence is often experienced as a sidelining. An idea, even if not retained, deserves recognition and consideration.
THEREFORE : This undermines trust. In the age of constant feedback, failing to inform employees is tantamount to ignoring their involvement.
❌ Not aligned with strategic issues
The ideas proposed go in all directions, unrelated to the company's orientationsThe competition then becomes a disorganized collection, without direction or clear hierarchy of priorities.
THEREFORE : This dilutes efforts. The competition mobilizes employees, but on issues with no real impact on the roadmap.
How can we actually move from collecting ideas to a strategic roadmap?
A business innovation competition is only a success if it leads to concrete and measurable decisionsThe goal is not just to collect ideas. It is necessary translate them into projects, align them with the strategy, monitor them over time. And this requires a minimum of methods... and above all the right tools. There's nothing like equipping yourself with a dedicated platform for your innovation competition.
- You structure each step of the process
- You involve employees over the long term
- You guarantee the traceability of decisions
Your innovation platform quickly becomes the backbone of the competition, from its transformation into a concrete roadmap.
Step 1: Set a clear framework from the start
Success starts early. It's essential to put an initial structure in place.
- Frame the themes: Explicitly link them to business priorities. For example, improving the customer experience, reducing field irritants, digital transformation, etc.
- Specify your expectations: Do you want product ideas? Internal optimizations? CSR solutions? Be explicit to avoid distractions.
- Define selection criteria upstream and make them visible to participants. For example: impact, feasibility, originality, strategic alignment, etc.
💡 On your platform
- You can publish a video ou organize an introductory live to the competition in order to inform and prepare all the teams
- Un space dedicated to the principle of participation, with themes, selection criteria, key dates, etc. is available at any time
Step 2: Involve stakeholders from the start
A successful competition is always supported by credible internal resources. It cannot rely solely on the innovation or communications team.
- Involve management from the beginning to give weight to the process
- Appoint innovation ambassadors in each department or site to relay, explain and promote the initiative on the ground
- Create a cross-functional selection committee with varied profiles (operational, decision-makers, experts)
💡 On your platform
- Roles are defined : administrators, moderators, jurors, etc. Everyone has their rights and responsibilities to streamline coordination.
- Automatic notifications are sent to managers/ambassadors in order to relay information to their teams or validate certain proposals according to their scope.
Step 3: Structure the steps using your platform
Once the competition is launched, the real challenge is to maintain a fluid, fair and readable logic in the processing of ideas. Without tools, it quickly becomes unmanageable.
- Centralize ideas to facilitate tracking and avoid loss of information
- Encourage employees to support, like, comment in order to make the animation smoother
- Ensure traceability so that each idea can group together its entire history and status
💡 On your platform
- The submission form can be fully customized in order to obtain enriched ideas according to your objectives
- A fundraising kitty is allocated for your colleagues to distribute according to the ideas they prefer or find promising
Step 4: Transform ideas into concrete projects
This is where it all comes down to. A good idea left unimplemented is still a missed opportunity. We must therefore switch to a logic of action.
- Filter, classify and group the most promising ideas (via evaluation criteria or support from employees, for example)
- Identify the “quick wins” to be implemented quickly to show visible results
- Create dedicated project teams for the most strategic ideas with a sponsor, budget and deadlines.
💡 On your platform
- Each project is assigned to a team with a dedicated roadmap.
- Selected ideas may change status: under study, in experimentation, in deployment, etc. Each person in the project team is informed in real time of a change of stage.
Step 5: Integrate the selected projects into the strategic roadmap
Innovation must be fully anchored in the company's strategy. The goal is not to do things "on the side," but “with”.
- Formalize the integration of projects into the steering bodies (CODIR, transformation committees, etc.)
- Ainvolve the relevant departments for the handover between ideation and execution
- Track projects over time via accessible reporting
💡 On your platform
- Excel tables or PDF files are downloaded with all the information on the projects to feed the management committees or strategic meetings
- All ideas, even those not retained, are available on the platform at any time allowing them to be re-examined later or integrated into other devices.
Concrete case: Caisse d’Épargne Aquitaine Poitou-Charentes transforms field innovation into a strategic plan
The CEAPC launched the “Innov'Actions” competition with a clear objective: co-construct its future strategic plan with its employees.
With Beeshake as a dedicated platform, CEAPC was able to:
- Structure the process from A to Z (ideation, support, pitch, selection)
- Mobilize effectively thanks to multi-channel communication
- Involve management and managers as a relay
- Value all contributions, including those not selected
Results
- 180+ ideas proposed in 3 months
- 160 ideas validated
- 2000 active users
- Projects integrated into the strategic roadmap
- A measurable impact on commitment and internal cohesion
Discover the case in full!
The business benefits of a well-managed innovation competition
- Visibility on irritants and opportunities on the ground : Employees identify areas for improvement directly linked to their reality on the ground
- Strengthened commitment : Participating in an ideas competition motivates, empowers, and gives meaning. It’s a powerful lever for engagement.
- Strategic alignment : The best ideas are linked to strategic axes and contribute directly to the organization's roadmap
- Accelerating transformation : CSR, continuous improvement, digitalization… The competition becomes a concrete tool for successfully deploying the transformation.
Ready to host your own business innovation competition?
Beeshake helps you transform your team's engagement into measurable strategic projects. Let's start with a personalized demo 👇
FAQ
With a platform like Beeshake, the contest can be ready in just a few weeks, from defining the themes to going live. Support is personalized.
All employees can be involved, regardless of their job or hierarchical level. The idea is to encourage cross-functionality and the expression of all.
Mobilization relies on three pillars: manager support, targeted communication, and an intuitive platform. Gamification and reminders help maintain engagement.
They can feed into other projects, be reactivated later, or serve as quick wins. It is essential to value all contributions.
Yes, Beeshake allows you to transform selected ideas into projects with teams, progress statuses, and ongoing communication on their impact.