You are convinced of the benefits ofcollaborative innovation for your organisation, and you have convinced your management. Now it's time to choose your collaborative innovationplatform. What are the key criteria that make the difference? How can you be sure that you are making the right choice and that you are choosing software that will get your employees on board? Here are 7 criteria to consider when choosing a software fromcollaborative innovation.
1- Choosing a software fromcollaborative innovation : the interface, the first criterion
The interface is the first contact you have with the software. If it is simple, intuitive, and user-friendly, you will adopt the software more easily. If, on the other hand, the interface is complex and unwelcoming, you will not want to return to it. The interface is therefore essential to ensure the adoption of yourcollaborative innovationsoftware.
Also remember that you are about to ask your staff to take time out to participate incollaborative innovation. An intuitive interface will make their lives easier and help create a new habit. On the contrary, a complicated interface will make them waste time, and they will certainly not want to repeat the experience.
2- Ease of idea management
Choosing software fromcollaborative innovation means first of all choosing software to collect and manage new ideas. The proposal of ideas, projects or good practices must therefore be made easier for the user. As well as the management of these ideas by a jury. As you can see, idea management is the basis of any innovation software, because it is where everything starts.
Yourcollaborative innovation software must be collaborative. Indeed, collaboration is an important concept in idea management. This means allowing users to add to the ideas of their peers, ask questions, respond to interactives (such as surveys) or join project teams.
When can your staff come up with ideas? That's up to you! But it would be preferable to choose a tool that, like Beeshake, will allow you to manage the proposal of ideas continuously, but also toorganise calls for ideas, or innovation challenges. This is an opportunity to solicit users in more event-based formats, on specific themes.
3- Follow-up of ideas in experimentation
The aim of your innovation tool is to turn the most promising ideas into real products or services. Choose a tool that will allow you to, for example
- Create experimental groups in which project teams can exchange, share documents, conduct surveys, etc.
- Share business cases in document banks.
- Create teams on Microsoft Teams to provide a seamless experience for project teams
- Disseminate widely and easily shared good practices, for example via MOOCs that are easy for employees to create and share
4- Features that stimulate participation
Gamification
Gamification, which consists of applying game principles to a digital tool, is indeed an effective way to stimulate engagement.
Firstly, it can consist of identifying and rewarding the most committed employees, thus encouraging even more commitment, as Beeshake does. This commitment can be individual or collective. You can reward employees, but also the most active divisions, directorates or departments.
Gamification can also consist of organisingcollaborative innovation in the form of challenges. We therefore advise you to choosecollaborative innovation software that will allow you to organise and run calls for ideas on specific themes.
Animation features
Polls, surveys, interactive sessions... Opt for a platform that easily creates interactions with your users. The more opportunities your employees have to respond to these requests, the more they will get used to using the platform and participating in the collective intelligence.
Your platform should also be a space for animating and bringing to life the highlights ofcollaborative innovation. Choose a platform like Beeshake that allows you to livestream and broadcast events, webinars or speeches, even to remote employees.
5- Detailed and useful statistics
To manage your approach, it is imperative to choose a software ofcollaborative innovation which, like Beeshake, proposes rich and relevant statistics. You will be able to follow the rate of engagement of your users, but also to collect all the necessary data to justify the efficiency of your approach. The opportunity to show your sponsors that they were right to support you!
6- Security
Security and data privacy are obviously major concerns. It is therefore essential to check that your platform guarantees a solid infrastructure and the security of all information and data.
It is also essential to check that your software complies with all the RGPD standards. The chosen provider must comply with all legal obligations regarding the collection of personal data, as well as the way it is used and stored, ensuring that there is no breach of privacy.
7- The human relationship behind the technology
The support
It is obvious that when choosing a software fromcollaborative innovation, technology plays a predominant role. But that is not all! Your provider should also provide you with good technical assistance and support, tailored to your needs.
If you have any questions about the tool or the success of yourcollaborative innovationsystem, your supplier should be able to help you. It is best to have a dedicated contact person who knows you and understands the challenges you face. At the beginning of the collaboration, they will help you configure your platform, train your teams or help you publish your first content. Then he will accompany you throughout your programme to assist and advise you.
Support
Choosing software fromcollaborative innovation means choosing a real partner for your system. Choose a supplier with a team of consultants who can accompany you, follow you and make regular recommendations. Discover for example our support atcollaborative innovation to inspire you!
