Innovation Process and R&D Decision-Gates

Idea Capture & Idea Evaluation 

Ideas should be captured by all team members across the organisation. Setting up a clear set of tools and processes to capture ideas can seem bureaucratic up-front, but if done in a lean, efficient, supportive & constructive way, it can pave the path for an empowered and successful innovation team. 

It is important to note, that unless the team are provided the criteria for an idea to be successful, it can be very hard for them to evaluate their idea. This is due to the vantage point of different members of the team, where they might not understand the importance of certain criteria. Everyone's emphasis and focus is different, which is part of the magic of bringing a team together. 

Factors typically considered when capturing & evaluating ideas:  

• Description of Idea & author
• Does it advance the company’s strategic objectives?
• Does it impact the Core Technology / IP Asset roadmap?
• What is the genesis of the idea?
• Is it potentially ‘Qualifying R&D?
• Other relevant information

Scoring Criteria typically used to evaluate ideas: 

• Alignment to RD&I Strategy Canvas
• Alignment to Strategic Objectives
• Team Knowledge / Resource Gaps
• Expenditure / Budget Needs
• ESG Impact
• Market Impact

Tools used in ReaDI-Watch to undertake Idea Capture & Idea Evaluation:

To help streamline the process of idea capture & evaluation, ReaDI-Watch has rolled out a number of tools such as: 

• Ideas Board: this toolkit allows users to capture ideas, move them along different Boards, and to score them against criteria set by the company. 
• Idea Conversion to Live Projects: If ideas meet the criteria as set out by the company, they can be converted to live developments (or projects).