Jpb.com Introduces IdeaWikis in Latest Idea Management Software Upgrade

Brussels, Belgium, March 10, 2010 --(PR.com)-- The use of idea management software is a growing trend in medium to large businesses as managers come to appreciate the importance of employee ideas in the innovation process. Software products like jpb.com's Jenni Innovation Process Management (IPM) allow managers to capture employee ideas using collaborative web 2.0 tools. Jpb.com claim, however, “to have taken the collaborative process to the next level” with their new IdeaWiki module in Jenni.

Nearly every idea management product on the market today provides basic collaboration in which employees can not only submit ideas, but can also read each others' ideas and collaborate on them by providing comments beneath those ideas. In an IdeaWiki, on the other hand, employees can submit ideas, of course, but they can also collaborate on ideas by clicking on an existing idea and opening it up in a simplified Wiki editing space. Here, the employee can edit the original idea by adding new information, clarifying points and even correcting spelling mistakes. According to jpb.com founder and managing director, Jeffrey Baumgartner: “As a result, ideas submitted to an IdeaWikis campaign in Jenni are not linear developments of an idea and comments, rather IdeaWikis become dynamic, collaborative documents authored by spontaneous, ad hoc teams that come together because they are all able to participate in the development of a particular idea.”

IdeaWikis in Jenni include a list of all authors who have contributed to an idea as well as a backtracking function that allows anyone to go back in time and review each contribution to the IdeaWiki. In the event that a collaborator inadvertently deletes important information, the manager in can undo any edit to the IdeaWiki. IdeaWikis can be evaluated and developed into implementable concepts using Jenni's suite of evaluation tools.

Background

Idea management software varies in functionality from simple suggestion schemes, that are essentially web based suggestion boxes with the added benefit of web 2.0 functionality, to more sophisticated tools that are based on a structured process. Jpb.com's product, Jenni, falls in the latter category.

Jenni provides a full innovation process using the “ideas campaign” approach to idea management. An ideas campaign starts with an innovation challenge launched by a manager and which is typically based on a strategic problem or goal. Employees submit and collaborate on ideas for a limited time, usually two to four weeks. This is followed by a review process, facilitated by Jenni's suite of idea evaluation and development tools that enable managers to identify which ideas have the greatest potential to add value to the firm. According to Baumgartner, “the ideas campaign approach enables businesses to align their idea generation process with their strategy, ensuring managers don't just get lots of ideas. Rather they get evaluated ideas that solve timely business problems and issues.”

jpb.com is based near Brussels, Belgium and has representative offices in New Jersey (USA), London (UK), Cologne (Germany), Melbourne (Australia), Harstad (Norway), Swellendam (South Aftica) and Windhoek (Namibia). Jenni is used by companies around the world to develop new product, new packaging and new process efficiency ideas that have ranged from new snack food poducts in the USA to more efficient water management in Australia.

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