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Using Jenni Idea Management for
Cost Cutting
Idea management is not only about developing innovative new products
and services. It is also about improving operational efficiency, eliminating
wastage and slashing costs without adversely affecting quality. Indeed,
highly profitable companies such as Dell, Toyota and Wallmart focus their
innovation on cutting costs and operational efficiency. That's a big part
of the reason why they are leaders in their respective markets.
Jenni™ makes cost cutting innovation remarkably easy. Simply run
regular ideas campaigns with challenges that focus on areas of potential
wastage and inefficiencies.
Some very basic challenges might include:
Andrew Greaves of the The
Idea Hunter suggests somewhat more thoughtful challenges, such as:
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“In what ways might we make our interactions with other departments
more effective/efficient?”
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“How might we avoid certain processes being repeated by others?”
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“What things could we re-use that we currently don't?”
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“Where might subsidies (government or otherwise) be available?
Who could co-fund any of our activities?”
Innovation Consultant Itha Taljaard of Sense2Solve
suggests taking the initiative further. For instance, ask employees to
spend a day without using any paper at all. Then run an ideas campaign
with the challenge "In what ways might we cope without using paper?".
In Itha's experience, asking employees to live a situation, "switches
on their minds" and generates fantastic, creative and effective ideas.
Process
The structure of a cost cutting ideas campaign is like any ideas campaign.
- Plan it!
- formulate the innovation challenge
- decide on time frame
- establish rewards (Jenni's rewards management tools make this easy)
- organise promotions (Jenni can handle e-mail promotions for you)
- set up any preliminary activities (such as a paperless day)
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Launch the ideas campaign with your innovation challenge and announcement
of rewards. This process is automated by Jenni.
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Allow employees to share and collaborate on ideas in Jenni's idea-space.
Jenni's unique IdeaWiki space is particularly useful for open cross-enterprise
collaboration.
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At the end of the idea generation phase, use Jenni's evaluation management
module to select the best ideas and send them to appropriate evaluation
teams. You might use one team to evaluate all ideas or you may wish
to have several teams each focusing on different kinds of ideas.
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Use Jenni's idea development tool to prepare action plans for all
ideas which receive high evaluation scores.
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Implement the best ideas and start saving money!
It's as easy as that with Jenni idea management.
Advantages to Cost Cutting Ideas Campaigns
Why bother using idea management to generate money saving ideas when
top management could unilaterally make cost cutting decisions? Because
it is better to combine top-management's big picture ideas with employees'
detailed ideas. Moreover...
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Employees are on the factory floor, in your shops, meeting your customers,
responding to customer complaints and solving problems day in and
day out. They can see wastage in all kinds of processes, wastage that
may not be visible to management who are should be focusing on the
big picture.
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When senior management mandates cost cutting actions, such as smaller
company cars, restricted use of mobile telephones and flying economy
class rather than business class, employees frequently see these actions
as infringements of their work benefits. They feel as if they have
received demotions. As a result, cost cutting demands from the top
often result in reduced employee satisfaction which can have a negative
affect on productivity.
-
When employees generate ideas themselves, on the other hand, they
tend to look at the big picture - rather than their personal imposition
- and so better understand the maths behind cost cutting measures.
Most importantly the employee who suggests or collaborates on a cost
cutting idea also has a stake in the success of that idea. She is
more likely to adopt the idea herself and encourage her colleagues
to do likewise. This can only lead to a higher level of success and
improved productivity.
- In being asked to participate in cost cutting idea management initiatives,
employees become engaged in the organisation's success and feel they
are an important component of the enterprise and not a mere cog in the
works.
Results
By using Jenni idea management to generate, evaluate and implement innovative
cost cutting ideas, you reap big rewards:
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Identifying effective methods of cutting costs in all areas of operations.
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Giving employees a stake in the successful implementation of those
cost cutting ideas.
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Engaging employees in the success of the company, particularly during
hard times.
Best of all: even a very few cost cutting ideas campaigns will generate
sufficient savings to cover the subscription fee for Jenni. Indeed, we
guarantee it! If Jenni does not save you money, simply cancel your contract
with just 30 days notice.
But, we are sure you won't need to do that. Because when you subscribe
to Jenni idea management, you not only get access to Jenni software, but
you also get access to an innovation expert such as Andrew Greaves, Itha
Taljaard or Jeffrey Baumgartner as part of your package. And with personalised
support and coaching at every step of the way, your idea management initiative
is sure to succeed!
Have you found this article helpful? Imagine how much more helpful
we could be if you were our client!
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