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Why Suggestion Schemes Fail When a company starts on the path of idea management, their first approach is often a variation of the suggestion box. Employees are invited to submit ideas to an e-mail address or a web form. Ideas are collected in some kind of suggestion box - such as a database or an e-mail file - and are regularly reviewed by an innovation manager. She determines which ideas should be developed further (what we like to call 'pre-implemented') typically via preparing business cases. Business cases are later reviewed and further pre-implementation is often necessary before the idea can be fully implemented. The suggestion scheme seems like a good means for capturing and reviewing ideas and it is often better than no idea management. But, it is a flawed method. Most suggestion schemes fail after about 12-18 months. (Indeed, many clients contacting us do so because their suggestion scheme has failed.) There are several reasons why suggestion schemes consistently fail. The suggestion box collects ideas. Although some are processed, others are not. Over time, the suggestion box will have more ideas than can be managed by an innovation manager. The suggestion box is not transparent. Employees cannot see their ideas once they are in the box and do not know what is happening to their ideas. This is demotivating. Because suggestion boxes are not transparent, many ideas are submitted by several employees at the same time. A popular television programme can lead to a deluge of almost identical ideas, leaving the innovation manager overwhelmed. All suggestions are processed by the same person. She may not always recognise the potential of a powerful idea, particularly if it is outside of her area of expertise. Ideas focus on all kinds of issues, some of which are important to the company, some of which are not. Moreover, there is no way to focus ideas on corporate needs. In spite of these weaknesses, suggestion schemes are relatively easy to initiate and can be a good short term method for getting started in capturing employee ideas. Nevertheless, most suggestions schemes fail and a more focused, sustainable approach to idea management is necessary. That approach is the ideas campaign approach used by Jenni idea management software service.

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