IbO suite :: advanced innovation tool

Features included in IbO suite

IbO suite is the most powerful predefined IbO pack, with which can carry out the entire management of ideas and innovation in your company. Includes many additional features that let you:

 ►  Focus innovation on objectives and multiply ideas.
 ►  Make a more effective management of ideas.
 ►  Customize both management and appearance.
 ►  Monitor and track in real time.
 ►  Make participation even easier.

See below in more detail what the included features can offer:

SET INNOVATION GOALS AND MULTIPLY THE IDEAS IN YOUR COMPANY

Goals
innovation targets, to get more focused results and a greater commitment

Make sure from the beginning that the ideas will drive you where your company wants to go. The quality of the Innovation increases when we know where we want to go with it. With IbO you will be able to communicate concrete goals with which the persons can identify. This way, more focused ideas, more focused results and a greater commitment to innovation will be obtained.

You can set your objectives both in economic terms and in the success indicators of your choice.

 It includes objectives allocation monitors and tracking of results. In two clicks and always up-to-date.

Taskforces & Challenges
get a large continuous flow of focused innovations

Multiply the ideas in your organization. With Taskforces & Challenges you will have three ways to obtain ideas:

1. Taskforces: Innovation teams formed for one specific purpose, reaching a target through focused innovations. With IbO you will be able to manage them, from its setting up until putting the innovations into operation.
2. Challenges: That you launch to the organization and encourage all the members to contribute. A Challenge is a target that the company wants to achieve with people support and asks them to contribute their ideas.
3. You can also use the Suggestions Box to capture and manage the ideas spontaneously arising. Easy and very effective.

It includes detailed tracking monitors of each Taskforce and Challenge, as well as of the Suggestions Box. These are constantly updated so you always know their performance and the quantified results that they deliver.

This feature allows you to have up to 4 taskforces and 4 challenges active simultaneously, although the total number is unlimited including those inactive or already finished (eg: you can have 20 taskforces and challenges but only 4 simultaneously active). This is more than enough to maintain a sustained innovation in most SMEs and departments of large companies. However, if deemed appropriate you can increase the number of simultaneous active taskforces and challenges in the section Extensions.

Inducers
quality targets of the innovation process

To ensure that innovation offers the expected results, it's necessary to manage the quality of the innovation process. Inducers allows you to establish quality targets on this process. This way you can optimize the performance of IbO and induce better and more focused results. There are four basic aspects of the process that you can manage with this extension:

1. System performance (gradual development of ideas).
2. Flow of ideas (flow of ideas in the process).
3. Time-to-Market (development time of ideas).
4. Stagnant ideas (agility of the process).

Inducers already includes templates of inducer goals and its indicators. You only need to set the target to reach and the deadline; IbO will collect the data automatically and provide updated information on the quality of the innovation process.

EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF IDEAS

Risk management
keep uncertainties under control in an easy and effective way  ▶ COMING SOON!

Innovation involves exploring unknown paths and this carries a risk. This does not mean we should resign ourselves. Risk management allows for a flexible and effective control of the uncertainties related to any innovation and of the risks they mean. Likewise, it lets you document the conclusion (positive or negative) and the risk decision.

This feature allows you to make informed decisions in this regard, both to recommend the discarding of an idea as well as to decide the controlled risk taking. In this last case you can also define the corresponding contingency plan.

In addition, you will know in a couple of clicks if your people are doing a proper risk management.

Tasks & Workshops
integrated in the innovation system ▶ TASKS COMING SOON!

It takes more than having ideas to say that one is innovating, right? You must manage the ideas properly for them to become innovations able to deliver quantifiable profit. This means you have to work on them, assign tasks, hold work sessions (face to face or virtual), and so on.

Tasks & Workshops allows you to integrate this management in IbO, including allocation of tasks, the calling to workshops and the tracking of both the tasks execution and the attendance.

In addition, you get visual and graphic information on these issues, so that you can intervene when necessary.

Incubator
an additional way to organize the ideas for its management

Incubator is a feature specially designed to facilitate the monitoring of the ideas development by the Innovation Manager and the Innovation Council members.

This is an additional way of organizing ideas for its management, grouping them by stage, and gathering all the ideas in one place regardless of their origin –unlike other sections of IbO, where will find the ideas grouped by its origin: Suggestions Box, Challenges or Taskforces–.

It's an alternative and useful way of organizing the ideas when it's a matter of monitor the ideas as a whole and it's useful for users who need a more global view of the company's ideas incubator.

YOUR COMPANY, YOUR INNOVATION WAY. CUSTOMIZATION

Customizable parameters of the innovation process
stages, screening, time-to-market, participation thresholds...

Customize several parameters of the innovation process for a more precise and focused management, or so that IbO suits better the company circumstances.

With this extension you can customize:

• ► Name and purpose of the development stages of the ideas: Is there any denomination of these stages with which your company would feel more identified? Now you can modify them for a better integration of IbO in the culture of your company.
• ► Checklist for screening ideas on each development stage: Carry out an even more precise and rigorous management of the ideas by establishing several checklists for the development and filtering of the ideas to be used in several contexts. For example, a checklist to filter ideas on marketing, another for ideas on manufacturing, another one on strategic ideas, and so on. Even a checklist for a specific innovation project. This way, the development of each idea will be so precise and rigorous as required by the type of idea or its context.
• ► Time-to-Market: The management of the Time-to-Market is one of the critical factors of the results obtained through innovation. Now you can establish the time that you wish the ideas to spend in each development stage. IbO carries out a detailed monitoring for every idea and informs you automatically about any deviation of your targets (in real time). Develop innovations in a shorter period and obtain a better competitive position and greater profits.
• ► Participation thresholds: IbO informs you in real time about the level of people participation in innovation. This feature also lets you establish the rate of participation that you want to reach. It is really helpful when trying to spread the culture of innovation in your company.

The configuration of these parameters is very simple and intuitive and a technical background is not required at all to perform it.

Customizable user profiles
fully tailored management of permissions

IbO framework includes ten predefined user profiles in the system. With them you can manage access permissions of different users to different sections of the innovation system. You can even restrict access to information on innovative projects that you have tagged as confidential, or concealing financial information if appropriate.

However, if you think that a more accurate profile would be somewhat advantageous in your company, this feature lets you define your own customized user profiles with their particular set of access permissions. Full control over which users can access which section!

Themes
skins & logos to make IbO fit your corporate image

Your company is going to interact through IbO both with company's employees as well as with customers, partners and other external agents. Wouldn't it be great if IbO could adapt to your corporate image?

Themes provides 15 skins to choose from (combinations of colors and styles) and allows you to replace the main IbO logo by your company's. The result is the seamless integration of IbO as a system of your own company.

MONITORING AND TRACKING IN REAL TIME

Innovation Scorecard
a complete, quick and always updated overview
 

How do we know if the innovation is working beyond the good intentions? Moreover: how do we know if the time and money invested in innovation are more profitable here than in another place? Any significant process needs indicators and measurements of its results and execution.

The Innovation Scorecard gives you an overall view of three basic aspects of the innovation management at a glance: the achievement of real results, the good execution of the innovation process and the human factor. Thus you obtain a whole vision and a useful monitoring tool.

1. Achievements: Innovation Scorecard provides you with measurements on financial results and success indicators that you can define, so that you know the potential and reached results anytime. Furthermore, the objectives of the innovation are both to get profits and obtain competitive advantages, so the Innovation Scorecard also shows you the impact of the innovations in the competitive position of the company.
2. Innovation process: The process indexes show you how the innovation process is working at its critical points, so that you know where to direct your actions to achieve a more effective process capable of obtaining better results.
3. People: The innovation management is also the management of the people since these are one of its main ingredients. The Innovation Scorecard allows you to know the performance in some relevant aspects at a glance, such as the participation or the commitment.

The diagrams are clear and get down to business. Furthermore, the information is permanently updated and it can be consulted in just two clicks.

Innovation Scorecard delivers its full potential when used in conjunction with Goals and Taskforce & Challenges.

Individual users tracking
monitor the innovative performance of each participant
 

 Wouldn't it be great to be able to track the innovative performance of each participant person? Individual users tracking lets you know in detail the level of individual performance, commitment and results of each participant in innovation.

People appreciate being valued for their actions. Now you can give documented individual feedback for each person and manage their performance and commitment in a fairer and more accurate way.

You will get this valuable information permanently updated and within easy reach. Furthermore, you don't need any special configuration nor endless data entry, IbO does it for you.

Customized charts & lists
data segmentation, custom lists
 

This feature allows you to modify the design criteria of the diagrams or listings in order to get more specific tracking information that you could be interested in. In addition, you can save your design criteria so that you can consult your own custom charts and lists when needed. The feature includes:

• ♦  Data segmentation
• ♦  Customizable charts (coming soon)
• ♦  Focused listings of ideas
• ♦  Customizable listings

The configuration of these elements is very simple and intuitive and a technical background is not required at all to perform it.

MAKE INNOVATION EASIER FOR PEOPLE AND TURN THEM INTO INNOVATORS

Unlimited users
as many innovators as you want

Involve as many people as you wish in your company's innovation: your customers, all your suppliers and distributors, the entire staff of the company, and so on. You decide.

Unlimited users is specially recommended if you intend to extend the culture of innovation across your company or want to exploit the huge potential of Open Innovation.

Contextual video-tutorials
advice and best practices in two clicks just when you need it

 This feature includes an extensive collection of contextual video tutorials that you can access just when you need them, depending on what you are doing at IbO and your user profile. This way IbO helps to acquire best practices, optimize the innovation management and solve any question that could arise.

Currently just in Spanish. Coming soon in English! Request now and enjoy the video tutorials as they become available.

Teletype
a tool to support communication
 

The management of the Innovation Culture, people and its commitment also requires a suitable internal communication plan. Teletype is a tool of support to the communication that allows you to plan and run simple but effective communication campaigns on innovation.

Design a headline and the text content for each communication, enclose an image and establish dates for the commencement and end of the campaign. IbO will launch the campaign automatically and be in charge of withdrawing it in the stated date.

Communicate goals, encourage participation, offer advice and best practices, announce achievements, publicize awards and so on. When users come into IbO, they do it through "My Homepage" (welcome page), and it is at this point of forced step where they will find your communications in an attractive, simple format of easy reading.

ADDITIONAL WARRANTIES  (optional)

Guaranteed profit
you make money or we will refund double. so simple!

Wouldn't it be amazing to eliminate all risks, knowing for sure that you will make money? Well, that's exactly what you get with our additional warranty: Guaranteed profit.

We are so confident in the economic returns that IbO may bring to your company that we guarantee it: you make money with IbO or we will refund double.

All you have to do is use IbO to manage ideas and innovation. It's easy!

This feature guarantees that you will make a profit during the following 12 months that the warranty remains active (uninterruptedly). Thus your economic performance will always be safe while you maintain this additional warranty.

This feature is optional in IbO suite. If you want it, just check the corresponding option before adding IbO suite to cart. Can also request it later from the Extensions section.

Features common to all IbO packages

Innovation focused on results

Obviously generating ideas is not enough. It's necessary to manage them properly so that they turn into innovations capable of offering quantifiable profit. IbO includes a stage-gate process to check step-by-step whether each idea:

• ♦  is capable of producing real results (in sufficient quantity and in the desired direction)
• ♦  is suitable economically
• ♦  is feasible technically
• ♦  has an opportunity to exploit or a need to solve
• ♦  has been properly managed to minimize risk
• ♦  and so on…

In this way the company can choose which ideas deserve to continue. The stage-gate process consists of several steps of maturity and development of each idea, from its inception until it is ready to put into operation.

Streamline the innovation budget

Another main function of this stage-gate process is to streamline the innovation budget, since the budget allocated to each idea is progressive and proportional to its potential. Only the most promising ideas obtain relevant budgets, and are done gradually.

Open Innovation

Much of successful innovations emerge from collaborations with external elements to the company. With IbO you may also include the Open Innovation in your system to boost the innovation outcomes.

Have a flexible and effective tool with which you can easily establish when you want close collaborations with partners, suppliers, customers, consumers, institutions, universities, consultants and any external agent you want to invite.

You can seek the cooperation of these elements at any level: punctual or continuous, in the whole system or just in certain innovation projects, just for contributing ideas or for taking part in its development by means of mixed innovation teams (internal and external).

Make the most of the features that IbO offers to manage these collaborations with persons and companies around the world with the same efficacy as if they were meeting at their own facilities.

On the Cloud

IbO is a service 'on the cloud' (safe private cloud), thus you incur no hardware costs or maintenance. It also avoids software installations, even updates, as it will be permanently updated automatically. We take charge. This way you can focus all your attention and resources on innovation.

Furthermore, it has some additional financial advantages: given that your company buys a subscription to the service, this will renew only if suitable returns are obtained. Therefore, investment in innovation management turns into a variable cost.

Scalable

IbO adapts itself to the application environment that you decide, from a department up to the whole company, from an SME up to a big company. Many companies prefer to begin with a nearby environment and under control, then extending the system of innovation management to the rest of the company. With IbO you can do it, and when you need to extend the system of innovation IbO will adapt itself automatically.

Furthermore, IbO manages innovations all along the line, from radical innovations up to incremental improvements. And throughout the company, from any business function up to strategy.

You can add new extensions to your IbO system. Simply request them from the Extensions section. This does not require any installation on your part. We take care of activating the extension in your IbO license and deliver it ready to use.

Multilingual

IbO may be used in English and Spanish, depending on the preferences of each user.
Would you like another specific language? Contact us.

Operational requirements

For the proper functioning of the system you need:

• ♦  Internet connection.
• ♦  Browsers (many others are suitable too):
        - Windows: Internet Explorer 8+, Firefox 3.6
        - Mac: Safari 5+, Firefox 3.6
        - Linux: Firefox 3.6, Chrome 8+
• ♦  The user experience is better with monitor resolution: 1024×768 or higher.