Idea Management Process
Ideation refers to the management process for ideas that become possible project demands.
The ideation process is broken down into three main parts:
• Creating the idea
• Assessing the idea
• Approving or rejecting the idea
Profiles and Roles Associated with Ideation
Ideation is available in the HOPEX Business Process and Enterprise Architecture desktops. An idea can be created and validated by the following profiles:
HOPEX Business Process desktop
• Process Manager
• Process Designer
• Process Functional Administrator
Enterprise Architecture desktop
• Enterprise Architect
• EA functional administrator
Two roles are associated by default with ideation:
• The Submitter, who creates the idea
• The Reviewer, who completes or evaluates the idea.
Submitting an idea
There are two ways to submit ideas:
• Ascending: at any time, a user can submit an idea. For more details, see
Creating an Idea.
• Descending: a user can organize an ideation campaign, which involves the different stakeholders, on a particular subject (e.g.: a business capability). See also
Starting an Ideation Campaign.
Ascending ideation process
At any time, a person can submit an idea. This idea is not necessarily linked to a repository object, because the end user may not have the in-depth knowledge of the content of the repository or access to data (data such the capabilities may be beyond his/her reach). Thus, for example, the "Submitter" user can submit a new idea by describing the detail in an associated document attached to the idea; this idea can be attached to elements in the architecture at a later stage by a more expert user.
For example, Ben from the marketing team wants to suggest the possibility for the customer to order customized pizza recipes on the Web and on mobile devices.
It is possible to submit an idea
• for an existing architecture block.
For example, Dave from IT wants to submit the idea that the "Online pizza ordering application" is growing old and must be improved.
• for a given capability.
For example, Ben wants to suggest that the "pizza delivery" capability be implemented by a fleet of automated drones in certain areas.
• for an architecture block AND one of its capabilities achieved.
For example, Dave wants to suggest that the "Pizza Ordering" functionality of the "Online pizza order request" should also be available on Android devices and not only on iOS devices.
Descending ideation process
An innovation manager or a project portfolio innovation manager can start an ideation campaign based on a given capability. This is organized for a certain period of time during which the stakeholders can submit their ideas.
For example, Veronica, who is an innovation manager, is aware of a candidate project that aims to improve the deadline of the "Pizza delivery" business capability and is looking for innovative ideas to implement this. She wants to start an ideation campaign on the "Pizza delivery" business capability in the marketing and logistics user communities.
Assessing an idea
Once the ideas are submitted (irrespective of the source or the submission mode), the ideas collected can be examined and reviewed:
• Informally through messages exchanged by the various stakeholders;
• More formally via a dedicated approval workflow, through an assessment request.
Validating an idea
The idea submitter or a reviewer can validate an idea, which can either:
• Give rise to a new project demand, or
• Be associated with an existing project demand or a validated project, or
• Be associated with a similar idea, already validated or rejected and if appropriate declared as a "duplicates".