iDS-LEAN & iDS-INNOVATE: Custom Idea Management Software Service

Designed by a team of Idea Management and Lean Manufacturing experts, our technology was built with Continuous Improvement (CI) in mind. Idea Management software solutions come in many different flavors, but only iDS-LEAN is designed to address the challenges found in the Lean organization. Lean, CI, and Kaizen are all synonymous with “many small locally implemented ideas” and only iDS can ensure these ideas are identified and implemented quickly and effectively.

For those looking to invent their future INCENT developed iDS-INNOVATE. Built on the iDS-LEAN backbone, our newest system allows your team to collaborate on ideas stemming from strategically defined challenges. Our system’s voting function allows peers and specific evaluators to determine which ideas are the best to pursue.

iDS differentiates itself from other idea management systems by the following:

• Designed specifically to aid in the implementation of a Lean organization.
• Ease of use
• Low cost to implement.
• Continuous support and upgrades.
• Accountability tools
• Kaizen Cards
• Customized to match your business process

Main features of iDS-LEAN are:

• Global access via the internet
• Task based workflow
• Directed collaboration
• Email notifications
• Awards Management
• Multilingual Support
• Program statistics, health charts, and accountability reports.

Additional Features in iDS-INNOVATE:

• Collaboration
• Idea Challenges
• Criteria based voting
• Incorporation of internal and external participants.

Why will your implementation of a Lean culture benefit from iDS-LEAN?

Lean organizations rely on the Continuous Improvement (CI) efforts of all its employees. CI is not about implementing the million dollar idea, but rather the implementation of many smaller ideas. Making an organization Lean takes many years of training and culture changes, and convincing employees to embrace CI activities is not an overnight event. iDS was designed to help jumpstart and sustain this effort with its combination of motivation, accountability and tracking tools.

     • Motivation: It is difficult to convince employees to help identify waste and areas of improvement when there is no benefit in return. iDS’s motivation tool, the reward engine, will ensure that your workforce feels a tangible benefit from engaging in the CI process.

     • Accountability: Nothing can stop the CI process more than the lack of support and follow through from an organization’s management and support resources. iDS’s accountability tool will make sure that individuals engaged in the idea development and implementation process are held accountable to their deadlines.

     • Tracking: Knowing how effective CI is in the organization is a key to fostering further buy-in from your team. iDS has the right tools to ensure the performance and benefits are transparently communicated to your team.

How can your Innovation efforts benefit from iDS-INNOVATE?

iDS-INNOVATE provides a platform where innovators can meet, share ideas, collaborate and decide which ones are the best ones to pursue. By addressing corporate problems or needs as challenges, the system allows you to seamlessly engage the individuals relevant to the challenge at hand.

What flexibility does iDS offer?

iDS is a custom system. Even though the underpinnings of the system may be common across installations, every organization is different, and INCENT can configure the system for numerous environments, cultures and business processes. From single location applications to corporate multi-location applications, iDS is priced to allow its implementation by small and medium enterprises, but robust and powerful enough to meet the needs of large corporations and organizations.

One of the underlying philosophies of Lean is the reduction of complexity. Unlike competitor idea management systems which offer dozens of configuration options and tools, contribute to system clutter, and require significant training, iDS is custom built by us to provide the functions and tools to get the job done based on your organizational requirements.

What is INCENT’s support policy?

INCENT’s policy is not only about supporting your organization through technical difficulties,. Our policy stems from our commitment to CI. All customers are eligible for upgrades, and the iDS-Plus customers are given a bank of programming hours. This bank is our guarantee that iDS can grow with your needs and that you can plan for tailor-made enhancements without worrying about cost.

INCENT Blog

1/21/2010
The Lean Innovation cycle.
...to win the innovation game you can’t afford infinite time to refine…

11/6/2009
Idea Management: How Ideas Crash.
...if only the flaws are discussed the idea will crash faster than a ...

10/22/2009
Innovation: Collaboration has a multiplier effect.
inventors stumble upon great inventions not because they are geniuses...

9/25/2009
Success comes not from great ideas...
Many organizations have realized the value of using idea management software...

8/14/2009
The Key to Innovation (Part II)
In a likely scenario of 5-Why problem-solving an auto manufacturer may have approached the innovation behind one of the many locked-key prevention methods in this way...

7/24/2009
The Key to Innovation (Part I)
The key to innovation lies in the problem and not the ideas.

6/12/2009
Management MUST Manage
...management can make or break the success of a suggestion program.

5/27/2009
The Best Engineers.
...the ingenuity of these ‘engineers’ could surprise even Einstein.

5/15/2009
Innovation and Cost Cutting in Healthcare
...the ‘medicine’ that these players will need heavy doses of will be “innovation”.

5/6/2009
How do you manage 120,000 ideas?
Occasionally when talking to prospective clients…

4/22/2009
Do more with less.
Several years ago we were introduced to the buzz phrase "Do more with less".