International transfer of a suggestion scheme
A US based multi-national automobile manufacturer implemented a suggestion programme in five of its units located in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, United States and Canada. The development of the programme involved six elements: process design, administration, training, promotion and marketing, management commitment, and rewards.
The company viewed the scheme as a critical order to create results that have a positive impact on the business and or deliver new value to customers. Some useful ideas to consider in designing any idea generation system include:
1. Develop a culture of idea generation and collection whereby new ideas, creative solutions and opportunities for improvement are welcomed by supervisors and managers.
2. Use creative means for developing suggestions, and where necessary training staff in idea generation and problem solving techniques.
3. Encourage employees to put forward ideas about ‘anything’.
4. Provide a range of mechanisms to collect ideas that will suit a diverse workforce and clearly
communicate to the workforce the process involved.
5. Establish a team to evaluate and administer ideas.
6. Thank all employees providing ideas and suggestions and keep them informed of the status of
their suggestion.
7. Evaluate all ideas. This may involve the development of specific criteria that each suggestion
must meet if it is to be implemented. A selection and prioritisation matrix is a helpful evaluation and
shortlisting tool.
8. Implement as many suggestions as possible and where able involve employees in the
implementation of their ideas.
9. Communicate successes to the workforce and promote the positive benefits achieved by the
organisation from employee ideas.
10. Reward staff for their ideas and the implementation of their suggestions.
11. Periodically review the idea generation, assessment and implementation strategies that your organization has in place.
A US based multi-national automobile manufacturer implemented a suggestion programme in five of its units located in Brazil, Mexico, Portugal, United States and Canada. The development of the programme involved six elements: process design, administration, training, promotion and marketing, management commitment, and rewards.
The company viewed the scheme as a critical order to create results that have a positive impact on the business and or deliver new value to customers. Some useful ideas to consider in designing any idea generation system include:
1. Develop a culture of idea generation and collection whereby new ideas, creative solutions and opportunities for improvement are welcomed by supervisors and managers.
2. Use creative means for developing suggestions, and where necessary training staff in idea generation and problem solving techniques.
3. Encourage employees to put forward ideas about ‘anything’.
4. Provide a range of mechanisms to collect ideas that will suit a diverse workforce and clearly
communicate to the workforce the process involved.
5. Establish a team to evaluate and administer ideas.
6. Thank all employees providing ideas and suggestions and keep them informed of the status of
their suggestion.
7. Evaluate all ideas. This may involve the development of specific criteria that each suggestion
must meet if it is to be implemented. A selection and prioritisation matrix is a helpful evaluation and
shortlisting tool.
8. Implement as many suggestions as possible and where able involve employees in the
implementation of their ideas.
9. Communicate successes to the workforce and promote the positive benefits achieved by the
organisation from employee ideas.
10. Reward staff for their ideas and the implementation of their suggestions.
11. Periodically review the idea generation, assessment and implementation strategies that your organization has in place.