Digital tools for generating ideas
Tens of thousands of businesses throughout human history have started with an idea. An interesting thought suddenly flashes through the mind. An everyday problem, the search for a solution to which leads to innovation. Conscious and pragmatic reflection on what people might need. There are countless stories, and some of them have proven successful. They have grown into larger or smaller businesses and continue to develop. And they constantly need new ideas to gain a competitive advantage.
Even if entrepreneurs are well aware of the need to generate ideas, in reality, not everyone succeeds at it. It is not because the spark of creativity has suddenly gone out. It is simply that generating ideas is a process that requires certain conditions. For some, thoughts truly spark constantly and they only need to write them down; others need to sit in silence and disconnect from the daily grind; and for others, an intensive "brainstorming" session or active exchange of ideas is very helpful.
Nowadays, various digital tools can help to some extent in any process. And this is no exception. Over the years, all sorts of programs have been created to foster creativity, structure thoughts, and exchange ideas. While some are quite silly and childish, others prove to be quite useful in business as well.
Draw a mind map!
The latter can definitely include programs that help structure the ideas voiced during "brainstorming" sessions. One of the most popular tools is Coggle, which is essentially a digital whiteboard for drawing diagrams in a free-form style. We write down a problem and start adding the solutions discussed and the necessary steps to reach them. By connecting the actions in the order of execution and structuring the thoughts, it is often possible to see solutions in a completely different light, and suddenly they no longer seem unattainable. At the very least, the path to the goal becomes clear. Coggle has a simpler version available for free, but there is also a feature-rich paid version. Similar "mind maps" are offered by Mind Meister, LucidChart and many others.
Generating ideas can also happen when employees rarely meet in the office or are scattered across a wide network of branches. Another digital whiteboard, Miro , provides an opportunity for every employee to add their ideas and suggestions on how to improve the company's work. Here, too, you can draw problem-solving diagrams and build upon what colleagues have started. Moreover, the cloud solution can be accessed from any device, including a smartphone. This means that a brilliant idea can be "posted" to the board exactly when it pops into your head. Even while at the beach or mowing the lawn.
Similar functionality is possessed by the platform Stormboard, whose authors particularly highlight its "augmented intelligence." By this, they mean the ability to add various types of context to ideas – ranging from text to audiovisual materials.
AI also shares ideas
An interesting tool for fostering collaboration among colleagues is Qmarkets. It allows employees to submit ideas, discuss them collectively, evaluate them, vote for the best ones, and organize their implementation by delegating tasks and tracking progress.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used for idea generation. It has finally become easily accessible to virtually anyone interested and will gladly contribute to a discussion if prompted. The best part is that you can talk to a machine just like a human—ask follow-up questions, request clarifications, ask for more detail, and further develop ideas. The range of artificial intelligence solutions is growing rapidly. You can try the well-known ChatGPT, although it requires creating a personal account and providing a phone number for verification. For less bureaucracy, you can use the Bing chat extension, which is already built into the Microsoft Edge browser. Simply click on the blue "b" icon in the top right corner of the page to start a discussion with the "all-knowing" assistant. To unleash the bot's creative potential, you can select a creative conversation style. In that mode, Bing will focus less on fact-checking and citing sources. If you need another perspective, you can also enlist the paid program Notion AI, which is equipped with capabilities very similar to the previous two.
Tools for idea generation are clear proof that virtually any daily task can be facilitated to some extent through digitalization. Intensive digitalization is also taking place in accounting, where programs such as Jumis Pro offer an increasing number of automated functions, thereby easing the workload for accountants and business managers.
