Digital Tools for Idea Generation
Tens of thousands of businesses in human history have started from an idea. An interesting thought that suddenly came to mind. A mundane problem whose search for a solution leads to innovation. Conscious and pragmatic thinking about 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 an edge in the competitive fight.
Even if entrepreneurs are well aware of the need for idea generation, in reality, not everyone succeeds at it. Not because the spark of creativity has suddenly faded. Simply put, idea generation is a process that requires certain conditions. For some, thoughts truly spark constantly, and they just need to jot them down; for others, it requires sitting in silence and disconnecting from the daily rush; and for yet another, an intense brainstorming session or active exchange of ideas is very helpful.
Nowadays, various digital tools can assist in almost any process to some extent. And this is no exception. Over the years, all kinds of programs have been created to foster creativity, structure thoughts, and exchange ideas. While some are completely silly and childish, others prove to be quite useful in business as well.
Draw a Mind Map!
Programs that help structure ideas generated during brainstorming sessions can definitely be included in the latter category. One of the most popular tools is Coggle, which is essentially a digital whiteboard for free-form diagram drawing. Write down the problem and start adding the solutions and necessary actions discussed during the session to achieve them. By connecting actions in order and structuring thoughts, it often becomes 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's simplest version is available for free, but there is also a more feature-rich paid version. Similar "mind maps" are offered by Mind Meister, LucidChart, and many others.
Idea generation can also occur when employees rarely meet in the office or are spread across a wide network of branches. Another digital whiteboard Miro allows each employee to add their ideas and suggestions on how to improve the company's work. Here too, problem-solving diagrams can be drawn and colleagues' work can be supplemented. Moreover, the cloud solution can be accessed from any device, including a smartphone. This means that a brilliant idea can be "pinned" to the board right when it comes to mind, even on the beach or while mowing the lawn.
A similar functionality is offered by the platform Stormboard, whose creators particularly highlight its "augmented intelligence." This refers to the ability to add various types of context to ideas – from text to audiovisual materials.
AI Shares Ideas Too
An interesting tool that promotes collaboration among colleagues is Qmarkets. In it, employees can submit ideas, discuss them together, evaluate them, vote for the best ones, and also organize their implementation by delegating tasks and monitoring their execution.
Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) is being involved in idea generation. It has finally become easily accessible to virtually anyone interested and is happy to contribute to the discussion if you ask it to. The best part is that you can talk to the machine just like with a person – ask additional questions, request clarification, elaborate on the idea, and develop it further. The range of AI solutions is rapidly growing. You can try the well-known ChatGPT, which requires creating a personal account and providing your phone number for verification. For less bureaucracy, you can use Bing's chat extension, which is already integrated into Microsoft Edge browser. You just need to click on the blue "b" letter in the top right corner of the page to start a discussion with the "know-it-all." To unleash the robot's creativity, you can choose the creative conversation style. Then Bing will think less about fact-finding and adding references. If another opinion is needed, you can also use the paid program Notion AI, which has very similar capabilities to the two mentioned above.
Tools for idea generation are a clear example that virtually any daily task can be somewhat facilitated with the help of digitalization. Intensive digitalization is also happening in accounting, where programs like Jumis Pro offer more and more automated functions, thereby easing the work of accountants and business managers.