Challenge Topic Considerations
The method of gathering improvement ideas via online challenges is very versatile, and can be applied in many situations. Below are some examples. Make sure to think through these success factors as you consider your options – a “no” or “not sure” on any of these questions may mean the opportunity should not be pursued.
- Will action be taken on the useful ideas (accountable sponsor assigns sufficient resources)?
- Is the community to be invited available and motivated?
- Is the topic appropriate for broad community consideration?
- Can the problem and goal be clearly scoped and described?
- Will leadership vocally and personally advocate participation?
- Is the topic strategic, relevant and meaningful to organization objectives?
- Are communication resources available to drive engagement?
This collection of challenge topics will help you create the kinds of challenges that get useful results for different types of topics. Expand a topic to see the suggestions.
Product/Service-Related Challenge Topics
- What is the next big [Company] services idea?
- How can we create a powerful new offering that doubles the number of High Net Worth prospects and increases High Net Worth client retention?
- How might we improve awareness of our product to increase client engagement?
- What service offerings could differentiate [Company] as we enter the commercial circulator market?
- What is the future of XXX? Help us with your ideas on what new businesses, services, products and processes [Company] should develop in three categories: XX, XX, XX
- In the face of increased competition, how can [Company] improve our reach?
- How might we increase productivity by 10%?
- How might we become more competitive? Think in terms of new revenue streams, improving efficiencies, non-value added work, total $/mwh, etc.
- What new product or service will bring value to our customers and set our company’s technology apart from that of our competitors?
- How might we increase revenue in our existing markets with our existing technologies?
- How might we use new technologies to expand our revenue in markets we already serve?
- How might we grow into neighboring markets using our existing technologies?
- How might we create a truly distinct patient experience?
- We want to come up with small and big ideas that will help improve communication about news and innovations (between [Company], agents and clients) during the next twelve months. Our main goal is to increase client satisfaction in the so-called NPS ( at least 3% ) and [Company] media presence (at least 10 %).
- Share your best practices on how to provide a world class customer experience when dealing with New Business and Underwriting.
Process-Oriented Challenge Topics
- What are the most “needless” processes that you are aware of within [Company]?
- What bureaucracy reductions would lead to breakthroughs in how we deliver service to our clients?
- How might we operate more efficiently to reduce costs and generate hard productivity savings to close a $15 Million gap in the next 12 months?
- How might we optimize our delivery, while maintaining high quality and staff satisfaction?
- What are some ways to reduce wait time for clients on phone support = minutes saved X 13 million calls per year = $MMs in savings
- What can we do to reduce [Company department] expenses?
- How can [Company] save $5 million quickly and with minimal investment? Any benefits achieved will be reinvested in critical growth initiatives, such as global platforms and customer centricity.
- Help us revolutionize the entire billing and payment life cycle. Share your ideas to make the experience significantly easier for our group customers, their employees and our team members.
- What processes could be simplified or eliminated to improve performance, efficiency, and productivity?
- Share your ideas to simplify or eliminate complex policies, processes, and procedures that interfere with us delivering a world class customer experience.
- Name one task in your job that is time consuming and if streamlined would be more efficient.
- How can we identify and document best practices and continuous improvement?
- How can our facilities reduce the amount of in-house power consumption?
- How might we provide better information and support to help you and your managers with your career at [Company]?
Broader Impact Challenge Topics
- How might we facilitate finding necessary information/expertise when specific needs come up?
- What are some actions that [Company] can take to lower our environmental impact?
- How might we use social media to increase engagement with our personal and workplace investors?
- How might we deliver a superior customer experience by maximizing associate opportunities to flex into other functions?
- Create a catchy, succinct statement that describes the [Department] of the future?
- Generate ideas on how we can communicate more effectively and transparently with our employees.
- Help us identify the next big opportunity, or emerging risk to mitigate, that will significantly advance the maturity of the Project Management practice across the enterprise?
- What opportunities do we have to drive innovation within our product offerings, processes, and marketplace presence through 201X?
- What opportunities do we have to change and grow the (a current product or service)?
- How can we adapt our manufacturing processes to give us great flexibility and agility?
- What can we do to deliver a better online customer experience to drive online sales?
- How might we rethink distributor relationships with new strategies or technologies to improve margins and revenue?
- How do we improve the quality of communications and enhance the standardized reporting with our internal and external stakeholders, striving towards 100% adoption?
Challenge Topic Examples
- How to increase productivity
- New product or service
- How to operate more efficiently
- Service representatives share customer feedback
- How to repeat proven innovations elsewhere in the organization
- Articulate complex operational issues (define the problem)
- Competitor insights
- Bureaucracy Buster – cut the red tape
- Business partner insights
- Strategic planning process
- New venture challenge
- Environmental sustainability
- What incentives motivate employees
- Creative communication tools
- How to improve awareness of our product/service
- New businesses, services, products and processes
- Six sigma
- Customer focus
- Idea implementation – how to make it stick
- Blue sky innovation
- Cost reductions & time savings
- Expanding/declining market shares
- Product launch innovation
- Business process efficiency
- CEO challenges
- Business transformation
- Problem identification
- Crisis resolution
- Meeting facilitation (including off sites)
- Voice of customer (VOC)
- Merger integration
- Best practice sharing
- Employee engagement
- Expert identification and knowledge sharing
- Project resurrection
- Open innovation (outside with customers, partners or suppliers)
- New market identification
- “Needless or Necessary” policy refresh