Stand Out from the Crowd: Navigating Challenges in Crowdsourcing Innovation

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‍Crowdsourcing is the ultimate disruptor of distribution because, in a most Zen-like fashion, the content is controlled by everyone and no one at the same time. - Jay Samit

Somewhere out there, an extraordinary startup harbours an amazing idea for revolutionary cleantech technology, while an ambitious employee within an automotive enterprise contemplates a novel solution to enhance manufacturing processes. At the same moment, a brilliant student in a prestigious research institute explores an idea that holds the potential for a significant breakthrough in medicine. Unfortunately, many of these remarkable ideas may remain undiscovered and unrealized.

In today's rapidly evolving and interconnected world, the value of ideas is priceless. However, the challenge lies in how organizations can effectively uncover and tap into potentially game-changing ideas. Enter crowdsourcing—a powerful and dynamic approach that leverages the collective intelligence of diverse individuals to generate groundbreaking ideas and solutions. Through the collaboration of the crowd, the possibilities for innovation are limitless.

Yet, amidst the promise and potential, crowdsourcing is not without its challenges. We break down the 4 most common questions/challenges organizations face when crowdsourcing innovation and how to overcome them.

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Innovation Crowdsourcing Challenges 

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Challenge # 1 

‘What is innovation crowdsourcing anyway?’ 

The Challenge: In many organizations, the concept of crowdsourcing is often met with ambiguity and confusion. The lack of a true consensus on what crowdsourcing innovation entails contributes to the challenges of establishing a clear path for managing crowdsourcing projects. Additionally, organizations often struggle with a limited understanding of when and how to effectively harness the power of crowdsourcing, as well as difficulties in identifying appropriate platforms and partners to facilitate the process.

The Solution: Education plays a crucial role here. From a broad organizational perspective, it is essential to have a key person who will lead and champion the crowdsourcing initiative. Building awareness is critical, both within the organization and among external audiences participating in the crowdfunding initiative. Furthermore, organizations need to accurately assess whether crowdsourcing aligns with their business goals and values. It is important to evaluate the risks associated with crowdsourcing and establish a coherent strategy that clearly outlines the purpose, scope, and expected outcomes of the crowdsourcing project.

Challenge # 2

‘How do I get good submissions?’ 

The challenge: Getting high-quality submissions from the crowd can be a challenging task due to various factors that organizations need to consider. When engaging in crowdsourcing initiatives, organizations often turn to different sources, including employees, customers, and experts in the field. A key factor that significantly contributes to the quality of submissions is the level of expertise and qualifications possessed by the crowd. Furthermore, finding effective ways to engage these crowds and encourage their active participation in the initiative can be challenging.

The solution: To address these challenges and improve the likelihood of receiving high-quality submissions, organizations can implement several strategies. Employing robust screening and evaluation standards will help organizations filter out ideas that do not meet their criteria. This can involve establishing clear evaluation criteria, forming expert review panels, or using automated algorithms to assess the quality and relevance of submissions.

It is essential to provide guidelines and instructions to contributors when making their submissions. Organizations should also explore ways to drive contributor engagement, considering appropriate rewards and incentives.

Challenge # 3

‘How do we work with the crowd?’ 

The challenge: Once organizations have submissions from different contributors, it can often be challenging to understand how to effectively work with these crowds. This is primarily due to the lack of a structured process for integrating new ideas into the organization. Working with the crowd demands a different, more open approach compared to traditional delivery methods.

The solution: To effectively integrate ideas into an organization it is crucial to establish a framework and allocate dedicated resources. It is critical to assign specific teams with the responsibility of scaling the ideas within the organizational structure. These teams play as intermediaries between the selected ideas and an organization’s strategic objectives. By having a designated team or individual, there is a focused effort to ensure the successful integration of these ideas into existing workflows and processes.

Challenge # 4

‘How do safeguard our IP?’ 

The challenge: Keeping hold of confidential information and intellectual property while utilizing the crowd introduces potential risks. When organizations engage in crowdsourcing, there is a legitimate concern about the protection of confidential information and intellectual property. Sharing sensitive data with a diverse crowd introduces the risk of unauthorized disclosure or misuse, potentially compromising proprietary knowledge.

The solution: To overcome these challenges, organizations must implement robust security measures, such as non-disclosure agreements and anonymization techniques when sharing sensitive data. It is increasingly important to select trusted partners and crowdsourcing platforms that understand how to prioritize data privacy and security. Additionally, organizations should establish clear guidelines for handling confidential information and ensure compliance with legal standards. This would include adhering to data protection regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) or other global security laws and industry-specific confidentiality requirements.

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Want to learn more about Crowdsourcing Innovation? Download our Crowdsourcing Innovation Below

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