Since 2023, global organizations have been effective at using emerging technology like AI and digital transformation solutions to support business goals.
But with success comes new pressure — 67% of tech leaders now face pressure to deliver more with smaller budgets.
While many businesses are eager to innovate, KPMG’s 2023 report shows they’re becoming hesitant about investing in new tools due to market uncertainty.
However, investing in the right tools can help evaluate ideas effectively and turn them into successful products – and that’s where choosing the right ideation software becomes critical. You need tools that enhance collaboration.
Let’s explore the key features and compare options before you invest in software that your team may not like.
What is Ideation Software?
Ideation, as the name suggests, is about forming ideas. And ideation software helps organizations generate, capture, organize, and act on ideas. Whether they come from employees, customers, or other stakeholders, it gives ideas a structured space to be turned into real business outcomes.
Benefits of Ideation Software
- Enhanced Collaboration: Facilitates teamwork across departments, remote teams, and the global workforce.
- Efficient Idea Evaluation: Helps assess and prioritize ideas based on strategic goals.
- More Engagement: Encourages everyone to participate, fostering transparency.
- Accelerated Innovation: Speeds up the process from concept to execution.
Key Features to Look for in Ideation Software
Ideation software helps you generate and brainstorm ideas faster, while idea management software takes it further – you can evaluate, implement, and track ideas. Consider the following essential features:
User-Friendly Interface
An easy-to-use UI reduces the learning curve, helping employees and stakeholders to adopt the platform quickly.
A clutter-free experience keeps users engaged and encourages consistent participation.
Collaboration Tools
Simple features like real-time commenting, voting, and discussion threads can help brainstorm, refine ideas, and gather diverse perspectives.
For example, team members can vote on ideas during a virtual workshop and use threaded discussions to suggest improvements in real time.
Customizable Workflows
The ideation software must be flexible to align with your innovation pipeline. This helps you develop ideas that matter.
For instance, if your team runs multiple sprints or has different review points, you should be able to tailor approval flows for each department or project stage.
AI-Powered Assistance
If your ideation platform doesn’t use AI, you’re already falling behind. With AI, you can generate ideas at speed, get smarter suggestions, and brainstorm faster.
More than that, AI can spot patterns in large datasets, track market trends in real time, and automate repetitive work. This means your team spends less time guessing and more time refining ideas.
For instance, AI can auto-suggest idea tags based on historical themes or even generate early concept drafts from a simple prompt.
Integration Capabilities
Connecting with your existing systems prevents siloed operations. This provides a smooth data flow across your organization.
As a case in point, integrating with Slack or MS Teams allows employees to submit ideas without switching platforms, increasing participation.
Evaluation and Prioritization
You must be able to score and rank ideas based on predefined criteria. This helps identify the most promising concepts, and you can allocate the right resources.
Say you want to prioritize ideas based on feasibility, cost, and impact—your software should support multi-criteria scoring and ranking dashboards.
Progress Tracking and Transparency
Clear timelines, status indicators, and real-time updates keep everyone informed on idea progress.
For example, a simple progress bar or Kanban board can show whether an idea is under review, approved, or already in development.
Transparency ensures that good ideas don’t get lost in the process and keeps contributors engaged, so their input is recognized. This is important, especially for remote teams, and to promote a collaborative innovation process.
4 Top Ideation Software Solutions
Here’s an overview of some leading ideation software platforms, some of which also offer advanced features to manage ideas:
1. InspireIP
Compared to most ideation software, InspireIP offers a dual advantage where you can manage ideas and kickstart your patent journey with its tools.
With its Idea Assist solution, turning thoughts into strong ideas is faster and easier. You can brainstorm with AI, set up workflows that match your process, and collaborate with your team in real time.
- Track every idea’s progress
- Assign roles
- Get automatic updates without chasing anyone
Idea Assist is built to keep your innovation pipeline moving. Once you evaluate ideas that have the potential to become real inventions, IP Assist helps you take the next step.
It’s your first signal that the idea could be patent-worthy. You can document it using invention disclosure forms, involve review committees, loop in internal IP teams and external attorneys, all in one place.
With AI-powered tools like PQAI, you can run prior art searches and perfect the idea before filing.
Already using multiple platforms to manage your business? No problem. InspireIP integrates with your existing stack, from docketing tools to project management systems, so you can keep using your favorite platforms.
2. Miro
Most IT teams and remote workers are familiar with Miro – it’s one of the easiest virtual whiteboard tools for visualizing landing page layouts, workflows, flowcharts, and more.
With its brainstorming canvas, you can organize and prioritize ideas efficiently. You can collaborate with teams, track ideas, and find out how many ideas are implemented and abandoned.
Miro integrates with Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Jira, Zoom, and various other software. It offers a free plan with limited features, and the paid plan starts from $10 per user per month.
3. Brightidea
Brightidea helps you collect, evaluate, and track ideas across your organization.
Anyone can submit ideas via the mobile app or the always-on digital suggestion box. This helps employees to participate in early-stage innovation efforts, and you can prioritize ideas based on complexity and costs.
Brightidea includes a built-in whiteboard to brainstorm ideas for new products. You can upload images of prototypes, and pin suggestions with sticky notes, among other functions.
With its external innovation feature, you can explore ideas from outside sources and collaborate effectively.
Brightidea integrates with the most popular apps and platforms like Slack and Zapier. It offers a free demo and customized pricing plans.
4. Sideways 6
Sideways 6 enables employees to share ideas directly from the tools they use. You can then evaluate and refine ideas in a centralized platform.
Ideas are automatically categorized with AI, and you can track their progress. Detailed reporting and analytics are also available.
Sideways 6 integrates with Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Meta, and more. It has a free plan for up to 10 users, and the paid plan starts from $3 per user per month.
Final Note
Choosing the right software is not only about features and capabilities. Make sure it’s easy to use, adapt, and scale.
Moreover, the best tool should fit into your workflow. Try a demo, compare options, and make the right call.
That’s what GreyB did.
How GreyB transformed innovation—could your team do the same?
As an innovation consulting firm, they used InspireIP’s Idea Assist to implement a new idea generation framework. In just two years, they:
- Captured 573 ideas
- Ran 8 innovation challenges
- Reduced research time by 70%
- Engaged 314 active contributors
- Increased employee participation and collaboration
With a structured approach to idea management, including an unbiased platform to share ideas, GreyB established a continuous innovation framework.
But let’s talk about how you can optimize your ideation process and level up your innovation. Schedule a free InspireIP demo today–no commitments, just opportunities.
