AMS Enhances Online Brainstorming Tool

In the US, 'voice of the customer' consulting firm Applied Marketing Science (AMS) has upgraded its online brainstorming tool to make it easier to track new ideas posted on the site, and determine which are most innovative and actionable.

The firm's IDEALYST platform allows brainstorming with colleagues and customers online, on topics such as new product or service ideas, process improvements, marketing campaigns, or employee satisfaction programs.

It was designed to offer numerous benefits over traditional brainstorming techniques including anonymity, to remove politics and personalities from the process; and a two-week brainstorming period, to allow participants to think and reflect more deeply about the issues at hand.

Additional enhancements include:

• New methods of adding content, including hyperlinks, photos, articles, documents, drawings, and formulas
• Improved moderator functions, which allow them to enable or disable the idea challenge feature, and to establish whether content is restricted to the questions, or can be expanded
• Instantaneous notifications to users if their ideas have been built on
• Creativity exercises, intended to stimulate innovative thinking among users

Participants can log on and contribute from any location with web access at any time, and are awarded cash or prizes based on the quality and quantity of their ideas. Up to 30 participants are allowed per 'game'.

Waltham, Massachusetts-based AMS was co-founded in 1989 by Professor John Hauser and AMS President Bob Klein. The firm has two units: customer understanding geared towards new product and service development; and litigation support for attorneys with consumer behavior and marketing issues.

Andrew Wilson recently joined AMS as a Project Director, working in both practice areas.

Web site: www.ams-inc.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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