How do you select ideas and turn them into effective innovations?

The process of idea generation, selection and progressive elimination throughout the decision cycle and development projects is generally described and compared to a funnel, both in the literature of new product development and launch projects and within companies.

A recent survey of innovation management in major French companies (see bibliography in the "Pour aller + loin" section) has enabled us to propose five funnel models, each with its own characteristics and raison d'être. We have named them :

• the "standardized, but not very fertile" funnel;

• the "normalized but high attrition" funnel;

• the "hero" funnel;

• the "mixed" funnel (or double device);

• the "agile and permeable" funnel.

We suggest that you use this model as a tool for reflecting on your own business process. It's up to you to find the funnel model that's right for you, and to draw the appropriate conclusions.

In addition, the sheet "How to recapture the agility and creativity of the origins" complements this tool by suggesting that once a company is at a given stage, it generally tends and seeks to evolve towards a later funnel stage. You can then better support, or even accelerate, the likely evolution of your idea management process.