According to the Oxford dictionary, CROWDSOURCING OR CROWD-SOURCING is the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet.
At Ezassi we have learned that crowdsourcing isn’t about more people, it’s about the right people. Yes, we have a curated network of solvers but just inviting anyone to participate often leads to frustration. If you are truly looking to advance your innovation initiative through crowdsourcing, a more focused crowd will produce better results and accelerate innovation.
If you want to accelerate your innovation initiative through crowdsourcing, whether internal or external, you need to build a crowd of knowledgeable experts. Internally, that is easy to solve for using an innovation management software that includes user profiling capabilities where employees can add their professional skills and upload supporting documentation. Innovation software will offer search functionality which will allow admins to build communities based on knowledge and experience. Externally, that is a different story. Yes, you can push a challenge out to a crowd and hope for the best but if the crowd is not the right crowd, you will spend time and money sifting through a lot of disappointing submissions.
Just think how much better your submissions would be if you had the capabilities to build a knowledgeable crowd from the start of your program. From influencers to patent applicants, from small companies to large corporations, from universities to R&D Labs, whether local or international the Ezassi Technology Landscaping Software offers the filtering capabilities to find and build not just any crowd but the right crowd for your crowd-sourcing needs.
By harnessing the collective creativity of the crowd, you can exponentially increase the number of solutions that are submitted in response to a certain challenge. More ideas mean a better chance of bringing something truly innovative to the surface. Crowdsourcing for innovation also creates a space for unique collaborations and meetings of the mind that might not occur otherwise. These connections, among experts, customers, employees and crowd members from all over the world, allow innovation to be placed at the forefront.
Patent applicants are innovators focused on protecting their intellectual property. They have the legal right to exclude others for a period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of the invention.
Trademark applicants are also focused on the intellectual property. Their legal rights protect a recognizable sign, design, or expression which identifies their product/services from others.
An Influencer is often associated with social media however a published professional influences because of his/her authority, knowledge and position in an industry.
In competitive markets where technology is constantly evolving, the ability to identify and understand emerging trends in real-time is an invaluable and essential tool. With Ezassi’s advanced software, technology landscaping and market analysis tools are built-in so that the latest information and access to experts in your field, is right at your fingertips.
Startups and SMB’s tend to be more agile when it comes to accelerating innovation. That is why they are often acquired by large corporations.
Universities and Research Labs offer opportunities not always available in the business world. Collaborating in this space gets you in before commercialization.
