CLASS TYPE
Idea
Generation
Brainstorming/
Mind-mapping
IT TOOLS TO SUPPORT AND MANAGE INNOVATION
Innovators use a broad variety of IT tools, which vary in sophistication, capability and price. In most cases, organizations operating on tight budgets
can make use of open-source versions to keep costs low. The placement of examples shown is illustrative; many products provide support outside
the row in which they appear.
DESCRIPTION
Help generate ideas, diagnose problems, collect
and track ideas
Market Research/
Competitive Intelligence/
Strategic Problem Solving
Understand problems with existing products,
uncover opportunities
Analysis
Simulation Modeling
General modeling tools aligned with a discipline —
e.g., chemical reactions or stress analysis
Statistical
Assess strength of relationships in experiments
Process Management
Simulate and assess process-design alternatives
Visualization/Design
Perform visual analysis
Rapid Prototyping
Create prototype directly from design tool
Collaboration
Social Networking
Connect with innovators, marketers and others
both inside and outside the company
Document Management/
Portal
Facilitate sharing of documents and knowledge
Communication
Enable video conferencing, messaging
Innovation
Management
Portfolio Management
Project Management
Product Life Cycle
Management
Track project status, analyze pipeline, assess risk/
reward alternatives
Plan and sequence tasks, commit resources,
monitor deadlines
Manage product life cycle through conception,
design, manufacture, service and disposal
Intellectual Property
Management
Enable patent search, patent management, docketing,
business intelligence, partner and open innovation
EXAMPLES
•Mindjet MindManager
•ConceptDraw MINDMAP
•Brightidea WebStorm
•Imaginatik Idea Central
•Invention Machine Goldfire
•OVO Tools
•Sopheon Vision Strategist
•Excel
•ProModel
•Industry-specific tools
•SPSS
•SAS
•Lombardi
•Metastorm
•BPM
•Autodesk AutoCAD
•Google SketchUp
•Molecular visualization
•Autodesk Inventor
•Objet
•IBM Lotus Connections
•PHPizabi
•Relenet
•Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Delicious
•Linked expert blogs on specialized
subjects
•Microsoft SharePoint
•IBM WebSphere
•Open Text, Livelink
•Atlassian Confluence
•Skype, VideoLink
•Microsoft Messenger, AIM
•Twitter
•CA Clarity
•Oracle Primavera
•Microsoft Project
•Open Source Project.net
•Siemens
•Oracle/Agile
•SAP PLM
•RSGMedia RightsLogic
•Anaqua
