In an effort to maximize internal entrepreneurial spirit and foster employee ideation, Northrop Grumman solicited Bayen Group to develop an online tool that provides a forum for employees to pitch their ideas to management. Submissions that show potential are then provided additional resources and/or funding.

• An American global aerospace and defense technology company with over 65,000 employees

• An online tool that encourages workplace innovation and collaboration
• A user-friendly way for employees to pitch their ideas to upper management
• A platform to recruit college students to create and propose original solutions

• Build an intuitive SharePoint website for employees to submit their ideas to showcase their viability and potential success
• Submissions are twofold:
  • Blue Sky idea: Employees submit their ideas by filling out a web-based form describing their product, the problem(s) it solves, the big idea, how it compares to similar products and their proposed statement of work
  • Challenge: Senior executives pose challenges requesting their teams try to solve a problem or devise a new product
• If executives see the idea’s potential, the employee is invited to pitch to the VPs. If funded, the employee gets a piece of the patent
• The website is self-sufficient and features a How-To page that explains the parameters of the submission process as well as an FAQ page
• With each submission, employees receive a confirmation email with a tracking number notifying them that their idea was received
• Key decision makers receive an email notification that an idea has been submitted
• Employees are free to explore their colleagues’ Blue Sky ideas and Challenge submissions
• A filter tool allows submissions to be viewed by sector, if they’re pending and if they have received funding
• An administrator tab is organized by sector and allows admins to grant permission to employees and change data in the system
• The website features a platform to solicit college students to submit original products and solutions