What is your opinion about crowd sourcing innovation/ideas/suggestions?

CW5 Jim Steddum — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 16:03:37 -0400

I am working on implementing a new Virtual Suggestion Box for the Army legal community using milBook idea content and crowdsourcing techniques. What do you think about using Enterprise Social Networks for crowdsourcing innovation?

The term Crowdsourcing was first coined by Jeff Howe from the terms “crowd” and “outsourcing” to distinguish between outsourcing (generally working with single or small team of vendors) and crowdsourcing (working and collaborating with a large group of people or community of professionals). Crowdsourcing is the practice of outsourcing your task, job or project to a large group of people. Unlike outsourcing which generally delegates the project or task to a single vendor or a few vendors, crowdsourcing is generally performed by a large team or community of professionals, vendors and freelancers allowing you to have a huge brain power as part of your project.

Sometimes junior Soldiers and officers are afraid to offer new ideas because seniors tend to sharpshoot. Should that stop us from trying?

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Oct 4 at 2015 4:34 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 16:34:06 -0400

Crowdsourcing is a powerful and very effective way to bring new and innovative ideas forward. I'm glad to see the Army is using it in a more formal way. I think the key is to keep the naysayers away... vote/add to the best idea you like, and leave the ideas you don't like alone. This is to avoid suppressing minority views.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 4 at 2015 4:41 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 16:41:27 -0400

Your suggestion to use Enterprise Social Networks for crowdsourcing innovation seems reasonable CW5 Jim Steddum
As long as the network is secure and the participants are vetted [security, proper credentials, required training and experience confirmed by personnel records, etc] crowdsourcing could be used for developing reasonable approaches to many types of problems or task groups.