One of the most overlooked reasons innovation programmes struggle to evaluate ideas effectively is that ideas come in without consistent structure. One person writes two paragraphs. Another writes two sentences. One describes the solution in detail but never explains the problem. Another explains the problem beautifully but offers nothing specific as a solution.
Before you can evaluate ideas well, they need to be captured in a consistent format. This is that format.
Why a Submission Template Matters
A submission template does three things. First, it makes evaluation dramatically faster because every submission answers the same questions in the same order. Second, it improves the quality of submissions because people think more clearly when they have to answer specific questions rather than write into an empty box. Third, it creates a shared language for idea review, so two evaluators working independently are assessing the same things.
The template below is designed to be short enough that people will actually fill it in, and specific enough that submissions will actually be useful.
The Idea Submission Template
Title
Give your idea a short, clear name. Not a slogan. Just a description in five words or fewer.
Example: Automated pre-shift safety checklist
What is the idea?
Describe the idea in 2 to 4 sentences. What would change, and how? Assume the reader is smart but doesn't know the details of your daily work.
Example: Replace the current paper-based pre-shift safety checklist with a simple mobile form that operators fill in on a shared tablet before each shift. The completed form would automatically notify the shift supervisor and create a log for monthly audits, replacing the current manual collection and binder system.
What problem are we solving?
What is broken, slow, risky, or frustrating about the current situation? What is specifically happening today that shouldn't be, or not happening that should be?
Example: The current paper checklist is frequently incomplete, lost, or illegible. Supervisors spend 20 to 30 minutes per week tracking down missing forms. Audit preparation requires manual compilation of 3 months of paper records.
Who does this solve it for?
Who benefits if this idea is implemented? Be specific. Shift supervisors? End customers? A particular team or production line?
Example: Shift supervisors who currently chase missing paperwork. Safety auditors who currently compile records manually. New operators who struggle to remember which items the paper checklist covers.
How far could this scale?
Small: This can be tested in one area or team without significant investment.
Medium: This can be rolled out to a department or facility after an initial test.
Large: This can be applied across multiple facilities or fundamentally change how we work.
Choose one option and add a sentence explaining why.
Example: Medium. We can pilot on one shift on Line 4 within two weeks, with an existing shared tablet. If it works, it can be rolled out to all lines within a quarter.
Resources needed (rough estimate)
What would it take to test or implement this? Think in terms of time, money, or people. You don't need a business case. A rough sense of scale is enough.
Example: One day to build the form in our current survey tool. A shared tablet is already available on Line 4. No new budget required for the pilot.
Who else should weigh in?
Is there someone whose expertise or approval matters for this idea? Name them or their role.
Example: The site safety officer, and the shift supervisor on Line 4 who currently owns the paper checklist process.
How to Introduce This Template to Contributors
Do not just drop the template into your campaign without context. Add a short note at the top of the submission form explaining why each section exists.
Something like: We ask about the problem separately from the solution because the best ideas often come from reframing the problem. You may answer the problem field and realise your idea needs to adjust. That's useful. Spend two minutes filling in each section honestly, even if your answers are rough.
What Looks Good vs What to Watch For
A strong submission answers every field with specific details, not generalities. The problem section mentions a real situation, not a vague feeling. The "who" section names a specific group, not "everyone" or "the whole company."
A weak submission has a strong solution and a vague problem, or mentions benefits without any description of what currently doesn't work. When you see this pattern, it usually means the person hasn't thought through the problem clearly yet. The template doesn't prevent this, but it makes it visible during review.
Making the Template Work for Remote Teams
If your team is distributed, use a shared document or form tool so people can see how others are answering similar questions. Peer examples improve submission quality. When people see someone else describe a problem in concrete detail, they're more likely to do the same in their own submissions.
Customising the Template for Your Context
The template above works for operational ideas and process improvements. If you're running a product innovation challenge, adjust the "who" section to "What customer group would benefit?" and the scale section to "Would this require new product development, a feature add-on, or a service model change?"
For strategic ideas, add a field about competitive differentiation or market timing. The core principle remains: specific questions drive better submissions than open boxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How detailed does the submission need to be?
Specific enough that someone who doesn't know your operation could understand the problem and the proposed solution. That usually takes 200-300 words. More than 500 words means the submitter is writing an essay, not describing an idea. If you get lengthy submissions, add a note to the template: "Brevity counts. We would rather have a clear 250-word submission than a vague 1000-word one."
What if most ideas come in incomplete?
Your template is too long or too vague. Simplify it. Cut it down to four questions instead of seven. Make sure each question has a concrete example. Check with a few submitters: "Which part of the form was confusing?" Then fix that part before the next campaign.
Should you make the template anonymous?
For the initial submission, keep names attached. It improves accountability and makes follow-up questions easier. During evaluation, anonymise submissions if there is any risk of bias (ideas from senior staff being favoured, for example). But collecting the name first makes triage and follow-up much cleaner.
How many questions is too many?
More than seven and you lose people. They start filling in generic responses or skip sections. Fewer than four and you don't get enough detail to evaluate effectively. The sweet spot is 5-7 fields, each with a clear example.
Related Guides
- How to Write an Idea Challenge That Actually Gets Relevant Ideas
- How to Triage 100+ Ideas in 2 Hours
- The Idea Scoring Scorecard: 3 Models for Different Situations
- How to Keep Campaign Momentum When Running Multiple Challenges
- The Complete Guide to Collecting Employee Ideas (Without Annoying People)
See our full comparison of the 10 best idea management tools
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