Create and launch business challenges for innovation

While every organisation is likely to describe and implement business challenges slightly differently, we recommend they are used to capturing the problem or challenge facing the organisation.

Generally, a business challenge is focused on defining the problem or challenge only, as this is at the beginning of the life cycle and too early to focus on the solution.  Once the challenge is defined, ideas should be generated to identify potential solutions, and then the preferred idea may become a proposal, which if approved will become a project.
 

To launch a new business challenge:

1. Ensure you are in the Portfolios area and click Challenges in the Innovations section.
    
2. Click + New from the command bar.
    
3. Complete the Challenge pane with as much information as you have now.
    
4. The Business Challenge Name field is mandatory.
    
5. Identify the Challenge sponsor in the Stakeholders pane.
    
6. Click Save.
    
7. Click on the ellipsis (…) below the Stakeholder header.
    
8. Select Add Existing User.
    
9. Search for and add the challenge Review Committee members.
    
10. Click Add and then Save and Close.
     

While your organisation may have defined a different business challenge process, advancing a stage is as simple as validating that the required processes or checklist items are completed and selecting the Next Stage/Finish button adhering to organisational policies and procedures.

A business challenge begins with the definition of the details to accurately represent the challenge, then moves to collaborate when individuals are encouraged to identify ways, i.e. ideas, to deal with the challenge, and ends with evaluate where the ideas are reviewed and the best one is selected for implementation.
 

To advance the challenge record to the next stages: 

1. Ensure you are in the Portfolios area and click Challenges in the Innovations section.
    
2. Select the appropriate Business Challenge to be updated.
    
3. Click the Define and mark the stage checklist items as complete. 
    
4. Once you have formally launched the challenge through communication channels, click the Next Stage to advance the challenge to the Collaborate stage. 
    
5. Refresh the count of ideas associated to the challenge displayed on the screen by clicking the Recalculate icon denoted by a calculator symbol next to the Number of ideas field that is found under the Collaborate stage checklist and Contributed Ideas pane. 
    
6. Mark the Close Challenge to new Ideas item under the Collaborate stage as complete to prevent any additional ideas associated to the challenge. 
    
7. Once the ideas are reviewed, advance the challenge to the Evaluate stage and mark the stage checklist items as complete and click Finish. 
    
8. Click Save and validate that the Status of the challenge under the Details pane has automatically updated from Active to Completed. 
    

Download Job Aid: Creating and maintaining business challenges