Improve brainstorming via the cloud

We describe a new method of using multi-sensory electronic brainstorming to encourage and enable experts to participate in brainstorming with assured attribution of their contributions. This was alpha tested using a customized cloud-based brainstorming tool implemented in Google Hangouts to support synchronous sessions of the I.D.E.A.S. brainstorming method. Participants were trained in using the system in less than ten minutes. Using real-time document sharing combined with visual and auditory inputs, we demonstrated the viability to capture ideas and then the identification of both the “direct” and “causal” ideas to correct participant. Assignment of attribution was done immediately after the brainstorming session via a group discussion with all of the participants based on the time-stamps of the contributions. A screen capture tool was used to document the experience. Managers may use this technique to evaluate the effect of training on the improvement of the benchmarking ability of their employees. The next step is to integrate the I.D.E.A.S. method more fully into an application so that it may be used for beta testing with more subjects, and then improving the causality determination algorithm and other metrics of the system.