Collective intelligence is an emergent property that exists within any organization. Using collective intelligence has endless benefits for organizations, yet too few organizations know how to use it effectively, if at all. 

Mindpool helps organizations collect, process, and act on the collective intelligence of employees by unlocking these untapped insights that help push businesses forward. 

However, there are many other examples of collective intelligence in organizations. In this article, you will learn about how five organizations have implemented different uses of collective intelligence into different areas of their business. 

The five examples show the abundance, power, and diversity of collective intelligence and all underline how organizations can benefit from tapping into their collective intelligence. Read along to discover the opportunities of collective intelligence.

1. Starbucks - Using collective intelligence as an innovation driver

Innovation is key to the long-term survival and competitiveness of any organization. Starbucks is aware of this fact and is a great example of a company that has successfully implemented collective intelligence to drive innovation. 

In 2018 they launched their ‘innovation lab’, where ideas go from foundation to fruition in just 100 days. This has resulted in more than hundreds of successful projects that are relevant to Starbucks’ customers, inspiring to their partners, and meaningful to their business. 

The strategy of the innovation lab is rooted in collective intelligence. Through Starbuck’s own collective intelligence platform, Starbucks collects ideas submitted directly from their employees. This creates a safe space to share ideas, some that might not work, fail or thrive. An idea that was submitted through their collective intelligence platform is the bestseller, Nitro Cold Brew, which proved to have a significant impact on the brand’s revenue growth. 

This example of driving innovation through collective intelligence underlines the power of the resource that lies within the organization through the knowledge of the employees. For organizations that don’t have the means to build their own platform, Mindpool can be a great way to tap into the collective intelligence with very low effort and cost.
 

2. Google Maps - Combining humans and technology

Today, collective intelligence is taken to the next level through the combination of technology. The wisdom of crowds, which is one way of defining collective intelligence, can be augmented and enabled by new and powerful technology (think machine learning, data analytics, and natural language processing). Groups of people working together to act collectively in intelligence are defined as a supermind. An example of this, humans and computers working together to achieve something even bigger, is Google Maps. Google Maps has achieved its level of service by using help from map enthusiasts and collecting data from its 1 billion users. 
 

3. Adobe - Structuring employee involvement

In 2013, Adobe released its own model for collective intelligence called Kickbox. Kickbox is the place that nurtures ideas and innovation sourced directly from employees. Through Kickbox, employees get $1000 granted to work on their ideas, which has, since its invention, resulted in cornerstone products and key features for Adobe. The results of the program speak for themselves; more than 10% of Adobe’s employees use the program, it has funded more than 1,000 ideas and resulted in a 48% increase in profits, which can partially be attributed to the implementation of employee innovation and involvement.

4. Lego - Creating a community of brains for ideation

Lego works to implement lifelong play among kids and grownups alike. Play means ideation, creativity, innovation, and imagination. Through Lego Ideas, people all over the world are encouraged to submit their ideas for design, products, and other innovative ideas. Once these ideas are approved, the community can vote to support the idea to come to life. If an idea reaches 10,000 votes, Lego evaluates it internally and potentially adds it to the brand’s line of products. 

Through Lego Ideas, Lego creates a foundation where brains from all over the world can come together, share and innovate, and vote for the best ideas. It shows the power of involving people, both employees and customers, and combining their brains for optimal outcomes. 

5. Mindpool - Enabling the collective intelligence for all organizations

Mindpool’s intelligent platform for business insights enables all companies to take advantage of their existing collective intelligence. With the vision of enabling the world’s transition to a collective intelligence mindset, Mindpool lets all organizations utilize and act on all the insights from their employees. 

Employees collect an abundance of knowledge about the business through daily interactions with customers, colleagues, and other stakeholders. These insights are often not used by organizations today, but they can largely impact the bottom line, whether the goal is to drive innovation, include employee knowledge, predict the future outcomes of different scenarios, or a combination. With Mindpool this employee knowledge and collective intelligence are mobilized so that organizations can act on the information.

The endless effects of utilizing, acting, and reaping the fruits of collective intelligence can have several benefits; such as directly impacting the bottom line in a positive direction, motivating employees, driving innovation, solving problems, discovering threats and opportunities, and predicting the future for any organization, big or small.  

If this blog post has piqued your interest, make sure to reach out and learn more about how you can start benefiting from your organization’s collective intelligence right here.

You've just read a blog post from Mindpool - a platform that helps you harness the collective intelligence of employees. Mindpool taps into the knowledge of employees to provide actionable predictions and curated insights. Mindpool is rooted in decades of research in collective intelligence. Read more from our resource universe or contact us here if you'd like to tap into your employees' valuable knowledge.