Posting Ideas

Post ideas to propose changes to products, services, or processes, and receive input from other portal users. The Ideas module enables community members to submit detailed suggestions with rich content formatting, multimedia support, and organizational categorization. Users can create comprehensive idea descriptions that clearly communicate their suggestions while taking advantage of the system's duplicate prevention features and collaborative feedback mechanisms.

Requirements

To post ideas, users must be assigned a security role with the following permissions:

• All Entities, Idea: Read
• All Entities, Idea: Create
• Tab Settings, Ideas: On
• App Settings: App with the Ideas Tab must be Visible

Understanding Idea Submission Process

Accessing Idea Creation

Users can access idea posting functionality through multiple entry points within the Ideas module:

Primary Access Method:

1. Navigate to the Ideas Tab
2. Click + Post Your Idea button

Alternative Access Method:

1. From the Ideas homepage, click the gear/settings icon (⚙️)
2. Select Post Your Idea from the dropdown menu

Additional Navigation Option:

• Users can access Help on this page from the settings dropdown for additional guidance and support resources

Related Ideas Preview

The system includes intelligent duplicate prevention functionality that helps users identify existing similar ideas:

Automatic Detection: As users enter their idea title, the system automatically searches for similarly named idea posts that have already been submitted.

Related Ideas Display: A list of potentially related ideas appears below the title field, showing existing submissions that may address similar topics or suggestions.

Duplicate Prevention: Users are encouraged to review these related ideas to determine whether their suggestion has already been proposed or if they should build upon existing ideas through comments and voting.

Collaboration Encouragement: Instead of creating duplicate ideas, users can engage with existing ideas through voting and detailed comments to strengthen community support for similar suggestions.

Creating New Ideas

Required Information

Title Field:

• Enter a clear, descriptive title that summarizes the core idea or suggestion
• The title should be concise yet comprehensive enough to convey the main concept
• Related ideas will appear automatically as you type to prevent duplicate submissions

Description Field:

• Use the rich text editor to provide detailed explanation of the idea
• Include comprehensive background, rationale, and expected benefits
• Add supporting information such as use cases, implementation suggestions, or business justification

Content Creation Features

Rich Text Formatting: The description editor provides comprehensive formatting options including:

• Text Formatting: Bold, italic, underline, and strikethrough options for emphasis
• Text Styles: Various font styles and sizes for organized presentation
• Lists: Numbered and bulleted lists for structured information presentation
• Alignment: Left, center, right, and justify text alignment options
• Links: Hyperlink insertion for external references and supporting documentation
• Images: Image insertion capabilities for visual examples, mockups, or supporting graphics
• Tables: Table creation for structured data presentation and comparison

Multimedia Support:

• Image Integration: Upload images directly into idea descriptions to provide visual context, mockups, or examples
• File Attachments: Include supporting documents, specifications, or reference materials
• External Links: Reference external websites, documentation, or resources that support the idea

Organizational Features

Category Assignment:

1. Select an appropriate category from the Category dropdown list
2. Categories help organize ideas by topic area, product line, or functional domain
3. Users may leave the selection as --None-- if no suitable category exists
4. Category selection improves idea discoverability and enables effective filtering

Content Organization:

• Structure idea descriptions with clear sections such as problem statement, proposed solution, benefits, and implementation considerations
• Use formatting tools to create scannable content with headers, bullet points, and visual elements
• Include specific examples and use cases to illustrate the practical application of the suggestion

Submission Process

Finalizing Idea Submission

1. Review Content: Carefully review the title, description, and category assignment for accuracy and completeness
2. Check Related Ideas: Examine any suggested related ideas to confirm the submission adds unique value
3. Submit Idea: Click Submit Your Idea to publish the submission to the Ideas module

Post-Submission Features

Immediate Availability: Once submitted, ideas become immediately visible to other community members based on sharing permissions and security role configurations.

Community Engagement: Other users can begin voting on and commenting on the idea immediately after submission, fostering collaborative discussion and feedback.

Edit Window: Depending on module configuration, users may have a limited time window to edit their idea post before it becomes locked to maintain content integrity.

Status Tracking: Ideas receive an initial review status that administrators can update as the suggestion moves through evaluation and implementation processes.

Best Practices for Effective Ideas

Content Development Strategy

Clear Problem Statement: Begin with a clear description of the problem, opportunity, or improvement area that the idea addresses.

Detailed Solution Description: Provide comprehensive explanation of the proposed solution, including how it would work and what it would accomplish.

Business Justification: Include information about expected benefits, cost savings, efficiency improvements, or user experience enhancements.

Implementation Considerations: Discuss practical aspects such as technical requirements, resource needs, or potential challenges.

Formatting and Presentation

Scannable Structure: Use headers, bullet points, and white space to create easily readable content that community members can quickly understand.

Visual Elements: Include images, diagrams, or mockups when they help illustrate the concept or demonstrate the proposed solution.

Supporting Evidence: Reference relevant data, user feedback, industry best practices, or successful implementations from other contexts.

Community Engagement Preparation

Anticipate Questions: Consider what questions other community members might have and address them proactively in the description.

Encourage Discussion: Frame the idea in a way that invites constructive feedback and collaborative refinement from other users.

Monitor Engagement: Plan to respond to comments and engage with community feedback to build support and refine the suggestion.

Integration with Ideas Module Features

Voting and Feedback Integration

Posted ideas automatically become available for community voting and commenting, enabling collaborative evaluation and refinement of suggestions.

Review Status Workflow

Ideas enter the administrative review workflow where authorized users can update status indicators to communicate evaluation progress and implementation decisions.

Category-Based Organization

Category assignments enable effective content organization and filtering, helping users discover related ideas and participate in topic-focused discussions.

Search and Discovery

Well-crafted idea titles and descriptions improve searchability within the Ideas module, making it easier for community members to find and engage with relevant suggestions.

Jump to Ideas Checklist

<< Managing Idea Categories | Collaborating on Ideas >>