Conference 7.286::digital

    If there is already a DEC organization with the charter to develop
    products in that space, take it to them.  Finding the organization
    may be difficult--there is no longer a generally-accessable list
    of what everyone is working on, because of security fears.
    
    If there isn't already a suitable DEC organization, your best bet
    is to find another company that is working in that space, and give
    the idea to them.  No matter how good the idea is, it would take
    DEC so long to create the necessary infrastructure to exploit it
    that the market opportunity would be past by the time we got it
    working.
    
    If there is nobody producing products in that area, and it really
    is a good idea, leave DEC and form a company to do it yourself.
    You stand to make a great deal of money.
        John Sauter

    re .1:
    
    >If there isn't already a suitable DEC organization, your best bet
    >is to find another company that is working in that space, and give
    >the idea to them.  No matter how good the idea is, it would take
    >DEC so long to create the necessary infrastructure to exploit it
    >that the market opportunity would be past by the time we got it
    >working.
    
    Not bad, but first I think that due to the nature of your work
    agreement when you came onboard, you'd have to check with your (and
    appropriate) management within the company, since they'd legally
    have the equivalent of "first refusal rights."
    
    I speak from personal experience, when I went the other way and
    couldn't find anybody within Digital who wanted to try to market
    it.  I'm kicking myself for not seeing whether I could have worked
    out a deal with some OEM, after approval by DEC.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.
    

    There is a committee for such things.  I can't remember it's name
    offhand, but your Employee Rep can get it for you.  This committee
    accepts proposals from employees for new products.  If accepted,
    you can even get funded with whatever it takes to develop it.  I
    think that's the way DATATRIEVE got started.

    Employee rep knew nothing.Had tried that avenue already.
    I agree with Steve-I can't go out on the outside with it
    plus I really think DEC might be the only to do it now
    in terms of available products.
    

    There's also the RAD committe.  They will fund you to do the work.
    
    Is your idea something you want to do or is it something you think
    somebody else ought to do?  It's always harder to convince somebody
    else to do something.  If you are willing to "bet a few years" on
    something (assuming appropriate skillset) it's much easier. 
    
    Steveg
    

    The last time I talked to the RAD committee they were unwilling
    to fund product development.  They would only fund research.
    I suspect they would fund the first year of a multi-year development
    effort if they could be assured that there would be funding available
    for the remainder of the development.
        John Sauter

Re: .1
>    If there is already a DEC organization with the charter to develop
>    products in that space, take it to them.  Finding the organization
>    may be difficult--there is no longer a generally-accessable list
>    of what everyone is working on, because of security fears.

	_The_Internal_Guide_To_Digital_Organizations_ is just such a list,
	down to the individual Cost Center Manager level. The 1987-88
	edition is available in most DEC libraries and is distributed
	in new employee orientations, at least within Engineering. That's
	where I got mine!
    

    re .8
    
    I would like to get a copy of the "Internal Guide to Digital
    Organizations" you referenced.  Is there a part number on your copy?
    Does anyone know how I can get a copy?
    
    Thanks
    
    Bob Newman

    There's something called the "Engineering Guide" which has this
    info for Engineering.  The part number is A-MN-ELENGRS-OM-0 and
    it's available from Standards and Methods Control, JOKUR::SMC.
    They used to be at LJ01/I2, DTN 226-2482.  I'm not sure if that's
    still the right address.
    	Dee
    

    The "Engineering Guide" has been superseded by the "Internal Guide
    to Digital Organizations" mentioned in an earlier note.  The order
    number is EL-ENGRS-OM.  It can be ordered from SMC at the address
    given in the previous reply.

      You could always submit a new product idea to one of the 
    management committees through your appropriate vice president.
    Your manager should know who that is.  Since DEC has an open
    office philosophy and if you can't get direction from within
    your group, get your manager's approval and ask Ken Olsen's
    office for constructive direction.
    
    GLO
    

    
    I've noticed that there are a number of people in Digital who have
    good ideas but who no longer make any effort to submit their ideas
    to anyone because of the difficulty in determining the correct person
    who would fairly and impartially review the ideas, or because in
    the past they have received no credit or recognition for their
    creativity or because someone else took all the credit or because
    they have received negative feedback for going around suggesting
    ideas that were outside of their job box.
    
    If one has creative ideas, whether good or bad, which he believes might
    benefit our company, might be significant in growing our business, in
    getting and keeping more customers, in building revenues, margins or
    profits, WHERE EXACTLY does one submit these ideas where one can be
    assured that those ideas WILL be reviewed, and fairly and impartially
    considered, and that one will be given credit and recognition if the
    idea is implemented and does indeed benefit Digital in a positive
    manner? 

    Where exactly is the Digital "idea suggestion box" where ALL such
    new ideas can be submitted, especially ideas that fall outside of
    all line, marketing and product groups?
    
    And if there is no such single "idea suggestion box" then what is the
    system or mechanism within Digital for capitalizing on the creativity
    within our employees (and via them, the creativity of our customers),
    especially the creativity that can positively affect the growing of
    products, services, markets, customers, sales revenues, margins and
    profits? 
    
    With over 114,000 Digital employees and over 4,000,000 customer
    users, does it not seem that there is a huge opportunity here waiting
    to be capitalized on?

    Perhaps one solution might be a single Digital "idea suggestion
    box" located at a corporate level for collecting all new ideas for
    growing our company, where all will be reviewed, impartially and
    fairly, with credit being given, if implemented, to the originator.
    To make the collection EASY, how about a toll-free 800 number that
    ANYONE can call, day or night, seven days a week, with the information
    being recorded verbatim in the originator's OWN words via a
    computerized voice mail messaging system.  The number: 1 800 DEC-IDEA
    
    But as of today, WHERE DOES ONE SEND NEW IDEAS?
    

re Note 375.13 by SAHQ::DCARNELL:

>     I've noticed that there are a number of people in Digital who have
>     good ideas but who no longer make any effort to submit their ideas
>     to anyone because of the difficulty in determining the correct person
>     who would fairly and impartially review the ideas, 

Part of the problem is that a great deal of the work in getting a new idea
accepted is in "determining the correct person".  Perhaps there could be people
whose job it is to match ideas to potential user organizations;  but usually
the person who comes up with the idea is in as good a position to determine the
use for the idea as any third party might be.  Perhaps the best that could be
done is to have a forum for advertising new ideas to whomever was interested. 
But I note that an "Ideas" notes conference was tried, and was pretty much a
failure in that very few ideas were reported.

>     or because in
>     the past they have received no credit or recognition for their
>     creativity or because someone else took all the credit or because
>     they have received negative feedback for going around suggesting
>     ideas that were outside of their job box.
  
"Stealing" ideas and discouraging ideas is a separate issue from how to promote
ideas (I agree that there is some relationship).

  
>     If one has creative ideas, whether good or bad, which he believes might
>     benefit our company, might be significant in growing our business, in
>     getting and keeping more customers, in building revenues, margins or
>     profits, WHERE EXACTLY does one submit these ideas where one can be
>     assured that those ideas WILL be reviewed, and fairly and impartially
>     considered, and that one will be given credit and recognition if the
>     idea is implemented and does indeed benefit Digital in a positive
>     manner? 

If you believe that an idea would benefit Digital, then I assume that you must
have some idea about what organization would need to implement the idea for
the benefit to occur.  Go to them.  Take advantage of the open door policy to
talk to your management, or the management of some group that you think might
benefit (they may direct you to still other groups).  There is no EXACT answer.

There is a problem in getting "recognition and credit" if the organization that
benefits from your idea is not related to your own.  There is also the "fact of
life" that if implementation of your idea is a lot of work, then the people who
do that work may get more recognition than you do.  Recognition would generally
come through your management (either in your reviews or awards), so if your
management doesn't support you in this (or, worse yet, thinks it is not part of
your job) then you are probably out of luck.  There is no easy way out of this
(although it would be nice if the beneficiary organization could make an award
to you;  but they have their own people to take care of).


>     And if there is no such single "idea suggestion box" then what is the
>     system or mechanism within Digital for capitalizing on the creativity
>     within our employees (and via them, the creativity of our customers),
>     especially the creativity that can positively affect the growing of
>     products, services, markets, customers, sales revenues, margins and
>     profits? 
  
Digital management isn't exactly blameless.  When DEC entered the PC market,
there was a lot of talk of setting up a program to market employee-written
software (with appropriate extra compensation).  This never materialized, even
though our major competitor has a flourishing program of this type (which they
set up within 3 months of their announcement including product availability
for employee purchase!).


>     Perhaps one solution might be a single Digital "idea suggestion
>     box" located at a corporate level for collecting all new ideas for
>     growing our company, where all will be reviewed, impartially and
>     fairly, with credit being given, if implemented, to the originator.
>     To make the collection EASY, how about a toll-free 800 number that
>     ANYONE can call, day or night, seven days a week, with the information
>     being recorded verbatim in the originator's OWN words via a
>     computerized voice mail messaging system.  The number: 1 800 DEC-IDEA
  
Who would do this "evaluation"?  The fact is that new ideas must be sold; 
people who would benefit from them are nevertheless often not looking for them.
In other cases they see so many ideas pass in front of them and very few stand
out and catch their eye.   Ideas that are accompanied by information that
really makes the case that they can be implemented and will give them a
substantial benefit will catch their attention.  Preparing this case is part
of the idea-giver's work.  It is rarely easy.  You have to know what their
specific problems and constraints are and what their objections are likely to
be.  It means that you have to take your idea from the "concept" stage to the
point of a detailed proposal.  It's hard.  I don't think that a central
clearing house can perform this task successfully.

Bob

    An idea by itself is not worth very much without the inclination
    to drive it forward, at least until the point that someone is willing
    to champion it.
     
    If you believe in your idea, there are a number of
    hurdles still to be overcome.
    	1) show it is feasible.  You may already have a prototype
    	working, so this may or may not be an issue.  
    	One way to get funding for a plausible idea
    	in engineering is the RAD committee, who funds small scale
    	projects that are in the speculative stage.  If in some months
    	of work you have a chance of showing whether your idea works
    	or not, they can help with funding you to see if it is a good
    	idea.  They may also get you connected with the right people
    	elsewhere in the corporation.
    	It is far from clear that similar mechanisms exist elsewhere
    	in the company.   (Maybe someone should propose a similar mechanism
    	for manufacturing, marketing, sales....)
    	2) once you are past the feasibility stage, you have to find
    	the resources to take your idea further.  A certain amount
    	of legwork helps alot, and spending time getting to know people
    	around the coporation in your normal work may pay off here. 
    	This may be a hunt to find others interested/competant/available 
    	to work on the project with you.  If it is a good idea, you
    	probably can find people interested in it without too much
    	trouble.  More important may be to find people capable to
    	drive the idea to completion. Then you ASK.  You'd be amazed what 
    	people will give you if you ask.
    	Be sure to cover things like:
    		a) buisness justification (how we make money eventually),
    		b) what we stand to gain if we do something,
    		c) what we may lose if we do nothing (lost opportunity
    		cost, if you can quantify it),
    		d) who can/should do the project,
    		e) what is going on elsewhere (competitive situation),
    		f) some estimate of the cost,
    		g) some time estimate.
    		h) the idea itself.
    	Note that the idea itself may be less important at this stage
    	than the other points in the proposal.
    	Send your proposal to those who are responsible for areas it may affect.
                                                            
    This may work even with quite unconventional proposals.  Digital
    can be open even to strategies that are not "standard buisness practices".  
    Sometimes the biggest problem is that they say "yes"....  Beware
    what you ask for; they may give it to you.  This may be more painful
    than it seems, but is also very satisfying if you see your idea
    through to fruition.            
    				Jim Gettys
    
    

I think a good place to start a search for the "right person" is the telphone
directory.  Leaf through the organizational listings in the back until
you find a few that might work out, then send your idea to ALL of them.
If you don't hear anything back in a month, follow up by phone.
At least you might get yourself on a mailing list of interested parties
in whatever the problem is, and be called upon later for your inputs.

Another approach is to convince some manager that your project is worth
doing, and have your job be redefined to be the implementation of the idea.
If the idea involves a software product, it greatly helps at this point
to have a working breadboard  version to demonstrate the concept, especially
to marketing groups.

There is often one guru for a particular technology area, and if you can
find this person he can sometimes champion your idea.  Being with the company
a while helps you know these people, especially if you don't keep your head
down in the trenches all the time.  This gets harder as the company gets
bigger, though.

I have used all these methods myself, and they all work.
You sometimes have to take people by the nose and show them that your idea
really will help them.  This is especially true if implementation of your
idea involves communication between groups that don't usually communicate
very well.  (like Engineering and Marketing)

Final suggestion:  You gotta write your idea down in a clear presntation
running under 10 pages with a summary on the first page.  

    re .16.
    
    You'd be amazed at what even a 2-3 page proposal can
    do.  I plan to save one I wrote forever....  Haven't quite
    recovered from the resulting 18 months of work, however....