Posted in Industry June 7, 2017
Idea Factory Initiative Wins Spark Awards 2017, Highlights Innovation in Game Development
When it comes to online gaming, Microgaming is a company that is highly respected. Known as one of the pioneers in the introduction of online casinos during the first half of the 1990s, this company based in the Isle of Man has become instrumental in building a competitive casino industry. As a leading provider of casino products and services, Microgaming offers more than 800 casino games, Quickfire, and business solutions. To validate its standing in the industry as one of the most essential players, Microgaming has earned several awards throughout the years. Its latest award is the Spark Awards 2017 for its Idea Factory Initiative, a corporate project affirming its position as one of the most innovative companies in the industry.
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Revolutionizing Work Culture, One Idea at a Time
Compared to other industry awards and citations, the Spark Awards 2017 are awarded to companies and organizations recognized for their innovations in the way they work. The award cites an organization’s work system. With the award, Microgaming joins an elite list of companies and organizations cited for innovations in the workplace, like previous winners Places for People and GCHQ.
The Idea Factory Initiative team from Microgaming was headed by Lydia Barbara, who is in charge of collating, refining, and implementing these ideas. The team’s objective is to gather as many suggestions as possible, refine each idea, and present these to the company. The project was first launched in 2016. All ideas submitted for consideration undergo four rounds, and a Decision Panel assesses the ideas’ merit. There were five winning ideas in 2016:
- The Market – A classified ads feature for internal use of Microgaming
- MGS House Lotto – A charity initiative utilizing lotto games and scratch cards
- New Compliance Portal – A feature for new operators aiding in commencing business with Microgaming
- Ideas Workshop – A platform designed to generate and process submitted ideas for review
- Emoticoins Online Slot – A video slot game intended to enhance Microgaming’s portfolio
The Idea Factory’s Operations
Like other companies and organizations, Microgaming faced several organizational challenges. To leverage its best resources – its workforce – Microgaming formulated the Idea Factory. With the Idea Factory, the company empowers its members and employees to submit ideas for consideration to improve its operations and provide new games for the casino sector.
Lydia Barbara, Head of Innovation Strategy at Microgaming:
When launching the Microgaming Idea Factory, at first there was nervousness that we wouldn’t get enough ideas through to make it work. But the problem wasn’t in the quality or quantity of ideas – it was that we did not have a process in place to refine and approve them. It has been such an amazing experience, largely due to the enthusiasm of every person who has taken part. I expect to see great returns from the fantastic ideas coming through.
The Idea Factory has four parts or processes. In Part One, interested individuals can submit their ideas via Microgaming’s website or an approved template to ensure transparency. The submissions are anonymous and undergo validation by the Selection Committee. To proceed to the next step, the idea needs to obtain ten ‘YES’ votes.
During Part Two, the selected authors make a pitch and explain their ideas. Participants are given two weeks to prepare and polish their proposals, which they will pitch to the committee. The goal is to persuade members to support the ideas.
Part Three is where the idea is explored and assigned a budget. This phase aims to test the idea, during which the idea can be tweaked or changed based on the outcome of tests. Some suggestions may be abandoned during this phase.
Finally, Part Four is the last part of the process involving the Decision Panel, composed of the company’s senior members. The panel assesses which idea/s will receive support and adoption from the company, and which will not.
The process may be rigorous, and previous submissions indicate that only 70% of all submissions pass Round 1. Only 52% out of that number will proceed to Round 2. At the end, only 19% of all submissions are deemed worthy of adoption by Microgaming. The remaining ideas will be published and displayed bearing the Microgaming brand. The process is an innovative practice from Microgaming – a groundbreaking method for companies in the casino industry.
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