Cambridge-based Vocoli can take credit for a number of business successes enabled by its cloud HR software, which helps get valuable employee ideas onto their bosses' radars. Among them is an instance where an employee found a way to save $100,000 on their company's power bill, according to Vocoli founder and CEO Rich Kneece.
Everyone has seen the wooden employee suggestion box. And many people have, at some point, dropped a good idea in that box. Unfortunately, as Kneece said, that box is typically no more than a black hole.
“It’s not a bad concept," Kneece said, "but it doesn’t work in terms of processing and implementation.”
Ideas are what drives an organization forward - but only if decision-makers are hearing them. Vocoli digitizes the suggestion box, with the aim of ensuring that suggestions get seen and taken seriously.
A customizable solution Vocoli, a spinout of Massachusetts Technology Corporation (also founded by Kneece in 2001), was in beta since 2013, raised $500,000 at the beginning of this year in a seed round, and just launched late last spring. Since then, the startup has worked with organizations ranging from the DC Public Library and Spaulding Hospital to Cupid Intimates. And because Kneece knows that no company is the same, he stressed that Vocoli is not a one-size-fits-all platform - it can meet the individual demands of each customer. The beauty of Vocoli lies in its flexibility: By adapting to an organization’s unique culture, it can empower its employees voices, unlocking potentially money-saving and efficiency-driving notions.
Kneece is adamant that even smaller innovations, like buying a different kind of toner ink for the company printer or implementing a weekly bagel tradition, can make a big impact over time, too.
“They don’t all have to be big game-changing ideas like Gmail or Xbox, but little ideas really add up. And Vocoli allows people to see their ideas get to the right place," he said.
As a company behind collecting feedback and taking on these smaller initiatives, they essentially establish a culture of innovation - one that's supportive. One that's listening. One that cares. And as employees see their ideas brought to fruition, they're more engaged, motivated and likely to contribute. That leads to bigger ideas, ultimately fueling bigger changes.
“They don’t all have to be big game-changing ideas like Gmail or Xbox, but little ideas really add up.
How it works Vocoli offers cloud-based software that can be accessed from any device, from desktop to mobile. Customers can create an account for every employee, allowing them to log in and submit suggestions through one of two categories: operational efficiency or innovation. The former category refers to an idea for improving a process or facility, and the latter is an idea for a new product or adapting an existing one. Once the idea is submitted, the employee is presented with some questions about it: “What is the problem as you see it?” “How do you fix it?” “Do you want to share credit of this idea with other people?”
What makes Vocoli more effective than the traditional suggestion box is that it takes idea generation and development to a new level. Users can collaborate on ideas with their colleagues, then comment or even vote on them. Or, they can simply submit their suggestions for a moderator to review and then pass along to managers or department heads. Companies can also leverage the power of gamification by implementing competitions for employees’ ideas. This enables organizations to essentially crowdsource solutions to specific problems. A points system grants employees the ability to earn recognition for vocalizing their suggestions. In case companies are curious about just how effective the platform actually is, data reports offer visibility into the impact and ROI of ideas.
Now that Vocoli has successfully carried out its first round of employee engagement programs, the startup is aiming to build out both the sales and marketing teams. Currently, the core team only consists of nine people, but Kneece says it's growing: By the end of next week there will be three more on staff, for a total of 12, and that number will be growing throughout 2015.
Kneece said the real focus for 2015, though, is on adding new features to expand the value of Vocoli. They have already introduced polls and surveys, which offer a social element. Next they're aiming to build on Vocoli's capabilities for customer involvement.
“The core of the app has been around employee engagement and innovation," Kneece said. "But we also realize that a lot of these great ideas can come from other sources. So we’re introducing widgets for gathering input from your partners, vendors and customers.”
All it takes is one idea to galvanize an entire organization - so what's possible with an endless influx of them?
