# A Taxonomy of Idea Management Tools for Supporting Front-End Innovation
###### Abstract  
Idea management is a crucial pillar of corporate management. Organizations may save research expenses, influence future development, and maintain distinctive competency by controlling front-end ideas. To date, several idea management tools have been developed. However, it is unknown to what extent they support the idea management process. Therefore, this scoping review aims to understand the classification of idea management tools and their effectiveness through an overview of the academic literature. Electronic databases (Scopus, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science Core Index, Elsevier ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink) were searched, and a total of 38 journal papers (\(n=38\)) from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved. We identified 30 different types of idea management tools categorized as digital tools (\(n=21\)), guidelines (\(n=5\)), and frameworks (\(n=4\)), and these tools have been utilized by software designers, hardware designers, and stakeholders. The identified tools may support various stages of idea management, such as capturing, generating, implementing, monitoring, refinement, retrieving, selection, and sharing. However, most tools only support a single stage (either capture or generate), and they cannot track the life cycle of the ideas, which may lead to misunderstanding. Therefore, it is essential to develop tools for managing ideas that would allow end users, designers, and other stakeholders to minimize bias in selecting and prioritizing ideas. information system; fuzzy front end; engineering design; idea management; idea generation 202320032  
individual and innovative company capability [4]. The research chooses to pursue a higher quality of ideas since quality ideas heavily impact success [11; 12]. How can we improve the effectiveness and appropriateness of idea management systems, applications, tools, or methods? Idea management is an approach for capturing, organizing, and developing ideas. Several researchers have investigated the idea management area to improve idea quality [5; 10; 13]. Various challenges to proposing creative ideas arose because of too many collected ideas and limited relevant information [2]. Additionally, by managing ideas, companies can save on research costs [14], extend users' coverage [15], impact future development [16], maintain unique competency [10], etc. Many companies established research and development (R&D) and user experience (UX) departments [13]. Idea management in the R&D lab managed idea flow as information processing [17]. Researchers have discussed the process of idea management from insights to validation [18; 19]. Moreover, they have discovered external idea generation, in which community innovation requires collecting ideas through the idea management system [13; 20]. Using tools to track and record idea development, researchers can further discuss, reflect, and offer the ideation [21]. The essential requirements for designers are capturing, managing, and utilizing design ideas [22]. Furthermore, because management is not single-use, research in different contexts may require various idea management tools. Tools help to illuminate the apparent path for the growth of ideas and all evidence contexts [12]. Idea management tools allow one to capture, generate, and save ideas from stakeholders. As such, researchers can obtain new knowledge to iterate current products, propose new products [23], and expand the problem space [8]. Nevertheless, previous research only investigated the quality of ideas and did not include UX of the idea management system. Researchers discuss the process model [24], life cycle [18], success factor [12], and quality of ideas [25]. Still, research should address the interaction of people and idea management systems, which would help showcase how different concepts are managed in other contexts [4]. There is a gap between an ideal proposal and implementation in the real world. It is challenging to connect product planning, design, and engineering teams with trust and certainty [12].