Suggestion System Evaluation & Reward Matrix

Purpose

This tool helps teams capture frontline ideas, evaluate them quickly and consistently, assign clear ownership, estimate potential impact, and recognize contributors. The goal is fast, transparent handling of suggestions so contributors stay engaged and improvements get delivered.

Who should use this

Team leads, continuous improvement coordinators, site managers, HR/engagement partners, and any organization that wants a lightweight, fair, and repeatable suggestion workflow.

Quick Overview

Core elements:

• An intake form to capture ideas and basic data
• A triage scoring matrix (effort, impact, safety, customer experience)
• Owner assignment and implementation timeline
• Recognition and rewards matrix tied to expected and realized value
• Standard communications to close the loop with contributors

Intake Form — Suggested fields

• Idea Title (short)
• Submitted by (name & role)
• Date
• Problem the idea addresses (1–2 sentences)
• Proposed change (what to do)
• Expected benefits (safety, quality, time, cost, customer experience)
• Estimated effort or resources required (hours, $)
• Any immediate safety or compliance considerations (yes/no + details)
• Attachments / photos / sketches
• Preferred contact & willingness to help with implementation (yes/no)

Triage Scoring Matrix (quick)

Use a fast, repeatable score to decide routing and priority. Keep it simple so triage can be done in minutes.

Suggested scales (1–5)

• Impact (1 = negligible, 5 = major safety/quality/cost/customer impact)
• Effort (1 = very low, 5 = very high)
• Safety Risk Reduction (0 or 3; mark 3 if the idea reduces an identifiable safety risk)
• Customer Experience (1–5)

Suggested weighted score (example):

Score = (Impact x 3) + (CustomerExperience x 2) + (SafetyReduction x 4) - (Effort x 1.5)

Example: Impact 4, Customer 3, SafetyReduction 0, Effort 2 → Score = (4x3)+(3x2)+(0x4)-(2x1.5)=12+6+0-3=15

Routing guidance by score

• High priority (score >= 18): Assign owner and sponsor; aim to implement within 30 days.
• Medium priority (12–17): Work with owner; aim to implement within 90 days.
• Low priority (< 12): Log to backlog, communicate expected review cadence, invite contributor to stay involved.
• Immediate safety concerns: Escalate immediately to safety lead and halt work in affected area until resolved.

Owner Assignment & Roles

• Suggestion Coordinator — does triage, logs suggestion, sends acknowledgement, tracks SLA.
• Implementation Owner — responsible for testing and implementing the idea (could be the submitter or a team member).
• Sponsor (when needed) — leader who approves resources or makes decisions for medium/high-impact changes.
• Communications Owner — sends contributor updates and announces recognition when appropriate.

Timelines & SLAs

• Acknowledge receipt: within 48 hours
• Triage decision & owner assignment: within 7 business days
• Implementation planning for accepted ideas: within 30 calendar days for high priority; 90 days for medium priority
• Final decision/closure for low-priority backlog items: reviewed quarterly with contributors informed

Recognition & Reward Matrix (examples)

Recognize contribution promptly and proportionally to estimated and realized value. Monetary rewards are optional and should align with local policy.

• Participation Recognition — Thank-you email + public mention (all accepted suggestions)
• Spot Award — Small monetary award or gift card ($25–$100) for low-effort, high-impact ideas
• Implementation Bonus — Larger award ($100–$500) or extra paid time-off for implemented changes that deliver measurable savings or quality improvement
• Team Recognition — If an idea requires cross-team work, share recognition across contributors; consider team celebration or lunch
• Career/Development Recognition — Offer coaching, a mentorship slot, or visibility for repeat contributors

Tip: Tie rewards to realized outcomes where measurable. If savings or quality improvements are tracked, consider a small percentage-based bonus on realized value, capped by policy.

Sample Communications (templates)

Acknowledgement (within 48 hours)

Subject: Thanks — We received your idea
Hi [Name],
Thanks for submitting your suggestion: "[Title]". We’ve logged it and will review it within 7 business days. If we need more detail, we’ll reach out. Thanks for helping improve our work.

Acceptance & Next Steps

Subject: Update on your idea — next steps
Hi [Name],
Good news — your idea "[Title]" has been accepted for implementation. [Owner] will contact you about testing details. Estimated timeline: [date]. We’ll thank you publicly when the change is completed.

Decline or Defer

Subject: Update on your idea
Hi [Name],
Thank you for your suggestion "[Title]". After review we won’t implement this now because [reason]. We value your input — would you like to discuss potential alternatives or stay involved?

Implementation Completion

Subject: Your idea implemented — thank you!
Hi [Name],
We implemented your suggestion "[Title]" on [date]. Expected benefits: [brief]. As a thank-you we’re awarding: [recognition]. We’d love your feedback on how it’s working.

Metrics to Track

• Number of suggestions submitted (weekly/monthly)
• Acknowledgement SLA compliance (%)
• Average time to triage decision
• Implementation rate (accepted → implemented)
• Estimated vs. realized benefit for implemented ideas
• Participation rate (percent of staff submitting ideas)

Governance & Good Practices

• Keep the triage lightweight — the goal is speed, not perfection.
• Provide transparent reasons when declining ideas to preserve trust.
• Engage submitters in testing; it increases buy-in and improves outcomes.
• Rotate suggestion review duties to avoid bottlenecks and bias.
• Document decisions and outcomes so the backlog remains useful and searchable.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

• Backlog pile-up — prevent with clear SLAs and periodic backlog grooming.
• Opaque decisions — avoid by documenting rationale and communicating promptly.
• Overcomplicated scoring — keep weights and scales simple and defensible.
• Inconsistent recognition — use a simple reward matrix to ensure fairness.

Adaptation Notes

This tool is a starting point. Tailor scoring weights, reward bands, SLA targets, and roles to your organization’s size, budget, regulatory needs, and culture. For regulated environments, add required compliance review steps in the triage workflow.

Deployment

Use: Deploy in Deck 1113 to improve idea resolution speed and engagement. Consider implementing the intake form as an interactive form so submissions are stored, searchable, and trackable.