DONI at hello again - The "Day of New Ideas"
The "Day of New Ideas", or DONI for short, is more than just a workshop or brainstorming day. The idea originally came from runtastic, where our CEO Franz Tretter worked before hello again was founded, and the first DONI took place back in 2012.
It is a day on which we at hello again challenge ourselves to think outside the box and find creative solutions to existing challenges. It is a day on which our employees are allowed to flex their creative muscles and develop ideas that have the potential to change the course of our company.
Promoting cross-departmental collaboration!
Above all, however, it is a day of cross-departmental, creative collaboration for various departments that rarely, if ever, get to work together in their day-to-day activities. This promotes the emergence and advancement of new ideas and innovations.
DONI at hello again: Bring on the ideas!
The "Day of New Ideas" has been held annually at hello again since its founding in 2017. Why is that? Innovation is "one step ahead" in our company value and therefore deeply rooted in our DNA.
This is when the hello again office in Leonding near the Upper Austrian capital of Linz looks very special for a day and a half, just like in September 2023: The entire team comes together and spends a day and a half focusing on ideas for innovations, product improvements and process optimizations that might otherwise have been overlooked or for which there is little to no time in the stressful day-to-day office life.
Every now and then, the focus is on a specific topic: for example, the main topic in 2023 was - how could it be otherwise - AI or artificial intelligence.
And the results were impressive. The proposals for innovations and improvements were worked out in teams, refined and finally pitched to a top-class jury of experts. The best ideas were then not only recognized and awarded prizes, but may also soon be put into practice. This is how innovation works in the 21st century.
Details about the DONI at hello again can be found here in the incubator article!
Asked: Why is the DONI at hello again so effective?
In addition to a well-thought-out setting during the DONI event itself - after a kick-off presentation with pleasant music, coffee and snacks, work is carried out in a hackathon style for hours in a highly focused but relaxed atmosphere - one thing is needed above all: commitment from the team.
To encourage this, ideas and inspiration are collected in the weeks leading up to the DONI, and every employee can sign up for an idea. This not only promotes the flow of ideas, but also the efficient running of the event. The following also applies:
Time for creativity:
The hectic pace of everyday business life often leaves little time for creative thinking. The DONI offers a protected space in which our employees can focus exclusively on innovation. No distractions, no guilty conscience, no unread or unprocessed emails.
Cross-functional teams:
By having our employees from different departments work together, different perspectives and skills are combined, resulting in holistic and more innovative solutions. Developer resources are particularly in demand when it comes to AI/AI, but other topics can also be developed many times faster and better in teams with cross-departmental expertise.
Focus on current technologies:
A set focus on current technologies such as AI/AI can be particularly good at helping innovations to emerge. In a fast-moving world with regular technological quantum leaps, the DONI has therefore become incredibly valuable for hello again.
Practical implementation:
It's not just about having great ideas. It's about putting these ideas into practice. The DONI not only promotes the generation of ideas, but also their implementation. Our company value #execution is self-explanatory.
Excerpt from some of our top DONI ideas for 2023 (focus: AI/AI)
AI-supported algorithm for suggestions of individual rewards and bonuses within the respective apps
Automatically generated images and graphics for various application purposes (marketing, sales, ...)
Manually configured templates for the creation of various text content for different internal teams
AI-supported theme and design builder for previewing customer-specific loyalty club apps
Incidentally, the now famous internal "Success Button" was also originally a DONI project: to this day, every time the team achieves a new success - big or small - a musical interlude is automatically played in the office at the touch of a button. Details are then shared on screens in the Leonding office and in the shared Slack channel with our entire team, complete with matching GIFs. This ensures that all our team members are always kept up to date - and successes can be celebrated together.
Because hello again is all about one thing: TEAM - Together Everybody Achieves More. #oneteam
Room for innovation with the "DONI"
Every company, regardless of its size or industry, can benefit from innovation techniques such as DONI. It's about creating a safe space where employees are encouraged to think creatively and find new solutions to old problems.
So if you're looking for a way to increase innovation in your organization, a well-designed DONI could be just the thing for you and your team. It could be the spark that ignites the fire of innovation in your company.
In a world that is constantly changing, innovation is not a luxury, but a necessity. The DONI offers companies a platform to foster this innovation and ensure they are always one step ahead.
Franz Tretter
CEO & Founder | hello again GmbH
The DAY OF NEW IDEAS at hello again
The DONI - 1.5 days in which our employees are given time off for crazy and creative topics. Ideas are developed in teams, implemented quickly and presented to the jury at the end. 2023 with a focus on AI and artificial intelligence. The outcome knocked me off my chair! We can, or rather HAVE to, implement the majority of the ideas because they are simply so good. Whether marketing, product, sales or HR... great ideas that help us and all our client companies to become better!"
