The people doing the work every day see opportunities a programme team can’t. As a Standard User, SilkFlo makes sure what you spot gets seen, assessed and acted on. You don’t need to know anything about AI or ROI. You know where the time and money go, and that’s the part no one else can supply.
This guide shows Standard Users how to get started in SilkFlo: what makes a good idea, how to submit your first one, how to track it through the pipeline, how to use Solution Blueprints and Explore, and how to invite colleagues.
Share a work problem as an idea and SilkFlo turns it into a scored, valued case in front of the people who decide what gets funded. You can follow it all the way through, and see what colleagues across your organisation are working on.
What makes a good idea #
The ideas that get taken forward usually have a few things in common. Look for work that is:
- Repetitive: the same steps, every day or every week.
- Rule-based: you could write down how to do it.
- High volume: lots of items, cases, emails or forms.
- Slow or error-prone: it causes delays, rework or complaints.
- Copying between systems: typing the same data into two places.
When you describe it, include the numbers you know: how many people do it, how often, and how long each one takes. Those three facts are what turn a vague idea into a credible estimate.
1. Submit your first idea #
The fastest way in is the AI Opportunity Finder on your Personal Dashboard:
- Describe the task or problem in a sentence or two. Be specific: who does it, how often, how long it takes. Stuck? Click one of the example prompts above the box.
- Click Generate Idea.
- SilkFlo fills in the idea for you and asks a few short follow-up questions to build the business case. Check what it’s filled in, answer what you can, and submit.
You can also click Submit Idea in the side menu from anywhere in SilkFlo. Both routes take you through the same short guided form. See Submitting an Innovation Idea.
Tip: “Our 4-person AP team keys around 300 supplier invoices a week into SAP, about 6 minutes each” gives SilkFlo far more to work with than “automate invoices”.
2. Track your ideas #
Your Personal Dashboard tracks everything you’ve shared:
- My Ideas Submitted: how many ideas you’ve shared.
- Total Supporters: how many colleagues back your ideas.
- Total Value in Pipeline: the forecast value of your own ideas in the pipeline.
- My Innovation Journey: your ideas grouped as Drafts, In Review, In Progress and Deployed. Expand a group to see the ideas in it.
New ideas start in review, where an Idea Approver checks them, then move on to assessment, build and deployment. The full Pipeline view is for Admin roles.
3. Get ideas from Solution Blueprints #
The Solution Blueprints row on your Personal Dashboard suggests ideas that suit your organisation, each with an estimated benchmark value. Tags such as Most Popular and Quick Win help you spot the strongest ones. Your Admins decide which blueprints to take forward. If one matches a problem you see, submit it as your own idea with the details from your team.
If someone adds you to an idea as a collaborator, you may be able to do more on that idea, such as edit its description or documents. See Understanding User Roles in SilkFlo.
4. Explore what others are working on #
Open Explore in the side menu to browse Ideas, Solutions and People across your organisation. The Get Involved links at the bottom of your Personal Dashboard take you to the same places, plus Read the Guides for help building a strong business case. Like, follow or share an idea to back it and get updates as it moves along. See Explore module.
5. Invite your colleagues #
Click Invite Team Members in the side menu to invite colleagues as Standard Users, by email or by sharing a link. See Invite your Team.
FAQs #
What can a Standard User do in SilkFlo? #
Standard Users see the Personal Dashboard, where you submit ideas with the AI Opportunity Finder and track them, and Explore (Ideas, Solutions and People). Submit Idea and Invite Team Members are in the side menu too, and you can invite other Standard Users. Pipeline, Settings, reports and the Performance and Values dashboards are for Admin roles. See Understanding User Roles in SilkFlo.
Do I need to work out the ROI of my idea myself? #
No. Describe the task and answer a few plain-English questions, such as how many people do it and how often. SilkFlo works out the forecast from your answers.
Why can’t I see Settings? #
Settings is for Admins only (any role other than Standard User). If you need something changed, ask your Account Owner.
