Albert Heijn

Game encourages creativity and entrepreneurship

Challenge

Albert Heijn wants to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship within its procurement teams. Improving these characteristics will help them better respond to the dynamic market in which they operate. How can we ensure that creativity and entrepreneurship are stimulated in an intelligent and playful way?

Solution

IJsfontein developed De Tafelspelen on behalf of Albert Heijn. De Tafelspelen is a long-term project in which we used both analogue and digital means to achieve the desired behavioural change. De Tafelspelen are an opportunity for staff to take on a different role in the game and step out of their daily routine. It encourages employees to show a new side of themselves.

Teams are encouraged to use different brainstorming techniques to come up with new ideas. They do this through a challenge. Each challenge lasts 10 days and has a carefully chosen theme. The challenges are supported by an app that helps the teams with group dynamics, doing research (design thinking), brainstorming and pitching their ideas.

Impact

The first 18 months were a great success, leading to 12 challenges, 505 ideas and 85 pitches submitted. In fact, 90% of the teams participated in more than 3 challenges. This is very high considering the voluntary participation. Teams and their managers also report that they have become more creative and entrepreneurial. And, last but not least, the teams, even outside the challenges, grab De Tafelspelen app to brainstorm together on their own initiative.