Streamlining Innovation Through Centralised Challenge Management

Project

Challenge Portal

Client

Sellafield Ltd

Primary Sector

Nuclear

The Challenge

Sellafield Ltd is responsible for the safe management of one of Europe’s most complex nuclear sites, tasked with decommissioning legacy facilities, managing nuclear waste, and delivering essential services in support of the UK’s long-term clean-up strategy. Their work regularly involves resolving highly technical challenges that require innovative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.

Historically, the process for managing these challenges relied on fragmented tools that risked being out of date, lacking a unified source of truth, and making it difficult to track progress or identify duplicate efforts. This disconnected approach sometimes resulted in parallel projects addressing similar challenges, wasting time and resources. Sellafield needed a robust, secure platform to centralise challenge management, improve communication across stakeholders, and streamline the identification and resolution of technical problems.

The Solution

FIS360 designed and implemented The Challenge Portal for Sellafield Ltd as both a secure digital product and an ongoing service. The portal is a central hub for capturing, evaluating, and tracking technical challenges across the site. Key features and actions included:

  • Centralised Challenge Capture: Employees submit challenges via a user-friendly online form tailored to the client’s requirements, ensuring consistent and secure data collection
  • Structured Evaluation: A panel of relevant stakeholders reviews each submission and recommends the most suitable route to find a solution
  • Guided Support: Challenge owners receive expert guidance from FIS360 and innovation specialists to navigate the solution pathways effectively
  • Flexible Solution Routes: Challenges can be directed to internal innovation programmes, commercial partnerships, or collaborative initiatives with external organisations
  • Impact Measurement: The portal provides mechanisms to assess the anticipated impact of solving each challenge, ensuring transparency and prioritisation

The portal replaces outdated, fragmented systems with a collaborative, secure, and user-friendly platform that facilitates real-time updates, encourages knowledge sharing, and strengthens organisational innovation capabilities.

40 +

Challenges

15

Diverse challenge themes

7 +

Onward solution routes

200 +

Supply-chain solutions

Challenge Portal process

The Impact

Since its implementation, The Challenge Portal has transformed the way Sellafield Ltd manages technical challenges. More than 40 challenges have been captured and successfully routed to the most efficient solution pathways, including internal engineering sprints, innovation programmes, and commercial channels.

By centralising challenge management, the portal has enhanced collaboration among diverse stakeholders, reduced duplication of effort, and accelerated problem-solving. It has fostered innovation by enabling new solutions to complex technical problems and demonstrated the power of digital tools in improving operational efficiency.

Looking forward, the portal provides a scalable model for other organisations and industries. Potential future enhancements include improved user experience, AI-assisted challenge analysis, and expanded cross-sector collaboration, positioning The Challenge Portal as a blueprint for innovation-driven problem-solving beyond nuclear decommissioning.

Work with FIS360

Ready to transform how your organisation tackles complex challenges? Partner with us to design a smarter, more connected open innovation approach. Get in touch to explore how a secure, centralised platform can accelerate solutions, unlock collaboration, and deliver measurable impact across your operations.

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