Innovation has always been part of Nmédia’s DNA, woven into the fabric of every project we deliver. For over two decades, we’ve been asking ourselves not if we should create a dedicated innovation lab, but when the time would be right to take this leap.
That time is now.
The launch of Nmédia Innovation Lab marks a significant milestone in our journey, but it’s not a departure from our past – it’s an evolution of our long-standing commitment to innovation. Throughout our history, we’ve successfully integrated innovative solutions within client projects, creating value while solving real-world challenges. Our development of FollowMyBid, a revolutionary auction platform for non-profits, stands as a testament to this approach.
But today’s rapid technological advancement, particularly in artificial intelligence, demands a different kind of innovation space. A space where ideas can be nurtured, tested, and refined before they transform into solutions that make a difference. A space where we can maintain our commitment to practical innovation while exploring new frontiers.
“Innovation isn’t just about creating new technologies - it’s about making complex processes simple and keeping users in their natural flow.”
This philosophy has guided us in establishing the Nmédia Innovation Lab. It’s a place where we cultivate ideas through hackathons, research initiatives, and strategic partnerships, all while maintaining our focus on what matters most: creating solutions that work seamlessly with how people actually work.
From Technical Challenges to Strategic Innovation
When we started our R&D journey more then 20 years ago, innovation meant something quite different. We were tackling the fundamental technical challenges of the time - optimizing .NET-generated HTML, managing session states, and implementing Web 2.0 features like AJAX. Our innovation muscle was primarily focused on overcoming the limitations of existing technologies and frameworks.
But as technology evolved, so did our approach to innovation. We moved from solving purely technical challenges to addressing strategic business needs. Our experience with Big Data and Business Intelligence projects opened new possibilities, showing us how technology could provide deeper insights and create more value for our allies.
Technology alone isn’t enough. At Nmédia, we’ve always understood that true innovation starts with people. Our deep-rooted UX culture goes far beyond aesthetics - it’s a fundamental approach to understanding humans in their environment. Through Design Thinking, we ensure that every innovation, every transformation, keeps people at its core. This human-centered approach isn’t just about creating interfaces; it’s about understanding contexts, workflows, and real-world usage patterns to create solutions that truly resonate with users.
The emergence of generative AI marked another pivotal moment in our innovation journey. While earlier AI implementations required substantial resources and organizational focus, today’s AI technologies offer unprecedented accessibility and impact. This democratization of AI technology aligned perfectly with our vision: making advanced solutions accessible and practical.
At Nmédia, innovation isn’t just a department or a lab - it’s a well-trained muscle. Years of questioning, improving, and pushing boundaries have created a culture where innovation flows naturally. This culture has enabled us to spot opportunities for small, impactful solutions that make a big difference in our community and our allies’ operations.
Our innovation muscle got another workout when we organized our first hackathon. What started as an initiative to enhance FollowMyBid has evolved into a regular practice of collaborative innovation. Our second hackathon, focused on Nmédia and our clients’ needs, demonstrated how this format could generate practical solutions while strengthening our innovation culture.
Through strategic partnerships with organizations like CNIMI and ÉTS Formation, we’ve expanded our innovation capabilities beyond our walls. These collaborations have enabled us to tackle more complex challenges and share knowledge with the broader technology community.
Innovation in Action: Our First Wave of Solutions
The true test of any innovation lab is its ability to transform ideas into practical solutions. At Nmédia Innovation Lab, we’ve focused on developing tools that enhance productivity while maintaining users’ natural workflow - a principle we call “keeping users in the flow.”
Our initial suite of products demonstrates this commitment:
EasyWhisper
Voice capture shouldn’t interrupt your thought process. While Windows’ built-in speech-to-text tools offer basic functionality, they often fall short, especially for French Canadian users. EasyWhisper provides a one-click solution for high-quality voice capture and transcription, powered by Whisper AI, that can run either locally or in the cloud.
Post2Point
In a world overwhelmed with AI news - from doomsday predictions to oversold promises - we needed a better way to share balanced, practical insights. Post2Point emerged from our own need to curate and share meaningful AI-related content across social platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and BlueSky. It helps transform complex ideas into accessible, balanced discussions that avoid both excessive optimism and unwarranted pessimism.
RFP Evaluator
Time is precious when evaluating RFPs. What used to take 16-20 hours of careful document review can now be accomplished in minutes. RFP Evaluator helps surface the most relevant information from lengthy proposals, turning the proverbial needle-in-a-haystack search into a streamlined process that lets you focus on what matters - crafting the right response.
TeamScriber
Meetings should generate action, not just minutes. TeamScriber transforms your Teams or Zoom recordings into actionable insights, automatically extracting key points, action items, and important diagrams. By leveraging advanced STT and LLM technologies, it helps teams maintain momentum after meetings by providing clear, structured outputs that drive projects forward.
ThoughtForge AI
Brainstorming sessions need the right balance of AI assistance and human creativity. ThoughtForge AI provides a mobile-first experience that keeps you in your creative flow while leveraging AI to expand possibilities. Unlike traditional AI chat interfaces that can interrupt your thought process, ThoughtForge AI is designed to enhance ideation while maintaining your natural thinking patterns.
Each of these tools was born from real needs we encountered in our daily operations or those of our allies. They represent our commitment to creating practical, focused solutions that solve specific problems while maintaining natural work patterns.
Building the Future Together
The impact of Nmédia Innovation Lab extends across industries, demonstrating how practical innovation can transform businesses of all sizes. Our success stories span multiple sectors, each showcasing our ability to combine technological innovation with deep industry understanding.
Financial Services & Insurance
From optimizing complex financial ecosystems to transforming insurance operations, we’ve driven innovation that impacts entire industry value chains:
- Helped Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurer, transform their ecosystem interactions with insurers, TPAs, and brokers
- Supported UNI Coopération financière’s transition to federal charter status through innovative financial planning and wealth management solutions
- Collaborated with Desjardins’ Espace Proprio, leading to two prestigious Octas awards in 2024 for innovative business solution integration
Retail & Customer Experience
Our work with METRO Inc. showcases our ability to handle complex, multi-brand digital transformation:
- Developed and implemented the MOI rewards program across multiple retail brands mobile experiences
- Created a unified digital experience across 8+ native applications
- Integrated Metro, Super C, Jean Coutu, and Brunet under one cohesive digital strategy
- Shared the Canadian E-Commerce Experience Award for “The New Metro.ca, Mobile App and MOI Loyalty Program”, recognizing our excellence in providing “a simplified and personalized shopping experience” in the competitive online grocery market
Our innovation extends to operational optimization, as demonstrated by our work with RONA, a leading Canadian retailer with nearly 425 stores. We developed RONA RFM (Retail Forecast Management), a sophisticated cloud-based workforce management platform that transformed their financial forecasting process. This innovative solution:
- Reduced forecast approval cycles from several months to just 24 hours
- Integrated real-time hierarchical approval workflows
- Enabled data-driven decision-making through 20+ dynamic signals
- Earned recognition as an OCTAS finalist in the “Business Solutions” category
Manufacturing & Logistics
Through our partnership with CNIMI, we’ve helped various companies implement AI solutions to optimize their operations and enhance their competitive edge. While many of these projects remain confidential, they demonstrate our ability to apply AI innovation in practical, results-driven ways.
Join Us in Shaping Tomorrow
Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. Whether you’re looking to:
- Transform your existing processes with AI
- Develop custom solutions that keep users in their natural flow
- Explore the possibilities of emerging technologies
- Or simply want to see our tools in action
The Nmédia Innovation Lab is ready to collaborate. Our cross-industry experience brings fresh perspectives while ensuring solutions remain practical and impactful.
“Innovation is not just about technology - it’s about understanding people and processes, and finding ways to make them work better together.”
Ready to start your innovation journey? Contact us to explore how we can transform your ideas into reality.
Join the growing number of organizations across Canada and the United States who are partnering with Nmédia Innovation Lab to shape the future of their industries.
