Maurice Ward's Profile

He said his customers used the software to set out problems which they faced and then threw them open to employees.

"The first people to respond might not know the answer, but they could suggest somebody who does," he said.

"Within a few days, they are able to get enough people from across the organisation with the right expertise to work on it.

"And by focusing the minds of a group of people on a specific task, you can find a solution much more quickly than you would do otherwise."