Implement collaboration platform

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Implement a CollaborationPlatformImplementation doesn’t end with platform deployment: build ongoing collaboration solutions.

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Successfully implementing acollaboration platform involves two steps: the initial platform deployment and the ongoing solution design. Stopping after platform deployment will lead to a failure of collaboration strategies. This set will help you create an action plan that addresses both steps of the implementation.IntroductionThis Research Is Designed For:IT project managers responsible for implementing a collaboration platform.IT staff who are responsible for carrying out the initial deployment of a collaboration platform (for example, gathering integration requirements and building the necessary infrastructure).IT Architects and Business Analysts who build ongoing collaboration solutions upon existing platforms.Business managers who are interested in the impact of a collaboration platform on team productivity and business process efficiency.This Research Will Help You:Separate the implementation project into initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design.Establish a persistent platform of collaboration technology services and permanently integrate with other enterprise systems. Establish a catalog of common enterprise collaboration patterns and design solutions by mapping collaboration technologies to these patterns.Prioritize different combinations of collaboration solutions based on their value to the enterprise.

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Executive SummaryImplementing acollaboration platform is a challenging project that requires a two-step approach: organizations must plan for the initial platform deployment and ongoing collaboration solution design. Budgeting only for the initial deployment is a sure-fire way to experience long-term cost overruns.Before implementation can commence, outline an overarching collaboration strategy, then select a collaboration platform vendor.The initial deployment should begin with outlining solutions for permanent teams (i.e. departments or business units), then moving into designing the front-end, back-end, and maintenance models. A pilot project with a tight feedback loop from end users is essential to getting it right when it comes to rolling out the platform to the entire enterprise.Ongoing solution design focuses on creating specific collaboration solutions for permanent and ad-hoc teams. Solution design rests heavily on collaboration pattern matching: pairing the right collaboration tools with the appropriate collaboration patterns. The tools that are matched to each pattern should be the ones that meet business requirements in the most effective and efficient way possible. A collaboration business analyst can be invaluable in assisting the business with ongoing solution design.Optimization of the collaboration environment should be undertaken to squeeze the most business value out of the platform. End-user adoption is a necessity – train users so that they are comfortable with the platform, and assign collaboration evangelists who can help champion the solution among their peers. Bring senior management on board to increase the visibility and profile of the solution with users.Conduct an annual audit of the collaboration platform to identify and correct deficiencies.

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The Info-Tech CollaborationRoadmapA comprehensive strategy for enterprise collaboration is a necessity for driving superior team performance and increasing knowledge sharing.

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A sound strategybegins with evaluating the business costs and benefits. Managers must develop an understanding of how traditional collaboration tools can be paired with social (i.e. peer-to-peer) tools to create collaboration solutions.

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Pair the righttools with specific collaboration business patterns.Refer to Info-Tech’s solution set, Build an Enterprise Social Collaboration StrategyCollaboration StrategyAfter a formal collaboration strategy has been drafted, the next step is to select the specific vendors and software platforms that will be used to enable collaboration.

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There are anumber of prominent offerings on the market: Microsoft’s SharePoint is the incumbent collaboration heavyweight, but other vendors such as Open Text and ECM provide robust solutions as well.

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Select a platformbased on your key criteria, such as business requirements and TCO.Refer to Info-Tech’s solution set, Select the Right Collaboration PlatformCollaboration SelectionThe final step is to implement the enterprise collaboration solution. Implementation consists of two steps: the initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design.

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Platform deployment issimilar to other IT-centric rollouts (e.g. CRM or ERP), but ongoing solution design should involve a designated individual who can translate business collaboration requirements into specific solutions built on the platform.This solution set addresses collaboration implementation.Collaboration Implementation

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Collaboration & UnifiedCommunications go hand-in-hand: build a strategy that addresses both!CollaborationCommunication-Enabled CollaborationUnified CommunicationsCollaborationUnified CommunicationsFocus on optimizing employee-to-employee and team-based collaboration through enhanced use of real-time communication tools and presence.

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Focus on enablingknowledge sharing and team-based productivity.

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Allows employees toefficiently share ideas.

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Business value derivedfrom creation of high-performing knowledge workers and project teams.

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Focus on enablingindividual productivity.

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Allows employees toefficiently communicate whenever/wherever/ however makes the most sense.

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Business value derivedfrom reduced impediments to communication.Enterprise Collaboration and Unified Communications strategies are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Implementation strategies for one impacts the other. For more aboutUnified Communications implementation and optimization, see Info-Tech’s solution set, Develop a UC Strategy.

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Do NOT justplan your implementation around initial deployment – also plan for ongoing solution designCollaboration platforms do not automate existing business processes with transactional services that support interactions between people and systems. This process automation is typical of CRM and ERP packages… but not collaboration platforms.Collaboration platforms do enable technology services and tools that can integrate with business process execution to support interactions between people and teams.It’s a common misconception among IT that implementing a collaboration platform should be restricted to the initial platform deployment, just like a typical transactional system. While this is an important step, it is not sufficient for collaboration success. After the platform is deployed, IT must permanently partner with the business to help design ongoing collaboration solutions for ad-hoc teams, departments and business units..ITA successful project plan for implementing a collaboration platform includes traditional platform deployment, but also establishes a persistent framework for designing collaborative business solutions around the platform’s technology services and business collaboration patterns.Business UnitsDon’t start celebrating the deployment of your collaboration platform when the business units are lined up with specific solution requests in-hand!

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The costs ofan implementation misfire are substantial: create a complete roadmap for the implementation, or risk failureA failed implementation wastes time and money, and will not create business value.The implementation of a new collaboration platform is not a trivial exercise. Insufficient planning for both initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design engenders considerable risk to both IT and the business. Cost overruns and value proposition failure are common for botched implementations… and IT managers who fail to deliver will lose credibility with the business on future projects. Don’t fall into the same pitfalls that others have encountered… learn from their mistakes.The SituationThe MistakesThe DisasterA mid-sized professional services firm needed to boost the knowledge sharing and productivity of its employees. The organization settled on SharePoint 2010 Enterprise as its solution. IT was tasked with executing the actual implementation of the platform.IT focused solely on getting the platform deployed as soon as possible, with no attention paid to initial or ongoing solution design. Virtually no points-of-integration were established with other applications, and the platform went live to the whole enterprise with no testing or piloting phase. After deployment, IT did not provide training or assist the business with ongoing solution design.The platform failed spectacularly. End user uptake was almost non-existent due to insufficient familiarity with the platform. Teams that requested specific solutions were unable to receive help from IT with ongoing solution design. The platform did not enhance knowledge sharing or productivity. Management estimates the failure wasted over $80,000.

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Section 1: Builda Strategy for Collaboration ImplementationBuild a Strategy for Collaboration ImplementationDeploy a Collaboration PlatformCreate Ongoing Collaboration SolutionsOptimize the Collaboration EnvironmentSections:What’s in this Section:Defining an overall collaboration strategy and selecting the right platform are critical steps for enabling employee-to-employee collaboration. See our related solution steps for in-depth advice on collaboration strategy and selectionSeparate the implementation project into two phases: the initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design.Initial platform deployment involves robust implementation requirements analysis and a well-designed pilot project.Ongoing solution design involves matching the right tools to the right collaboration business pattern

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Understand the stepsthat must precede implementation: building an enterprise collaboration strategy comes firstWhy build a strategy for enterprise collaboration?The value proposition of employee-to-employee (E2E) collaborationrevolves around enhancing knowledge sharing and team productivity. Superior E2E collaboration also cuts down on hard costs like travel and telecommunications.

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Enabling employees andteams to form direct (peer-to-peer) connections to other employees and teams, based upon knowledge and expertise, shortens cycle times, improves knowledge reuse and builds long-lasting relationships between employees across organizational boundaries.

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Organizational hierarchies arevaluable for resource management but are not sufficient as a framework for E2E interaction. Leverage knowledge networks instead.

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Social collaboration toolsenable employees to share their expertise and follow the activities of other employees whose work is complimentary to their own.Consider the following best practices when creating an enterprise collaboration strategy:Design collaboration strategies around common and repeatable employee collaboration patterns, not tools, to produce collaboration solutions that effectively blend social and traditional (i.e. content management) collaboration.

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Review the currentcollaboration product market to make sound upgrade and/or procurement decisions from among the options of collaboration platform vendors, especially MS SharePoint 2010; pure-play social collaboration vendors; and enterprise application vendors (CRM, ERP, etc.).For more information on this stage, refer to Build an Enterprise Social Collaboration Strategy

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Once the strategyis developed, select the right vendorWhen selecting a platform, keep the following in mind:Put strategic intent behind the tool bydefining specific use cases. Failure to do so will result in a tool that is not adopted by end users.

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Don’t eliminate theniche vendors out of the gate – many of them built their platforms with specific collaboration goals in mind and may provide an improved experience over the more established vendors (like SharePoint).

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Start with yourrequirements to weed out any unnecessary functionalities.

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Weigh integration withexisting tools as high in order to boost usage. The more points-of-integration the platform natively supports, the better.

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Usage of collaborationtools is lacking in many of the organizations that have deployed them; do not expect the infrastructure to grow organically.For more information on this stage, refer to Select the Right Collaboration Platform.

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Build the collaborationimplementation project around two phases: initial platform deployment & ongoing solution designThe most common source of failure with collaboration projects is IT deploying a platform, but failing to assist with ongoing solution design. This is a critical misstep that IT managers must mitigate.Initial Platform Deployment Ongoing Collaboration Solution Design2.1.Initial platform deployment consists of many of the same steps that IT managers encounter when deploying other enterprise applications: for example, requirements analysis, infrastructure design, policy development and pilot projects.

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A successful platformdeployment is necessary but not sufficient to ensure success. IT needs to break out of the mindset that once the platform deployment is complete, their job is over.

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Ongoing solution designinvolves creating specific solutions by matching business collaboration patterns with the specific tools that are best for the job. IT must work with the business to prepare tools to meet the needs of teams and business units.

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Ongoing solution designrequires a high degree of cooperation between different stakeholders. Having a collaboration business analyst is highly recommended.A common failure point is handing off the platform to the business immediately following rollout. Incorporate ongoing solution design into your implementation project in order to maximize success.

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The first stepin collaboration implementation is to deploy the platform itself – a familiar process for many IT managersDeploying a collaboration platform is similar to many other deployment projects that IT managers have faced, although it does entail unique challenges and opportunitiesThe Collaboration Platform Deployment Road MapThe first step in initial platform deployment is to outline collaboration solutions for persistent teams(i.e. departments or business units).The next steps are to design the front end, the support model and the back-end of the collaboration platform.Following design steps, the appropriate policies must be put in place.The final step in the initial deployment is to launch a pilot project to a select group and gather feedback, then deploy the platform to the entire organizationThe initial deployment is vital to the platform’s long-term success. Assemble a team of IT managers, architects and developers with a proven track record in platform deployment to assist with the initial rollout.

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Collaboration PatternCollaboration ToolCollaborationSolutionOngoing solution design matches collaboration patterns to specific technology services to enable collaboration solutionsThe Fundamental Collaboration Equation:Effective collaboration solutions are created by matching the right tool with the appropriate pattern.Collaboration tools are the technological means that enable employee-to-employee collaboration, both directly and around business artifacts like documents. There are a variety of tools available, both traditional (i.e. content management) and social (i.e. peer-to-peer, activity feeds).

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Think of traditionalversus social merely as a way to differentiate between some tool attributes, but not as a design point.Collaboration patterns are recurring events and interactions that dictate the manner in which collaboration takes place. There are many patterns, but some are more common than others.

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Three of themost common high-level E2E collaboration patterns are meetings, content creation, and content consumption.

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Patterns can besynchronous or asynchronous.Pattern matchingis the process of orchestrating collaboration patterns with collaboration tools to produce a specific collaboration solution. Pattern matching forms the foundation of ongoing solution design. More on this later in Section 3.

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Don’t just budgetfor initial platform deployment, or the costs of ongoing solution design will create overrunsOrganizations need to have an understanding of the costs involved with both initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design. Failure to appreciate both sides of the equation will result in inadequate resources for ongoing solution design.Investments made during the initial deployment will include hardware (for on-premise platforms), software (the platform itself), and other indirect costs such as the allocated time of the IT deployment team. A typical deployment of a popular on-premise collaboration platform like SharePoint typically involves purchasing the server software as well as licenses for end-user clients. For SMEs, software costs can range between $5000 and $100 000 for the complete solution.Costs involved in ongoing solution design involve the salary of a full-time collaboration BA (or the FTE equivalent when the role is assigned on a part-time basis to someone else in the organization). Bandwidth costs will also be incurred for certain collaboration tools like web and video conferencing. There will also be costs associated with optimizing people and processes (i.e. end user training).Use Info-Tech’s Collaboration Implementation Budgeting Tool to help build a 6-year TCO for initial deployment and ongoing solution design:An example of a collaboration implementation is presented in the Info-Tech Collaboration Budgeting Tool. Leverage this tool to create your own budget for collaboration implementation.

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IT managers speakout on collaboration implementation: Ensure that the implementation is not something which is unclear, and impractical. Ask yourself “What are we really trying to achieve here?” The expected value needs to be very precise as to its function or else things can get confusing.- Richard Hastings, Head of ICT, Macmillan Cancer SupportYou don’t want to start too big, or too quickly. Not everybody has to be on-board right off the bat.- Doug Lennox, VP of IT, Inscape Corporation I would recommend heavy reference calls to other companies that are doing, or have done, the exact solution you want to do. It ‘s also important to find ways to validate with real users as you build so you don’t learn during production implementation that the solution only addresses a portion of the critical functionality the business requested. Brent Maher, VP – Core Infrastructure & Collaboration, Johnson Financial GroupFor organizations that are either looking at evaluating or upgrading, I think virtualization has created a huge benefit for us in terms of doing it ourselves. When we were migrating from 2007 to 2010, my admin was able to go through the upgrade somewhere between seven and ten times before they did it in the real world production. That helped us work out a lot of kinks and build confidence before we exposed that change to our end users.- Brent Maher, VP – Core Infrastructure & Collaboration, Johnson Financial Group

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Section 2: Deploya Collaboration PlatformWhat’s in this Section:Sections:Build a Strategy for Collaboration ImplementationDeploy a Collaboration PlatformCreate Ongoing Collaboration SolutionsOptimize the Collaboration EnvironmentInitial platform deployment is the critical first step for implementing a collaboration solution.Deploying a collaboration platform involves gathering business, infrastructure and development requirements, then translating those requirements into specific design points.Establish a persistent platform of collaboration technology services and permanently integrate with other enterprise systems.

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Initial platform deploymentmust be an IT-centric activityOutline Collaboration Solutions for Persistent TeamsThe first phase of collaboration implementation is the initial platform deployment. IT must lead the charge during this phase of the implementation. The implementation can be broken down into several discrete steps: outlining solutions for persistent teams, designing the front end, the support model and the back end, developing standards, carrying out pilot projects, and finally widespread enterprise deployment.Develop Policies & StandardsAccess & OwnershipInformation Architecture12345Design the Front EndSecurity ConsiderationsMaintenanceImplement Pilot Projects & Leverage “Collaboration Evangelists”Design the Support ModelDesign the Back EndStorage PlanningPoints-of-IntegrationCustomDevelopment6Enterprise-Wide Platform Launch

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Use Info-Tech’s PlatformDeployment Checklist to help guide the steps that should be taken for initial deployment of the collaboration platform.Project Template: Platform Deployment ChecklistThe Collaboration Platform Deployment Checklisttool provides IT leaders with a framework for organizing the initial deployment of their collaboration platform. This tool contains the necessary steps that should be taken by IT leaders when moving forward with the initial platform deployment. The tool also provides a structure for project management by specifying start dates, end dates, task ownership and completion status.Project steps can be added or deleted based on the organization’s specific needs and collaboration requirements.

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Begin with theend in mind: define solutions for persistent teams and structure the implementation accordinglyBefore moving into design considerations, IT must identify business requirements for persistent teams (i.e. permanent business units, departments or groups) and create a set of collaboration solutions that will meet their needs. These solutions should be the first ones that go live following platform deployment.

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A collaboration solutionis created by matching the right collaboration tools with the appropriate collaboration patterns. For example, a collaboration solution for team meetings might involve pairing a synchronous tool like video conferencing with a pattern like a daily scrum meeting where most of the team members are working off-site.

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Create a cross-functionalteam consisting of IT and the business to build a solution library for persistent teams. Use these solution outlines to guide deployment decisions (for example, around design points like information architecture and security). Use some of these solution designs for pilot projects, and roll the rest out immediately following deployment.Business UnitsInitial DeploymentDepartmentsAd-Hoc TeamsCreating examples of collaboration solutions that will be required post-deployment is an excellent way to get the implementation team thinking about business requirements. Creating solutions for persistent teams is a great way to kick-start the platform following deployment, and sets the stage for ongoing solution design.Ongoing Solution DesignProject TeamsOrg. CommunitiesDesign collaboration solutions for persistent teams (business units and departments) during initial deployment, then handle requests from ad-hoc teams during ongoing solution design.

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Create a roadmapfor the information architecture of your collaboration platformThe first step in fleshing out the front end of the collaboration platform is to create a strategy for Information Architecture (IA). IA refers to how information is structured in the system. This step is particularly important for platforms that are content-management centric (i.e. SharePoint).

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Structuring information ina clean, logical manner is important for encouraging user uptake and knowledge transfer. Design your information architecture around the end user – folders and team sites should be laid out in an orderly fashion that makes pinpointing relevant information as easy as possible.

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Architecture setup meansanswering these questions:

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How will metadatabe used?

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How will contentbe organized?

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Content availability –what content will be available at each “level” of the platform?

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Content creation templates– will users have easy-to-use templates that relate to common team processes?Design collaboration IA from the top down.Mapping out information architecture is necessary for ensuring that information exists in a structured, logically consistent manner. Do not dive in to the implementation with no regard for how data will be structured… doing so will lead to significant rework and governance headaches in the future. Start by creating an enterprise portal. From here, create portals for business units, departments, teams and projects. Each level should only contain information that’s relevant to the entire subsection.

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Establish access privilegesthat safeguard confidential information while allowing knowledge sharingIT needs to set up user access privileges and assign ownership for department and team-specific portals. The deployment team must work with relevant business stakeholders to determine who should have access to what material.There is an inherent trade-off in assigning user access privileges between the need to safeguard sensitive information and the need to make the collaboration platform as porous as possible to permit cross-functional knowledge sharing.Avoid creating “walled gardens” unless there is a specific justification for doing so. Closing off large portions of the platform restricts the availability of knowledge for future reuse.Material that is ‘in production’ (incomplete) should be available only to pertinent team members, but published material should be available to the entire organization unless it is of a sensitive nature. Administrative controls should also be restricted… don’t give users the ability to alter the underlying information architecture of the platform unless they know what they’re doing.In-Production ContentSensitive MaterialsAdministrative ControlsCompleted, Team-Generated ContentYou never know how information might be useful across different business units and project teams, so make it available to as many people as possible (unless it falls under one of the three exclusion categories).The majority of content in the platform should be viewable (and searchable) by most users.

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Keep the platformrunning smoothly by creating a support model that delineates responsibility for platform maintenanceDuring implementation, IT and the business must develop a support model that addresses ongoing platform maintenance.IT will need to be involved in aspects of infrastructure and technical maintenance of the platform – for example, diagnosing and correcting malfunctions. If the organization has a Help Desk, these staff should be trained on how to troubleshoot problems with the collaboration platform.Responsibility for maintaining content should rest with designated individuals in business teams – it’s up to teams to decide which content should be kept and which content should be pruned.Teams should be encouraged not to delete content solely for the sake of deleting content. It’s inadvisable to turn on “auto-pruning” features (if the platform has them). Of course, retaining large volumes of content will also impact storage requirements – take this into account when planning the storage model.Collaboration Maintenance Framework:Maintenance of the platform is distinct from ongoing solution design. The former refers to basic upkeep of the underlying platform, while the latter is the creation of specific solutions that meet the needs of different departments, teams and projects. Periodic maintenance is required to keep the platform “on the tracks”.

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Access RestrictionsPatches andHot FixesSecurity Environment (i.e. firewalls)Plan for a secure environment: establish access rights, keep a list of authorized users, and guard against external breachesThe first and foremost security concern is access. While open access is important to the business value of collaboration, there will be sensitive material that should be locked off. Restrict access to information about:Compensation practices

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Corporate strategy (whereapplicable)

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Proprietary product developmentinformation

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Industry-specific compliance restrictions(i.e. patient records in the healthcare industry)Keep a roster of active, authorized users: when an employee leaves the company, promptly remove their credentials from the system. Integration with directory services can speed this up.On-premise collaboration environments should also be secured from external threats. Ensure that the software is up-to-date with the most current patches and hotfixes at all times. For more information on security strategy, see Info-Tech’s research storyboard, Build a Security Architecture & Roadmap.Collaboration platforms often contain confidential and proprietary information. Be cognizant of information in the platform that should not be available to all users, and implement the necessary access restrictions. On-premise collaboration platforms should be secured behind the firewall in order to reduce the platform’s vulnerability to external threats. Cloud-based solutions must meet necessary compliance requirements.Collaboration Security

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Both on-premise andcloud solutions have storage limitations: forecast the platform’s storage requirements appropriately!On-premise collaboration solutions require the appropriate storage capacity to be in place prior to deployment. SaaS solutions are much easier to scale in terms of storage, but be aware of the storage limitations of SaaS-based accounts – most vendors have caps at each price point. Infrastructure considerations include servers and Storage Area Networkdesign. Physical infrastructure is much less of a consideration when using SaaS.Storage planning for collaboration solutions is particularly important in organizations that have compliance requirements mandating information archival. Even in organizations that lack these requirements, storage needs are still important – a big part of collaboration is capturing and retaining knowledge. Platforms should not be pruned too often – if they are, potentially valuable and reusable information may be lost.See Info-Tech’s research, Select a Consolidated Storage Platformfor storage requirements forecasting and SAN design.Storage ConsiderationsIs scalability desired?

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If yes, estimatefuture demand and use storage hardware to support it.

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Will there bequotas?

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If not, predictgrowth of each site carefully.

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Will there beupload size restrictions?

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Use restrictions toprevent unnecessarily large documents from occupying space.

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Will rich mediabe uploaded?

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Rich media (e.g.videos) requires substantially more storage, so only enable them when necessary.

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How long willdocuments be kept?

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Shorter refresh cyclesfree up space by clearing old content, but may limit knowledge re-use.

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Is version controla necessity?

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If not, turnoff to save space.On-premise solutions are typically more expensive in their need for storage capacity (as they often require a share of existing storage space or new investments in infrastructure). Forecast storage requirements by multiplying the expected size of each user’s “content portfolio” by the number of end users.

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Make use ofin-platform customization whenever possible: move to extension and custom development only if necessaryThere are three pillars of collaboration platform development: customization, extension and custom development.Customization refers to carrying out in-platform tweaks in order to meet business requirements. This usually involves making changes to platform control panels. Most platforms give administrators the ability to make a large number of customizations natively: take advantage of easy-to-use customization by training team leads to make their own tweaks.Extension uses 3rd party software to augment the capabilities of the collaboration platform: for example, SharePoint plug-ins.Custom development involves writing specialized code to enable required platform functionality. Custom development can be used to permit special integration between the platform and applications that do not have a native (or 3rd party) integration bridge. Custom development is expensive and labor-intensive: use it only as a last resort when required functionality can’t be achieved via customization or extension.Overview of development options:Avoid custom development whenever possible. If the required functionality can be achieved in-platform, custom development is a waste of time and money. For more information on SharePoint-specific deployments, see Info-Tech’s solution set, Manage a SharePoint Customization & Development Team.

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Defining points ofintegration between the collaboration platform and other applications drives adoption and successCollaboration platforms offer powerful tools, but organizations that integrate them with other technology services and applications are likely to realize better end user adoption, more efficient workflows, and superior realization of business value.Points-of-integrationare the junctions between the collaboration platform and other enterprise applications or platforms. Many popular collaboration platforms offer native points-of-integration with popular enterprise software, while other points-of-integration may need to be enabled through 3rd party add-ons or custom development.There are three categories that should be considered for integration with the collaboration platform:Client integrationMobile integrationDirectory services integrationUsage improves by 3% for each point of integrationHigh (80%)Collaboration UsageEstablishing and enabling points-of-integration will drive business value by enhancing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the collaboration platform. Organizations must prioritize points-of-integration by targeting applications/platforms that are most commonly used in project workflows.Low (40%)Source: Info-Tech Research Group, N = 79Number of Points of Integration

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The collaboration platformshould be integrated with e-mail, browsers, and common enterprise productivity applicationsCollaboration platforms must be integrated with common enterprise applications – particularly those that are used “in the flow” (as part of capturing knowledge during project workflows). Client integration encompasses applications like browsers, e-mail, instant messaging and office productivity suites. End users should have one-click functionality for sending content in an application into the collaboration platform. Some platforms permit e-mail integration by providing an address that all project-related material can be CC’d on.Most collaboration vendors also permit in-platform integration with productivity suites like Microsoft Office. Common in-platform integration permits library version control within productivity applications. Enable this integration to save team members time and effort.Web BrowserE-MailPoint-of-integrationPoint-of-integrationExample of Client Integration:SharePoint 2010 offers native integration with Microsoft Outlook. Information such as contact lists, calendars and tasks can be synchronized between the two: See this SP resource.Collaboration PlatformPoint-of-integrationPoint-of-integrationClient integration enables contextual collaboration for ad-hoc purposes. Knowledge workers should be able to easily synchronize content created in productivity applications with the information contained in collaboration platforms, as well as quickly send content from e-mail and the web into the platform.Instant MessagingProductivity Software

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Directory services integrationis where users meet withaccess control restrictionsDirectory services integration is a key requirement in the selection of a collaboration platform. Without it, you have no way to apply access controls to sites or content.Directory services groups must be defined to correspond to collaboration user groups used in solution design. Permanent groups like departments or teams are a given. But other directory groups may be needed for project teams.Advanced integration directory services can support the use of digital signatures and/or user-level encryption of content in collaboration solutions.Directory services integration with collaboration platforms is not just an IT implementation task. Business analysts must consider directory services implications during collaboration solution design and initiate change requests as needed to support collaboration solutions.

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Mobile is huge:integrate your collaboration platform with mobile devices to meet the needs of the “on-the-go” workerIntegrating your collaboration platform with mobile devices is a necessity in today’s wireless world. Many knowledge workers expect to receive on-demand mobile access to collaboration resources. During vendor selection, priority should be given to those platforms that offer native mobile access (i.e. via a dedicated app).Integration with mobile devices will vary depending on the mobile platform involved. Integration is typically easier for organizations that have standardized on a single mobile operating system (i.e. Blackberry or iOS). If the collaboration platform does not offer a native application for your mobile OS of choice, it may still be possible to access collaboration resources through a mobile browser like Safari. Cloud-based platforms can usually be accessed directly via the mobile browser.For on-premise platforms that are behind the corporate firewall, employees’ smartphones may need to be configured to use a VPN to access collaboration portals and team sites.Paths to mobile integration:Collaboration Platform:Cloud-BasedOn-PremiseVPNMobile integration isn’t just about initial deployment of collaboration systems to mobile devices for content consumption. Smartphones and tablets with photo/video capabilities will enable mobile devices to contribute content to collaboration systems. Keep this in mind when designing collaboration solutions. Mobile BrowserMobile ApplicationEnd Users

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Design policies &procedures, and communicate them to end users – remember to put policies on the platform itself!After the front and back ends of the platform have been designed, IT needs to work in tandem with the business to create policies and procedures regarding the platform’s usage.Policies and procedures should be divided into content policiesand administrative policies. The former specifies details on how users should handle different kinds of content, while the latter defines issues pertaining to ongoing maintenance. These policies should be driven by the decisions that were made in the Information Architecture and Maintenance stages. See the sidebar for examples of what topic areas policies should cover.After policies and procedures have been drafted, be sure that end users are aware of them. Incorporate a policies and procedures module into user training so that staff are familiarized with acceptable standards. Always make policies and procedures available in-band on the platform itself. Post policies on a top-level portal accessible to all users. This will help drive viral readership of the material.Content PoliciesAdministrative PoliciesAcceptable Use Policy for content (defining appropriate and inappropriate material)

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Information structure: forexample, how should metadata be used?

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Social tools: Howshould they be used? What information should appear on employee profile pages?

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Records retention: Definerecords and required policies around retention.

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Content audit: Determinefrequency and type.

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Creating new sub-sites:Determine site ownership, security, database administration, and navigation.

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Security: Plan indesign phase, communicate with users to determine appropriate access

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Branding: Use standards,consider co-branding and differences from external branding

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Document libraries: Promoteprotected formats, native formats are best.Test run the collaboration platform with a carefully designed & measured pilot project – gather (& use) end user feedbackThe penultimate phase in the initial platform deployment is to move forward with one or more pilot projects. These pilot projects must bring the platform online and demonstrate business value to end users and executive stakeholders.Keep the scope of the pilot project tightly focused: viable candidates for pilot projects should be selected from the collaboration solutions that were drafted for persistent teams. In order to obtain useful insights from the pilot projects, limit the number of concurrent pilots to two or three.Roll out the collaboration platform to a prominent persistent team (i.e. a regional business unit or department) and collect data on usage, technical performance and end user evaluations.Collecting end user feedback is essential. Weaknesses in solution design, information architecture and collaboration policies can be highlighted and improved by carrying out ongoing surveys and targeted interviews with staff from persistent teams.Example of pilot project timeline:Collect and Apply User FeedbackEnterprise-Platform RolloutPilot Project User TrainingPilot Project Execution Pilot projects are an invaluable means of fine-tuning the platform before it is rolled out to the entire organization. Successful pilot projects are handpicked from collaboration solutions for persistent teams, and rely heavily on a feedback loop between end users and the IT deployment team. Pilot Project Planning

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Identify business unitpower users & bring them on-board to serve as collaboration evangelists in order to drive adoptionEnd user adoption of the collaboration platform is critical for realizing business value. During the pilot project(s) and initial rollout, identify and train power users who can serve as collaboration evangelists. These users should be knowledge workers who are comfortable with collaboration technologies and demonstrate fluency with newer, social tools.The ideal collaboration evangelists are influential team leads who can get their persistent teams excited about the collaboration platform. Users with a track record of exerting peer-influence also make good candidates.End users who assisted with the solution design process for persistent teams should be “called back” to gauge their interest in being collaboration evangelists. These individuals should be rewarded in some fashion (i.e. small bonus) for being on-board.Collaboration evangelists must drive user adoption by proving business value of collaboration solutions and by providing peer-to-peer training.It is very important to find champions in each department. [IT] can really turn a lot of people off because we’re always the people trying to push new things, and they think of it like extra work. If you can get someone else to actually use [the collaboration solution], get them to be the champion, and you just support them, it’s a much easier integration.- Paula Habas, Manager, IS, Professional Engineers OntarioGathering a group of evangelists, ideally one in each department, will help significantly with all stages of collaboration implementation - from initial training, to ad hoc problem solving, to promoting usage. However, do not force anyone to help in this capacity, ensure it is voluntary, or you’ll send the wrong message.

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Finally, roll outthe platform to knowledge workers across the enterprise & begin the process of ongoing solution designAfter pilot projects have been wrapped up and iterative changes made to the platform, the final step in the initial deployment is to officially roll the platform out across the enterprise.Two elements should comprise the enterprise rollout: deployment of “my sites” (employee profile pages and activity feed aggregators, as well as other social tools like employee microblogs) and the solutions for persistent teams (some of these solutions were probably piloted… now is the time to roll out the rest).Don’t be shy… the enterprise platform rollout should be accompanied by a great deal of fanfare. Hold staggered department meetings to introduce end users to the platform – this should include a statement of purpose, preliminary training on basic functionality and highlighting some of the ways the platform will make users’ lives easier.With the enterprise-wide rollout, initial deployment is complete – but IT’s job does not end here – prepare to assist the business with ongoing solution design.Proceed to Ongoing Solution Design

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Section 3: CreateOngoing Collaboration SolutionsBuild a Strategy for Collaboration ImplementationDeploy a Collaboration PlatformCreate Ongoing Collaboration SolutionsOptimize the Collaboration EnvironmentAfter the platform has been deployed, organizations need to create ongoing collaboration solutions that meet the needs of persistent and ad-hoc teams.Collaboration solutions are created by pattern matching: aligning the right tools with specific collaboration patterns.Organizations should have a full-time role assigned to ongoing solution design, for example, a collaboration business analyst.Build a library of patterns for common and repeatable collaboration solutions.

89.
The collaboration platformcannot just be handed off to the business: IT must be involved with ongoing solution design The mindset that the collaboration platform is “the business’ problem” after it has been deployed is a dangerous one. Although some solutions will have been rolled out along with the platform (i.e. for persistent teams), ongoing solution design is a necessity to meet the needs of ad-hoc teams (e.g.cross-functional project teams). The business cannot handle ongoing solution design on its own: IT must take an active role in helping with collaboration pattern matching.Info-Tech InsightIn order for both groups (the business and IT) to succeed with solution design, everyone needs to be kept in in the loop throughout all steps of the implementation. The business and IT must work in lock-step in a tightly coupled development model. IT can’t simply take the requirements and disappear for a week – communication is critical to ensure solutions meet team needs.There is a certain “give and take” between IT and the business when it comes to ongoing solution design:The business must identify their specific collaboration patterns. If IT becomes the champion, you run the risk of people saying, “it’s just another IT project”. They wonder what the new technology will do for them. I now have five or six people who have been willing to champion areas within different departments... They are doing Webinars and seminars and people are more open to it because IT isn’t promoting it. Now, others are seeing their colleagues becoming efficient in certain areas, and they’re asking about when they can get this technology and training.- Paula Habas, Manager, IS, Professional Engineers OntarioThen, the business needs to go to the IT department to help them match the collaboration pattern with the appropriate tools available in the platformThe IT department carries out the implementation.

90.
When possible, providea dedicated resource for solution design – consider hiring a Collaboration Business AnalystAdding 1 FTE improves usage by about 4%.Bridge the gap between the business and ITThe Collaboration Business Analyst (CBA) will:Design technology solutions to enable business collaboration requirements and processes.Engage with project managers and project sponsors to develop project scope and vision for all collaboration-related projects.Assist in conducting research on collaboration software and hardware products to meet agreed upon requirements and to support purchasing efforts.Identify and establish scope and parameters of requirements analysis on a project-by-project basis to define project impact, outcome criteria, and metrics.Usage %See slide 38 for a link to the full Collaboration Business Analyst Job DescriptionDedicated FTE’sSource: Info-Tech Research Group, N = 70As a business analyst, it’s really best to be cross-trained. You have to be cognizant not only of what’s going on with the IT solution, but also what’s going on across the business and the different pressures they’re being put under. So, it’s really about keeping up with the underbelly of the company, being that ‘elevator staff’ member who is able to go up and down as you need to, at the right level. That’s what a business analyst has to be able to do. - Steven Spencer, Manager, Ardenwood Consultants

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The CBA willbe most successful if they have a strong business background, coupled with IT knowledge Survey respondents were asked to rate the importance of certain CBA skills on a scale of 1 (not important) to 6 (very important).It is clear that while the role resides in IT, there is a heavy weight on business knowledge and understanding of pattern matching; ensure you hire a CBA with these skills. Recognizing that hiring a new FTE may not be feasible for small organizations (or those with a hiring freeze), there are alternative options:Add some CBA responsibilities to anyone serving in a generic IT business analyst role. Hire a contractor to get the solution deployed, and have them train an existing resource on ongoing solution design.Add some CBA responsibilities to individuals in other departments, i.e. Communications, or HR.87% of respondents said understanding business requirements was 5 or 6. Only 31% of respondents said applications development skills are 5 or 6 on a scale of not important to very important. How much will it cost to hire a full time CBA?Business Analyst salaries range quite drastically depending on skill level and qualifications, however expect to pay anywhere from $50,000 – $70,000 to fulfill the job description on the next slide. Business Analyst, ITMedian Salary RangeC$51,217 – C$69,6151 = not important6 = very important$69,615$59,975$51,217Application Development skillsCollaboration Tool KnowledgeMapping appropriate tech services to business patternsUnderstanding Business RequirementsLowTypicalHighN = 69Source: Payscale.com

92.
Use Info-Tech’s CollaborationBusiness Analyst Job Description to find the right candidateClick here to access the full Collaboration Business Analyst Job Description. Different organizations function in different ways; sometimes the Collaboration Specialist sits in a different department. Portions of this job descriptions can be used for roles in other departments as well. We didn’t have a Business Analyst available for the intranet project; however, we have an Internal Communications Manager, who is the advocate for internal collaboration. This person sits outside the Information Technology department and is specifically spearheading our intranet project. She is driving it, and we’re essentially responding to what the end user interests are. Though she doesn’t sit in IT, there’s definitely more benefit than challenges. I think that the only challenge is that we really don’t know where she stops and we start. However, I think that will become clear as we continue to develop our intranet.- Brent Maher, VP – Core Infrastructure & Collaboration, Johnson Financial GroupInfo-Tech has 155 ready-to-use Job Descriptions located on our Website. They can be downloaded and altered to fit your organization.

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After designating responsibilityfor ongoing solution design, the next step is to build solutions via pattern matchingThe Fundamental Collaboration Equation:Collaboration solutions are created by matching the right tool with the appropriate pattern.Collaboration tools: tools are the technology services that enable employee-to-employee collaboration, both directly and around business artifacts like documents. Most collaboration platforms offer a variety of tools, both traditional (i.e. content management) and social (i.e. peer-to-peer).Collaboration patterns:patterns are recurring interactions that dictate how E2E collaboration takes place. There are many patterns, but some are more common than others. Three of the most common high-level employee collaboration patterns are meetings, content creation, and content consumption. Patterns can be synchronousor asynchronous.Pattern matchinginvolves identifying a natural fit between patterns and tools, and then enabling team collaboration by using the applicable tools and technology services.The solution to enabling team collaboration is combining the right collaboration tool with the applicable collaboration pattern.Three Overarching Collaboration Patterns:Ongoing solution design makes use of pattern matching in order to address the requirements of ad-hoc teams and provide a means for contextual collaboration. There are three steps to pattern matching: identifying and understanding tools, identifying and understanding patterns, and execution of the matching.Employee-to-Employee collaboration typically takes place in three contexts: meetings, content creation, and content consumption. We’ll examine each in turn.

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First, understand thetools: modern collaboration platforms offer a variety of robust tools, both traditional and socialThe collaboration platform is comprised of a multitude of robust tools.The first step to collaboration pattern matching is understanding the tools.

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Collaboration platforms offera diverse subset of individual tools. These tools can be broadly classified as traditional or social collaboration tools.

96.
Traditional tools focuson features that permit real-time communication or content management (library services) .

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Social tools borrowfunctionality from consumer social media and apply it to the enterprise – for example, employee activity feeds and microblogs.

98.
Match tools withpatterns by identifying complimentary aspects between the technology and the collaboration patterns.

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See our research,Build an Enterprise Social Collaboration Strategyfor a detailed description of the individual tools.Next, identify the collaboration patterns used by ad-hoc teams: patterns can be conceptualized by location & timeThe best model to use when defining collaboration patterns is to compare the domains of time and location first. Does everyone have to be in the same place? Do activities have to take place at the same time? Choose one of four combinations as a starting point and then refine the pattern further according to specific needs, like meetings, content creation, or content consumption. The most basic form of collaboration: face-to-face interaction. Includes document sharing, note-taking, decision making, voting, etc.Same Place, Same TimeReal-time communication between different locations: telephone, IM, web conferencing (video, audio, app sharing), decision making, note-taking, voting, etc.Different Place, Same TimeDelayed interaction that can be serial or parallel, often occurring between F2F meetings. Includes e-mail, discussion groups, content management like team spaces, wiki, blogs.Same Place, Different TimeSame pattern as above but no real-time. All decision-making continues in an asynchronous manner. Voting works well here too, since no real-time meetings.Different Place, Different Time

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The Meeting Pattern:Bringing people together is critical for smooth-functioning teamsMeetings are scheduled interactions among people to achieve specific goals. They can consist of person-to-person collaboration or also involve collaborating around one or more business artifacts, such as documents, drawings, presentations, etc. Participants can be in the same location or in a different location.

101.
Many different meetingtypes can exist within an organization:

102.
Team Meetings

103.
Department Meetings

104.
Training Sessions

105.
1-on-1 Meetings

106.
Client Meetings

107.
The key requirementsof meeting patterns are:

108.
Note taking (whiteboard,personal)

109.
Decision making/voting

110.
Document/application sharing

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Action (follow-up) itemtracking

112.
Shared document library

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Audio (unless collocated)

114.
Video (unless collocated)

115.
Vertical industry orcompliance requirementsTwo types of meetings:Physical Meeting(i.e. face-to-face)Virtual Meeting(mediated by technology)Web Conferencing Screenshot. Source: Adobe Systems, Inc.

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The Publishing Pattern:Employee-generated content is kingOne of the hallmarks of Web 2.0 is the lowering and removal of barriers to internal content creation. This enables efficient content creation by employees instead of relying on older, centralized content publishing paradigms only. Modern social collaboration tools enable employees and teams to create their own syndication feeds from what they create.Social collaboration tools like blogs, micro-blogs, and wikis make it easy for employees to become internal publishers, ensuring information is fresher and more up to date.Employee generated video is one of the fastest growing forms of employee-generated internal content, enabled by high quality laptop cameras and microphones becoming a commodity hardware feature.Process-driven publishing is not dead, but process is no longer a barrier.Socialtext Signals is a popular microblogging application that employees can use to quickly generate content:Web 2.0 technologies have socialized content by enabling employee-generated content production and publishing. This doesn’t replace process-oriented publishing, but rather enables employees to publish less formal and fresher content updates in shorter time frames. As a result, the time-value of information is greatly increased.

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The Consumption Pattern:Finding knowledge and expertise is a required activity for every project teamSalesforce.com’s Chatter enables subscriptions to employee, document, and CRM activity with content and employee profile search capability. Finding information and expertise within the enterprise that may be useful to other employees and teams used to be painful and less than productive. This inefficient method relied on:Project managers remaining apprised of what each other’s projects were, with or without a formal PMO.Managers remaining apprised of every other activity going on in the department, trying to connect complementary efforts.Gurus and subject matter experts (SMEs) being exposed to the rest of the enterprise as experts in their areas via arcane HR employee profiles which were chronically in need of updating.Intranet search engines that got turned on and never touched afterwards, configured to be everything to everyone and ending up being useless to everyone.Now that common employee and team activities are exposed socially as “feeds,” the same social collaboration tools enable employees to create their own list of which feeds to regularly monitor and enable searching of feeds, and employee profiles (expertise).Source: Salesforce.com

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After understanding theplatform’s tools & identifying the collaboration pattern, match using specific requirementsThe final stage after identifying tools and patterns is to actually create a match between the two.Collaboration patterns help drive specific requirements – for example, a synchronous, distributed team meeting around content creation may require the ability for all team members to share content from their computers. Based on this requirement, there are several possible tools that could be selected – the tool that should be selected is the one that meets the business requirement in the most efficient manner possible.In the above example, e-mail could be an option – but e-mail is an asynchronous tool (i.e. it is not in real time). Although e-mail might get the job done, there is clearly a mismatch between the asynchronous tool and the synchronous collaboration pattern (i.e. a live team meeting). In this instance, it’s obvious that a synchronous tool such as web conferencing provides a more effective and efficient means for satisfying the business requirements present in the collaboration pattern.Collaboration Tool SelectionBusiness RequirementsCollaboration PatternCollaboration patterns drive specific business requirements, which in turn drive tool selection.

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Example: Collaboration PatternMatching for a meeting at a mid-sized biotech organizationRequirements for this meeting:Generic collaboration pattern: meeting.Specific collaboration pattern: department meeting at a mid-sized biotechnology company.Explanation: the research and development department at a biotech company is having its monthly meeting. Although most employees are geographically co-located, there are two branch offices and several remote employees who also need to be kept in the loop.After defining the pattern, it’s important to enumerate the requirements for this meeting. Managers created the list on the right as the minimum requirements needed for the meeting.

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After requirements havebeen drafted, match the collaboration technologies to each individual requirementTelephoneWikisInstrument the Pattern with Technology,Requirement by RequirementE-MailInternal BloggingContent ManagementInternal MicrobloggingRequirement:Employees will be located in different places.Discussion ForumsEmployee ProfilesInstant MessagingEmployee Activity FeedsRationale: The best technology to connect employees located in different places is web conferencing. Web conferencing enables application and screen sharing, white boarding, chat, and IP-based voice and video.Web ConferencingSocial TaggingVideo ConferencingEmployee-Generated Videos

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Pattern matching (continued)TelephoneWikisE-MailInternalBloggingContent ManagementInternal MicrobloggingRequirement:Content will be shared among attendees.Discussion ForumsEmployee ProfilesInstant MessagingEmployee Activity FeedsRationale: Web conferencing is the most effective technology for sharing content live during a meeting. Participants can view shared workspaces and presentations in real time (without having to worry about being on the right slide, as would happen with an e-mailed document).Web ConferencingSocial TaggingVideo ConferencingEmployee-Generated Videos

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Pattern matching (continued)TelephoneWikisE-MailInternalBloggingContent ManagementInternal MicrobloggingRequirement:Notes, past and present, must be accessible to employees at all times.Discussion ForumsEmployee ProfilesInstant MessagingRationale: Uploading minutes and documents from past meetings to a content management platform (i.e. SharePoint) allows users rapid access to the files they need. Version control and permissions prevent users from making unauthorized or haphazard changes.Employee Activity FeedsWeb ConferencingSocial TaggingVideo ConferencingEmployee-Generated Videos

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Pattern matching (continued)TelephoneWikisE-MailInternalBloggingContent ManagementInternal MicrobloggingRequirement:Department highlights are shared with other departments.Discussion ForumsEmployee ProfilesInstant MessagingEmployee Activity FeedsRationale: Internal blogging and uploaded video of the meeting allows other departments (i.e. marketing or sales) to learn about developments that occurred during the meeting at their leisure. Video summaries are also popular for inter-department and project updates. Remember, video can be a talking head but it can also be a series of slides or images with a spoken soundtrack.Web ConferencingSocial TaggingVideo ConferencingEmployee-Generated Videos

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Pattern matching (continued)TelephoneWikisE-MailInternalBloggingContent ManagementInternal MicrobloggingRequirement: Voice communication is required, video is not.Discussion ForumsEmployee ProfilesInstant MessagingEmployee Activity FeedsRationale: Telephony and web-based conferencing both satisfy the requirement for voice communication, through PSTN and VoIP respectively. Depending on the protocol and client, it’s possible that IM could also be used (some instant messaging services also support voice and even video).Web ConferencingSocial TaggingVideo ConferencingEmployee-Generated Videos

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Put it alltogether to create the solutionTelephoneE-MailContent ManagementDiscussion ForumsInstant MessagingWeb ConferencingVideo ConferencingCollaboration Solution for Department Meetings

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Leverage Info-Tech’s CollaborationSolution Design Matrix to build a library of common solution designsInfo-Tech’s Collaboration Solution Design Matrix helps IT managers and business analysts create a library of solution designs for team use.Use collaboration pattern matching, on an ongoing basis, to design solutions to satisfy the requests of persistent and ad-hoc teams.

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Pattern matching isan especially useful methodology for IT groups responsible for managing collaboration platforms on a permanent basis, such as MS SharePoint.

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You can’t justturn end users loose on SharePoint. SharePoint sites require solution design just like any other collaborative applications.

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Info-Tech’s Collaboration SolutionDesign Matrix is an extensible template that should be leveraged to build ongoing solutions off of the existing platform. Over time, common patterns will emerge. Having a solution design library in place allows leverage of previous collaboration solutions.Section 4: Optimize the Collaboration EnvironmentTrain end users on solutions, not platform for maximum adoption.Ensure management sends supportive and encouraging messages about enterprise collaboration.Review collaboration strategy annually to evaluate solution effectiveness and incorporate end user feedback.Build a Strategy for Collaboration ImplementationDeploy a Collaboration PlatformCreate Ongoing Collaboration SolutionsOptimize the Collaboration Environment

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Optimize people &processes to gain the maximum return from your collaboration platformIn addition to platform deployment and ongoing solution design, organizations must optimize people and processes in order to get the most business value out of employee-to-employee collaboration. Like any enterprise platform, end user adoption is critical for success. Users that are inadequately trained on a platform will be unlikely to use it. Carry out formal training sessions and use collaboration evangelists (power users) to drive familiarity and proficiency with the collaboration platform. Don’t just train users around the platform: also train them on the collaboration solution (how to effectively pair technologies with specific collaboration patterns). Users must be aware of how exactly the collaboration solution fits into team workflows.Optimize processes by carrying out process analysis and identifying points of contextual collaboration where the platform should be utilized. Expanding the number of ways that the platform can be used to enable more efficient knowledge-sharing and team productivity Despite the importance of collaboration, less than a quarter of organizations report high levels of usage.No usage 3%Successful platforms are characterized by high levels of adoption.High Usage23%Minimal Usage 27%Moderate Usage48%Source: Info-Tech Research Group, 2011, N = 79

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Case Study (Slide1/3): Johnson Financial GroupThe Situation: Johnson Financial Group (JFG) recently rolled-out a very carefully planned upgrade from SharePoint 2007 to SharePoint 2010. They put a lot of forethought into training, communications and executive buy in. The following three slides highlight the steps they took in planning their implementation. 1) Test with small group of usersTest collaboration platform with a smaller pool of users for about 3 months

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Survey users atthe beginning, middle and end. See the appendixfor survey questions.

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Analyze the feedbackto decide if it makes sense to roll it out to everyone2) Create pitch campaign for ExecutivesPut together a pitch for executives regarding rolling it out to the rest of the organization

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Include all feedback,quotes, supporting information from surveys to give full picture in order to get executives on board3) Train ambassadorsTrain ambassadors within each department to familiarize them; have pilot group help to train ambassadors and provide their experiences/advice

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Test lab –convert all sites to SP2010 so they could see their own content in itCase Study (Slide 2/3): Johnson Financial Group4) Communicate Rollout Communicate to organization in advance that it’s coming through teaser emails to get people interested An example of a “teaser” e-mail sent out prior to launch day. 5) Rollout to OrganizationRollout on a Monday, allow employees a couple of days to test it out, do the first training session later that week, on Wednesday or ThursdayDuring the first training, we acknowledged that people were “probably looking at this tool and wondering why we spent money on it”; however, we were able to show them data that explained the adoption curve from their coworkers. It wasn’t industry data, or a Webpage article saying what adoption is, this was their peers that they interact with on a daily basis. I think that helped curb a lot of the pessimism.- Brent Maher, VP – Core Infrastructure & Collaboration, Johnson Financial Group

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Case Study (Slide3/3): Johnson Financial GroupResults: After 90 days, JFG asked associates to rate the business value of their new instant messaging tool on a scale of 1-5, 1 being little to no value and 5 being exceptional value, 83% of people rated 3 or higher. After all training was done, we had very little post upgrade scrambling in terms of help desk having to respond to mass end user confusion. I was expecting quite a bit more traffic, but it all went very smoothly.- Brent Maher, VP, JFG6%1 – Little to No Value2 – Some Value8%28%3 – Good Value19%4 – Great Value5 – Exceptional Value39%*Data provided by JFGTraining should not end after the initial session.Create online forums where users can ask questions and support each other

137.
Create opportunities forface-to-face information training (e.g. Lunch and learns)

138.
Plan for renewaltraining which shares group best practices with the enterprise

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Perform periodic auditsto discover what features aren’t being utilized and which are being utilized correctlyWe continue to have monthly live training sessions to allow for a refresh as well as to train new associates. Attendance has been consistent, so we continue to do them. We plan to look into features that are under-utilized after the platform has been in use for about 6 months and then train on those features.- Brent Maher, VP, JFG

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Train end usersto increase familiarity with the platform and to drive uptake & adoptionSample Timeline for TrainingFormally train IT staffTest with small group usersPitch to executivesFind & train evangelists in each departmentCreate advanced manualCreate minimum manualsDeploy platform & train end usersCommunicate deployment to organization= Training Phase= Action Item*Size of circle represents amount of effort required.A run book; include network configurations, reboot procedures, monthly/daily maintenance, and troubleshooting guidelines.

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Have one copyin IT.Advanced ManualDeployment and training is not the last step, see the next slide for Ongoing Solution DesignAn employee in each department quick to adopt new technologies.

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Someone willing tohelp train their colleaguesand promote new technology going forward.EvangelistsA step-by-step description of the tasks to be performed by a department; include screen shots and written descriptions.

143.
Have one perdepartment, tailored to that department.Minimum Manuals

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Training is importantat all times - during initial implementation as well as ongoing solution design Training Stage Length of training # Attendees Delivery Method Info-Tech Tip Tailor training to group demographic (i.e. younger employees will often get social tools faster). Initial TrainingDepending on complexity of tool, anywhere from 60 – 90 minutes, however no longer as trainees will lose focus after 90 mins.

145.
10–15 persession

146.
keep #slow to allow for 1-on-1 help

147.
In-person or viaweb-conferencing

148.
Structured format

149.
Informal, online forumfor people to ask colleagues or IT questions, start discussion groups etc.

150.
Knowledge sharing ofbest practices, tips and tricksEnsure all users have access to minimum manuals. Helpdesk costs are minimized by self-help and peer help. Online, discussions started by IT or users, and answered by anyone that can help. Community DevelopmentUnlimitedUtilize the platform itself for training by storing training documents and videos on the collaboration site, and starting discussion groups for people to learn best practices and share tips and tricks.15 – 20 per session

151.
Users more comfortable& may ask questions at this point Renewal Training & Training on New FeaturesCenter renewal trainings on underutilized features that would add value if used properly.In-person, or via web conferencing

152.
Should be informaland allow lots of time for questions

153.
15 -30mins, depending on feature complexity

154.
If users knowthe training will be quick, they will be more apt to attend.Senior management support is key; encourage them to send the right messages downstreamSenior management needs to use social technologies themselves and encourage the rest of their senior team to use them as well. They need to let employees know that they understand the difference between enterprise social collaboration and personal social collaboration (e.g. Facebook).If teamwork is the engine of your production, then reward it and discourage people from insisting on working alone. Cite the company’s investment in collaboration technology as proof of its commitment to teamwork.Let employees know that a certain amount of personal dialog using company social tools is OK. After all, valuable employee connections are just as often made based upon personal activities outside of work as they are based on joint interests in work projects. As long as standards of conduct are met, there should not be a problem.Senior managers will rarely be evangelists due to their competing priorities, however train them at the same time as evangelists to get them on board early, and allow them to get a head start on organizing team spaces, completing their personal profile page etc.When senior managers are also users (e.g.with a completed personal profile page) uptake is more successful because end users recognize that the new technology is there to stay.

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Make optimal useof the collaboration platform by altering work habits and replacing e-mail with use of the team spaceThe two most commonly used templates for team collaboration:Content Centrici.e. Document LibraryPeople Orientedi.e. Team SpacesWhat is a document library?Collections of files which can be shared with team members, organized within folders.

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Check in/check outfunction which ensures that only one version of the document can be updated at a time. What is a team space?A team space is a portion of the platform organized per team that allows for discussion groups, wikis, shared calendars, and document libraries.

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An exampleof a team space is SharePoint Communities.When to use the document library:Anytime a team is formed to complete a project, particularly with a publishing component.When to use a team space:Use to diffuse knowledge amongst people, and store knowledge for future reference.

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Use to keeporganized (shared calendars) and reduce email traffic (discussion groups).How to optimize use: Stop emailing around the document, communicate about who is working on the checked-in version at all times.

159.
Utilize the“review” function to leave comments for other team members .

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Only keep1 copy of the document online at all times and delete redundant information to keep the site clean.How to optimize use:Team spaces can be partially open, partially closed, all open or all closed; groups can be created that nobody else knows is there.

161.
Project spaces canbe ad hoc or formal, new spaces can be created and removed quickly.

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Create multi-organizational teamsto collaborate easier with clients outside of the organization.Make optimal use of personal spaces by promoting completion of users’ personal profile pages, such as SharePoint’s MySitesUse evangelists to promote completion of personal profile pages across the organization.Highlights of the profile page:Contact Details: including name, job title, work location, phone number, and local timeAsk me about: informs other users about specific skills and areas of expertiseOrg Chart: shows the organizational structure of the person’s roleIn Common With You: shows common memberships and colleagues with other usersMicroblog status updateIt is important to get profile pages populated early. The more people that use it, the more useful it will become, and if users are not seeing this value early, they’ll lose interest. Employee Profile PagePersonal spaces can also be used to: link to team spaces of projects the user is affiliated with

163.
keep amicro-blog of recent activities or announcementsEmployee Activity FeedSource: Microsoft

164.
Review your collaborationstrategy annually with Info- Tech’s Collaboration Platform Annual Audit Template Info-Tech’s Collaboration Platform Annual Audit Template will help you conduct an annual assessment of the existing collaboration environment. It will consider a variety of different factors to construct a strategy for the ongoing operation of the collaboration system.Use the audit to evaluate and establish:Strengths, opportunities, and recommendations around each facet of the platform.

165.
Issues and anticipatedchallenges with collaboration front-end, support model, back-end functionality, and governance policies.

166.
Project recommendations andnext steps.Developing a collaboration strategy does not end when it is documented. Modify your strategy annually to make sure you’re getting this most from your collaboration solution.

167.
SummarySeparate the implementationinto two phases: initial platform deployment and ongoing solution design. Plan and budget for both – failure to do so will result in cost overruns and a lack of collaboration business value.IT must lead the charge for initial platform deployment. Create solutions for permanent teams, then proceed with designing the front and back ends and establishing a maintenance model. Run one or more pilot projects with the platform before going ahead with an enterprise-wide rollout in order to debug potential problems. Establish “collaboration evangelists” to help drive awareness and familiarity with the platform.Establish a permanent role for a collaboration business analyst. If hiring restrictions are present, diffuse this role across existing staff. The collaboration business analyst serves as a bridge between IT and the business; the analyst assists permanent and ad-hoc teams with ongoing solution design.Pattern matching is the cornerstone of ongoing solution design. Pair the platform’s collaboration tools with the collaboration patterns that are present in the enterprise.Optimize the platform by providing ongoing training to end users. Training should be held on not just the platform, but also the solutions themselves.Secure the support of prominent senior executives – having a champion for collaboration is extremely valuable.Carry out an annual audit on the platform to identify and correct weaknesses, and highlight areas of opportunity.

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Appendix

169.
Survey Questions fromtest with initial users at Johnson Financial Group Please circle your age bracket: 18 – 30 31 – 40 41 – 50 51 – 60+2. Please rank the following 3 Microsoft Communicator features (1st Place / 2nd Place / 3rd Place): Instant Messaging ______ Presence ______ Desktop Sharing ______3. Please estimate on average how many minutes per DAY that our collaboration platform helps you to save: ______ Examples of time savings might include: receiving an immediate response to a question, alerting an associate without leaving your work area, by knowing when an associate is NOT available, you save time walking to their empty desk and desktop sharing reduces travel to other locations. 4. Do you have prior professional experience with instant messaging? Please circle one. Yes No5. Please rank the business value this communication tool provides on a scale of 1 (no value) to 5 (excellent value): _______6. Please share business uses examples (optional): ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7. Additional feedback (optional): _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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