The Xplor View - July 2008 - (Page 21)

What are the latest developments in knowledge management for large organisations? This is part two of a three-part series published exclusively in The VIEW Journal Xplor Edition covering the ongoing convergence complexity of Knowledge management in large organisations Collaboration efforts are growing to encompass new dimensions This is because: • Innovative ways for using Web 2.0 services have been discovered • Suppliers are converging their products Innovative ways for using Web 2.0 services have been discovered Equipping knowledge workers with the best instruments available for them to conduct their work successfully is fundamental to sustain competitive advantage. With the aid of new technology enablers, large organisations are now making advances towards greater collaboration with their customers and the rest of their supply chain. Information can only become of real value once it is processed and made available to the right individuals at the right time. The strategic use of technology enablers makes web collaboration an essential element of the virtual workplace. Web collaboration makes teams more productive, responsive, and flexible because they stay connected and are accessible anywhere. With collaboration applications now available through Web 2.0, it is possible to get a more holistic view of business projects and their most current state, regardless of location or time difference. This great visibility ensures that no one gets ‘lost’ with what is going on around him or her. Wikis and blogs, for example, can be viewed by everyone, inclusive of reader comments and edits; it ensures that nobody is left out of ‘the know’ and ensures greater corporate visibility within the organisation. Large organisations have understood that by increasing their corporate visibility to their stakeholders they can create better products and services faster, with less expense and with less risk. Certain organisation planners are now even using the online masses to predict future outcomes of profits and sales through the use of ‘forecasting markets.’ This collaborative trend marks a huge transformation in the way that organisations and the public are working together. Products and services are increasingly becoming something that customers and organisations are building together. The greatest facets of these transformation-enabling applications are that they are cheap, easy to implement, and use. This helps pilot testing with minimum effort and investment before large-scale projects are undertaken. Large organisations should be examining how such options can impact their marketing, research and analysis, communications, and collaborations. Within the next four years, any organisation not yet using collaborative technologies to talk to their customers will fall behind the competition, as most will have adopted technologies that tap into the consumer mind. The example below shows how companies, such as Sainsbury’s, have used Web 2.0 technology to their advantage. ‘173 Drury Lane’ In recent years, companies ranging from the UK-based supermarket chain Sainsbury’s to worldwide retailers have felt the wrath of dissatisfied bloggers. However, companies like J. Sainsbury have realised that, correctly channelled, such sites represent a valuable ‘barometer’ as to how the public sees them. For example, ‘173 Drury Lane’ is not a site authorized by Sainsbury’s but it is a place for customers to post constructive comments and feedback on everything the supermarket does and sells, from suggesting new ways of engaging customers, to rating their favourite features of Sainsbury’s new website. The site even holds mini-competitor analysis’ blogs where users compare what competitors have got right or wrong in their marketing approaches. This type of tacit group intelligence is priceless. The independent and individual complaints of dissatisfied bloggers can provide critical, honest, and crucial market research. Advanced organisations have noticed the real worth of this tacit intelligence and are now trying to engage bloggers and strengthen their relationships with them. Suppliers are converging their products Global communications spending reached €1.35 trillion in 2005; an 11.4 percent increase on 2004’s figures. This is attributed to double-figure increases bin wireless transport services, Internet access, public network equipment, and professional services in support of public network and enterprise equipment. bSuch high demand has catalysed an increase in innovation with new products appearing on the market with unequalled rapidity and upgrades being released bjust as fast. It has also triggered an exceptional degree of convergence. Until recently the collaboration software market was focused on tools providing specific functionality and being sold as comprehensive applications. However, bthat trend has changed. Emerging products encompass a multitude of collaboration facilities. This means one product can handle e-mails, instant messaging, and conferencing. Today’s most common collaboration applications include real-time web conferencing, distributed conversations (a form of asynchronous web 21 Issue 5 July 2008 The VIEW Journal Xplor European Edition

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Xplor View - July 2008

The Xplor View - July 2008 Contents Cover Story: Drupa 2008: The Highlights Review New Technology: Inkjet Technologies Moving Forward New Technology: QR Codes: Leading Edge but not Bleeding Edge A Fresh Look at Electronic Document Delivery Management: Growing Your Business Through Tendering The Experts Versus the Amateurs News: Xplor UK & Ireland Supports Total Print! Expo� Part Two: The Latest Developments in Knowledge Management Xplor Europe News: Short News Items for the Xplor UK Programme and Europe News

The Xplor View - July 2008

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