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Ich habe mich im Internet Mal wieder nach neuen Blogs umgeschaut und bin dabei über Stefan Pfeiffer auf den folgenden Post gekommen: “Gibt es einen Markt für Enterprise 2.0?”

Ja, brauchen wir, war meiner Meinung nach die einfache und deutliche Antwort. Aber dann habe ich Mal scharf darüber nachgedacht. Was ist eigentlich Enterprise 2.0…vor allem in der Abgrenzung zu Web 2.0, Social Media, Social Networking und den ganzen anderen Begriffen, die im Moment so rumfliegen.

Offensichtlich braucht de Markt das, so zumindest die vielen Kollegen die als Social Media Experten durch die Gegend reisen und die vielen ehemaligen Enterprise Content Management Abteilungen und Produkten die plötzlich Enterprise 2.0 heißen. Andrew McAfees Buch mit dem Titel Enterprise 2.0 ist in den Bestsellerlisten ganz oben. Der Markt braucht also Enterprise 2.0.

Wie sieht es aus mit dem Kunden? Dem Kunden in Deutschland? Twittert(zwitschert) er, baut er eine Facebook Fanpage auf und geistern die Mitarbeiter durch Google Buzz, Google Wave, etc. um dort Kunden auf zu tun? Die Antwort ist ein deutliches ‘jein’. Mann zwitschert aus Spass und vielleicht noch aus Marketing Kalkül und aus persönlichen Gründen. Eine Fanpage wird erstellt bei Marken, damit es kein anderer zuerst macht. Alles schön und gut, aber nur ein weiterer Kanal in den Markt.

Viel interessanter ist was man mit den neuen Tools innerhalb eines Unternehmens erreichen kann. Wo ist der Mehrwert bei der Wissenserfassung und Verteilung. Wie bekomme ich die Informationen zum richtigen Zeitpunkt zur richtigen Person?

Bei dieser Frage sind natürlich sehr viele Faktoren zu berücksichtigen. Viel zu viele für einen kurzen Blogpost, aber die Antwort, so vielschichtig sie auch ist, ist fast nie eindeutig. Es führen mehrere Wege nach Rom, aber nicht alle ! Was mir bei vielen, die über die neuen Enterprise 2.0 Technologien sprechen fehlt ist das Verständnis für die dahinter liegenden geschäftlichen Bedürfnisse, das Verständnis für die Firmenkultur und die Möglichkeiten die bereits vorhanden sind. Nicht neu um jeden Preis und Web 2.0 um jeden Preis, sondern intelligentes analysieren der Bedürfnisse und zwar ganzheitlich, nicht auf der Mikroebene sind notwendig… und da haben dann auch die vielen Enterprise 2.0 / Social Media Collaboration tools ihren ersten Einsatz… bei dem Erarbeiten der Bedürfnisse. Erst dann haben wir den Kunden wirklich erkannt und die richtigen Fragen gestellt und können wir mit Sicherheit sagen – Ja-es gibt einen Markt für Enterprise 2.0.

For the last several years, more and more people have started to talk about Enterprise 2.0 and look at these tools as a viable alternative. Although our own research has shown that understanding and lack of viable case studies has hindered progress, the technology has not stood still.

Today,
many of the features and functionalities that we know and end-users
have come to expect from their external and web-based applications have
moved into the extended enterprise. Social Networks, Blogs and Wikis
are both accepted and used in large and small organizations to improve
information sharing, collaboration and communication. The technology
strategy is probably to easiest to deal with and often gives the least
amount of challenges. Users however have a certain motivation for using
these tools outside of their workplace, but inside the workplace this
is a different issue.

An
implementation needs to deal with more than just new procedures, it
needs to be transported across and be integrated with the beliefs and
values of employees as they put all of their information, data and
knowledge into the new tools. The main aspects here are:

• Structure

• Process
• Current Practises
• Team Strategy
• Communication
• Innovation
• Leadership
• Strategy
• Industry
• Technology

Each
one of these need to be evaluated! How are they influenced by culture
and how do they influence culture. Also, is this a hindrance or a boon
to Enterprise 2.0 Ways of Working?

The
best way to do this is a spider-web chart onto which each one of these
factors is captured and then filled out by employees, management and
senior management. This can then help to identify shortcomings and
whole, both in reality as well as perception.

Each
one of these factors needs evaluation and an acceptance of the
conclusions to go forward in order to improve. Best practice and
experience however tells us that this is not always easy or even
achievable. But not looking into these factors and not accepting the
conclusions of the analysis is a sure-fire way of not achieving the
goals you set out to achieve. Which brings me to the main issue of
needing – A solid Business Strategy!

Here
it is important to realize what the organization is trying to achieve;
first as a business organization, and second with the use of these new
tools and ways of working. It is surprising how many organizations are
still struggling to reach a consensus on business strategy and how to
move forwards as an organization. What are the Critical Success Factors
and how can they be measured? Is it only about more turnover and margin
or is there more to it than that? Once these have been defined and
accepted, then it is time to bring in Enterprise 2.0.

What
are the areas defined as part of the organizational culture that need
more support and need to be improved. Which tools can help us to
achieve this? Is it collaboration or findability we are trying to
improve, or is it an email replacement strategy? Maybe improve customer
service, speed up a process and create a new Reality by having Wiki’s
instead of classical Document Management Systems, giving people more
places to leave their ideas to drive Innovation inside the organization
and across departments? Each one of these goals needs to be looked at,
evaluated, and checked against the stakeholders in the organization,
this is not as easy as it seems.

Finally
some free advice for every organization before moving your project
forward. Remember that these tools can generate a huge amount of
additional unstructured content. Some of it is very much relevant, may
be discoverable and may need to fall under whatever Records Management
Policy is already in place. These tools may present new problems in
each one of those areas. Let’s also not forget that content is created
in many different places and these tools may need to integrate with a
number of existing applications.

Enterprise
2.0 is full of opportunities, but it also presents its own set of
challenges that need to be faced before an implementation can be deemed
a success. There are plenty of examples out there where this is the
case, but rather than re-invent the wheel, make sure you sign up for
some best practice training first. Why not try AIIM’s Enterprise 2.0 Certificate program on www.aiim.org/freetraining and use the code E25PA9?