|
|
Thursday, January 26
The growing popularity of open source intranets
by
Toby Ward
on Thu 26 Jan 2006 10:07 PM PST
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is the latest to announce their decision to build their intranet based on the open source content management platform Zope (see Royal Bank of Scotland opts for open source intranet).
RBS’s decision follows a recent string of announcements from larger organizations who chose Zope or Plone (based on Zope) to power their intranet or content management platform. Other organizations now using Plone include the BrazilianParliament, UNC Healthcare and the government of New Zealand (see www.e.govt.nz and Ministry of Women's Affairs).
Plone is emerging as the real leader in open source web platforms. Plone features enterprise content management with workflow, role-based content, a search engine and even a wiki application. Non-techies can easily use Plone with little training. The system includes templates for news, events, documents, and photos. An additional 200+ templates and tools are also available for download.
In addition to complete platforms and content management systems, there is a plethora of open source applications for plugging into your intranet including:
- Employee directory (yellow pages)
- Project management systems
- Document management systems
- Help desk
- E-Learning systems
- And many, many more
Check out FreshMeat.net and do a search on intranet for an extensive listing of available open source intranet applications.
Caution: most open source tools are not ‘plug and play’. They require a lot of care and skilled people who know how to care for them. Nor are all open source tools created equal – extensive research and care in selecting such applications is tantamount to success.
Finally, don’t put the cart before the horse:
- Identify requirements
- Build a plan
- Develop evaluation criteria
- Rate and score solution options
If open source is a new game for you or your organization, don’t hesitate to hire an outside hand (for more information contact me through Prescient Digital Media).
RELATED ITEMS:
Open source intranets
© 2006 Toby Ward - Prescient Digital Media
Monday, January 16
Google Mini for intranet
by
Toby Ward
on Mon 16 Jan 2006 11:10 PM PST
Search is an absolute essential to any successful intranet. And not just a search engine, an effective search engine. If its less than stellar, the search engine will become a distraction and detraction where the most common employee complaint will continue to be "I can't find anything!"
------------------------------------------------------
Latest from Get Strategic: AOL’s success not failure
------------------------------------------------------
While the key to effective search is more focused on the rules and processes (effective page titles, strong links, keywords, summaries, meta data, etc.), the supporting technology shouldn't be overlooked.
Google is now retailing Google Mini at an entry price of $2,995 -- a highly effective solution that indexes up to 100,000 documents. Prescient Digital Media now uses Google Mini on a client site (www.HealthyOntairo.com) and we're impressed by the feature set and ability to customize results and presentation. Particularly great is Google Mini's ability to interpret misspelled words (which you can set and hardcode yourself) and the Advanced Search options (try misspelling diabetes).
To meet demand, Google has now released two larger Minis: a second that finds up to 200,000 internal documents for $5,995; a third that indexes 300,000 documents $8,995. The full Google appliance for larger intranets starts at $30,000 and is reported to increase to as much as $600,000 for killer size intranets.
The Google Mini comes with one year of support, software updates, and hardware replacement coverage. It can be purchased online, directly from the Google Store with a credit card, check or purchase order. For more information, see http://mini.google.com.
Google Mini is a definite must for any organization looking at replacing their existing search capability, but don't forget the emphasis on rules and process...
Sunday, January 15
Microsoft’s planned evolution of the intranet
by
Toby Ward
on Sun 15 Jan 2006 10:40 PM PST
It’s long been touted that the corporate portal is the true future of the intranet. From Microsoft’s perspective, the future is Sharepoint.
For those that missed the news (which is really no longer news anymore since the first word last year), MS is merging MS Content Management Server (CMS) and SharePoint into a single group. While the products may likely be kept separate (though MS has made no announcement on this yet), it will be seamlessly integrated form the user perspective – with a single user interface (see More on Microsoft’s plans).
This is no average product announcement or program for MS. MS is reputedly spending US$300 million on this project with a full-time team of nearly one thousand people. Big plans for the future of the corporate intranet.
Arpan Shah is an MS honcho who blogs about the future of Microsoft SharePoint & CMS. In a recent blog entry (see Microsoft CMS Futures) Shah highlights the future plans for the merging of these two products into a single group or as he puts it, an “integrated set of technologies built on top of WSS (Windows SharePoint Services)” “We're careful not to say SPS "12" or CMS 2007, because packaging and licensing decisions have not been made,” says Shah. “While these technologies will be technically integrated (same development, deployment and end-user experience), we have not made decisions on how these will be packaged.”
The real bonus to users is new functionality… details (abridged) from Shah:
Content Contributor(gets better)
In Office "12", there are two primary ways for someone to author content just like in CMS 2002: via the web browser and by using a rich client, like Word. From a web browser perspective, the edit control is richer than the out-of-the-box control in CMS 2002. It has features like spell-checking, table formatting, styling and the ability for content contributors to author and use "reusable" HTML fragments - a commonly requested feature. Is it better than the Telerik control? I'm not sure how the Telerik control will progress in the Office "12" timeframe.
Rich Client Authoring - this is a much more flexible feature in the Office "12" timeframe. Out of the box, we will convert a variety of file formats to HTML (docx, wordml, xml) and provide the flexibility for customers and partners to develop their own converters. So, for example, if someone develops a PDF converter, they can enable content contributors to convert a PDF to an HTML page… Imagine a scenario where you collaborate on a case study and then want to publish it - you can now do that all very seamlessly. Another added benefit is that the system tracks where it's been published from and if it's changed from the source. So, for example, if you go to a page that has been authored using Word, for example, it will tell you that it's been published from word and will allow you to republish from the original doc OR change the page directly. Now every time you go back to the web page, it will tell you it's different from the word doc.
Template Designer(new role)
In CMS 2002, developers develop templates using Visual Studio. In Office "12", we've effectively introduced a new role allowing non-developers to create "templates" (known as Page Layouts in Office "12") using FrontPage "12". Template designers can add controls, web parts and placeholder controls (known as field controls).
Developer (more focused)
Developers develop the custom field controls (think custom placeholder controls), controls (server or user controls) and web parts. They don't have to worry about design anymore.
IT Pro (gets better)
We've added several great features making it easier for the IT Pro. For starters, there are no client installs needed for any of the roles. The edit control is a DHTML control unlike CMS 2002 which is an active-x control. Also, site manager functionality is now web-based. So if you want to add a new administrator, they don't have to install site manager.
We've also done a lot of work with deployment. Through a web-based UI, IT Pros can schedule deployments. You can schedule deployments, publish to multiple web server farms if you wanted to and you can provide your content contributors to effectively "instantly deploy" certain pages. For example, if there's a specific article that needs to get published "now", you can set that up. It's an out of the box feature.
Workflow (gets much better)
In CMS 2002, we have 1-2 step approval that is implicit based on channel security settings. There are several samples available on http://www.gotdotnet.com and several great partners that provide integrated workflow functionality. In fact, Skelta provides free workflow "lite".
In Office "12", workflow is extensible. Parameterized workflow templates are available out of the box. So if you want to create a mult-step serial or parallel workflow, you can just use one of the out-of-the-box workflow templates. Additionally, you can create your own workflow with FrontPage "12". This workflow functionality is built on top of Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) for which WSS "v3" is the host.
Integrated Search
Office "12" Enterprise Search will be integrated with CMS functionality in Office "12". We're making a lot of investments in search and this will be available out of the box.
Multi-lingual Publishing
One of the customer asks from our global customers was out-of-the-box multilingual support. CMS 2002 supports unicode and is very extensible. Customers created localized versions of the web author console. In Office "12", we provide more out of the box multi-lingual publishing capabilities.
Besides support unicode and being built on the WSS multi-lingual infrastructure (different sites in different languages), we're going to have a feature that allows you to have multiple sites in different languages. For example, if you have a section of your site called Press Releases and you want to have Press Releases in different languages (Spanish and French), you can define a source and multiple targets. By defining a source and multiple targets, the system will keep the pages in sync between the source and the different targets. This works one way (source -> target) and respects workflow on the different targets. So for example, if I add a new press release in the English section (source), after it's approved, it will create the same pages in the Spanish and French sections.
Integrated Office "12" SharePoint ServersI briefly mentioned that we are investing in ECM, Portal, Collab, Search, BI and Forms features in Office "12" SharePoint Servers. Again, these investments will be -technically- integrated providing the same development, deployment and end-user experiences. So from a technology standpoint, the next version of CMS functionality will be integrated with a whole set of other technologies allowing you to deploy an end-to-end solution. For example, ECM consists of Document Management and Records Management functionality as well.
RELATED ITEMS:
Microsoft's Worse Kept Secret
More On Microsoft's Enterprise Plans
Microsoft's Intranet Portal Innovates
More Toys From Microsoft
Successful employee yellow pages
Wednesday, January 11
Intranet Insider World Tour: Sodexho USA
by
Toby Ward
on Wed 11 Jan 2006 01:46 PM PST
Sodexho USA’s successful intranet is home grown – no portal solution, no content management platform. Despite the proliferation of expensive solutions, SodexhoNet (Sodexho’s home page) is a shining example of how intranet success can be delivered and measured without the benefit of an off-the-shelf solution.
SodexhoNet was the featured tour stop on today's Intranet Insider World Tour, presented by Communitelligence.com and hosted by myself and Sodexho's Angelo Ioffreda. Comments, questions and discussion are encouraged below...
Sodexho USA is one of the biggest companies you may not know. Sodexho USA (www.sodexhoUSA.com) is the leading provider of food and facilities management in North America, with $6 billion in annual revenues and 110,000+ employees. Sodexho runs cafeterias, housekeeping in the hospitality sector, grounds keeping, plant operations and maintenance and laundry services to more than 6,000 companies principally in health care, schools, and the military.
Headquartered in Gaithersburg, MD, Sodexho has employees spread out across and in all corners of the continent. An even greater challenge than the geographic disparity of its employees is the nature of their work. The vast majority of these employees are hourly workers who are not desktop workers with their own computers – they’re on the frontlines rather preparing and serving food, cleaning, and performing site operations. SodhexoNet is a tying bond that links most of the managers and management of this diverse and disparate group.
“The intranet is a perfect gathering place,” says Angelo Ioffreda, VP, internal communications, Sodexho USA. Companies with many thousands of employees dispersed across great regions and dozens of locations require an effective intranet. Today the intranet serves Sodexho’s managers across the world. Registered users have grown from 2,000 in April, 1999, to more than 14,500 users today.
To access the intranet, each manager pays $39.69 for annual intranet access. Surprisingly, this is not a bone of contention at Sodexho, but expected at an organization with a corporate philosophy for charging for costs incurred. The charge also benefits user managers as the onus is greater on the intranet team to deliver a winning product that is embraced. Finally, the charge also commits managers to use the intranet. If you’re paying, you better use it.
Like all effective systems, SodhexhoNet has a vision: SodexhoNet is a one-stop shop for all of our managers’ information needs and an indispensable part of a Sodexho work day.”
Accompanying the vision is some practical but key goals:
· Essential business and communications tool
· Robust, timely, relevant, accurate content
· Intuitive navigation
· Quick access
· Easy to search
· Feedback capacity
· Cost-effectiveness
SodexhoNet’s greatest strength however is its management team, lead by corporate communications.
The corporate communications team has five people including an art designer, a communications specialist/writer, the e-communications manager , e-communications specialist , and the VP. The e-communications manager and specialist are the only ones dedicated full-time to the intranet; the others contribute on a part-time basis. The eBusiness team from IT has a director, a project manager, two art designers, three programmers, and a technical trainer. They also support other IT projects.
In addition to the contributions of IT and Communications, there are well over 100 content owners-authors. Each business line has a principal content owner (e.g. health care, etc.). Each line has sub-groups (e.g. hospitals, etc.) that also contribute content.
One of the intranet’s key strengths lies in the team’s understanding that the intranet must intimately understand its target audience and constantly measure its performance. By measuring its success, Sodhexho knows where to concentrate its efforts and resources and constantly strive for improvement.
Among the many measures the intranet team tracks (for the last year measured compared to the previous year):
· User behavior and how usage is trending (those never using SodexhoNet dropped from 19% to 1%)
· SodexhoNet as a “valuable resource” to employees (from 74 to 84%)
· Registered users who visit the site monthly (from 55 to 90%)
· Most visited pages (career center, HR, health care, phone book, and search)
· Most searched terms (forms, recipe collection, performance appraisal)
· Return on investment (where possible)
One of SodexhoNet’s more innovative and successful tools is its SuperSleuth sales lead program. SuperSleuth is an intranet web page and application that encourages employees to submit sales leads and prospective clients via the intranet. The SuperSleuth intranet page generate cash rewards of up to $1000 for the person making the submission. Sodexho says it has contributed to a 100% increase in sales leads in the past year. Let me repeat: a 100% increase in company sales leads. In fact, the SuperSleuth tool has led to US$90 million dollars in managed volume (net client sales including sales by client). Proof positive of a killer application.
While the site has evolved considerably and its value has grown measurably in recent years, it hasn’t been without considerable effort and some lessons learned, says Ioffreda.
Amongst the key lessons learned:
- Create a vision
- Partner with IT (“big time,” says Ioffreda stressing the importance of a healthy working relationship with IT) – and HR
- Establish clear standards for the site
- Make end-users the center of your universe
- Incorporate real-time feedback from end-users
- Track user behavior
- Make content ‘king’
- Involve, support, and communicate with your content owners
- Develop an editorial / programming mindset
- Strive for intuitive navigation
- Improve your search and speed
- Commit to continuous improvement in product and processes
- Make your site a business tool
- Reduce costs
- Raise efficiency
- Bring in revenue
To purchase a copy of the flash presentation with audio, please visit the Communitelligence.com Learning Academy store.
Tuesday, January 3
Successful employee yellow pages
by
Toby Ward
on Tue 03 Jan 2006 03:18 PM PST
Employee yellow page directories continue to be one of the few killer intranet applications. I’ve not come across an intranet or portal (that is undertaking proper log analysis metrics) where the directory isn’t in the top three most visited pages or intranet sections.
Unfortunately, there are very few really good employee directories. IBM, Cisco, and Mastercard have really good ones. Microsoft has an incredible employee yellow pages on their intranet. Among the standard contact information provided in the average directory entry, Microsoft employee profiles also showcase:
· Employee photo
· Shared links
· Related (featured documents)
· Backup contact name and information
· Reports to...
· Direct reports...
· Team site link
· Professional and technical interests
· Industry experience
· Language fluencies
· Years at Microsoft
· Personal interests
· And more...
“None of us can personally know more than around 250 people, yet we want our companies to be smart, learning organisations where it's easy to find the right person to talk to,” writes Chris Collison, co-author of a new book "Learning to Fly - Practical knowledge management from leading and learning organisations" (Chris Collison and Geoff Parcell). “This is why many organisations create "yellow pages" applications, which enable employees to find and contact other staff with particular expertise and skills.”
Collison warns though that employee directories can be fraught with problems and “often end up as out-of-date, glorified intranet telephone directories.”
To traverse the slippery slope of creating an effective yellow pages application, Collison suggests in his book 10 key steps (adapted from Knowledge Management – Creating A Sustainable Yellow Pages System):
1- Maintain a clear and distinctive vision.
Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and avoid compromise. Beware of becoming ‘all things to all men' - particularly those in the HR and IT departments! Everyone will want a slice of the action - don't lose sight of the overarching aim of your system - making it easy to find people that you don't already know.
2- Strive for personal ownership and maintenance.
Create a process whereby only the individuals concerned can create and update their entries. This will drive a far deeper sense of ownership across the population.
3- Strike a balance between informal and formal content.
Encourage people to share non-work information about themselves in addition to valuable business information. Consider prompting for this with ‘fun' questions such as: "what was the first single that you bought?", "what is your favourite film?", or even "what makes you happy?".
4- Support the photographs wherever possible.
Nothing is more powerful and personal than a photograph. It speaks volumes about the person, raises the interest levels of others and generates personal ownership of the content. If possible encourage people to include an informal photograph. The security-pass-rabbit-in-the-headlights shots rarely show people in their best light! Better to have a photograph which says more about the person and what motivates them.
5- Ensure that your product design is flexible and inclusive.
Recognize that different people relate to templates, prompts and structure in different ways. Use focus groups to test opinion.
6- Start with a customer-facing pilot.
Critical mass is all important, so start with a group of people who have a natural need to be visible to internal customers. This might include supporting functions, existing networks or communities, or even business areas with new leadership.
7- Deliver through local enthusiasts.
Centrally-driven push isn't always the best way to engage the workforce. Tap into local enthusiasts and champions if possible - they will know how best to "sell" the concept locally.
8- Use success stories as a marketing tool.
Reinforce the usefulness of the knowledge directory at every opportunity. Publicize any examples or successes widely, and early, to reinforce your project. This is a culture change project, and culture change happens one story at a time!
9- Encourage use, but lead by example rather than edict.
Avoid mandating the population and use of the knowledge directory. People will provide better quality content if they feel that they are volunteering the information. At the end of the day, you can't ever conscript knowledge - you can only ever volunteer it. And let's face it, there's little point in finding the one person with expertise or experience that you need, if when you call them on the phone, they're unwilling to talk!
10- Embed into people processes.
Look for process and intranet ‘hooks' that could initiate and sustain the use of your knowledge directory (e.g. recruitment or induction of new staff, the launch of new networks, any reference on an intranet site which mentions a person's name can become link to their personal page.
|
|
