enterprise2.0andcollaborative! technologies! -...

Enterprise 2.0 and Collaborative Technologies | 1

Information Capability Research Programme Research Working Paper (internal)

Prepared by:

Susan P. Williams

Created: May 2010 Closed: February 2011

I N T E G R A T E D B U S I N E S S D E S I G N

R e s e a r c h W o r k i n g P a p e r ( I n t e r n a l )

Enterprise 2.0 and collaborative technologies

Enterprise 2.0 and Collaborative Technologies | 2

Information Capability Research Programme

University of Koblenz-Landau/University of Sydney

Research Working Paper (internal)

Publication history:

Version: 1.0 Created May 2010

File closed: February 2011

UPDATE July 2011:

This working paper provided the starting point for the research stream on E2.0 collaborative technologies, has been through many iterations and should not be cited.

The final version of this internal working paper was published in German, please cite this paper as follows:

Williams, Susan P. (2011): Das 8C-Modell für kollaborative Technologien, in: Schubert, Petra; Koch, Michael (Hrsg.), Wettbewerbsfaktor Business Software, pp. 11-21, München: Hanser, 2011.

Also published from this research stream:

Williams S.P. and Schubert, P. (2011) ‘An Empirical Study of Enterprise 2.0 in Context’ Proceedings of the 24th Bled eConference (eFuture: Creating Solutions for the Individual, Organisations and Society, June 12 - 15, 2011; Bled, Slovenia.

Williams S.P. and Hardy, C.A. (2011) ‘Information management issues and challenges in an Enterprise 2.0 era: imperatives for action’ Proceedings of the 24th Bled eConference (eFuture: Creating Solutions for the Individual, Organisations and Society, June 12 - 15, 2011; Bled, Slovenia.

Enterprise 2.0 and Collaborative Technologies

CONTENTS

Introduction 4

Overview of the 8C Framework 4 Inner core –the project context 5 Proximal influences: the wider enterprise context 7

The challenge of convergence 9

Classifying E2.0 projects 10

Summary 11

References 12


Introduction As Enterprise 2.0 (E2.0) projects move out of the early experimentation phase greater attention must be focused on examining the structures, processes and operations surrounding them and on understanding their contexts of use. The E2.0 case studies presented in this book achieve this by providing deeper insights into the reasons why specific projects are initiated, the business activities and processes that are being supported and the technology solutions that are being implemented.

In this chapter we present the 8C framework for analysing E2.0 projects as part of the wider enterprise information landscape. The framework provides a method for classifying and mapping E2.0 projects and is applied in chapter 3 to classify and compare the E2.0 case studies presented in this book.

Figure 1: 8C Framework for Enterprise Information Management

Overview of the 8C Framework

The 8C Framework for Enterprise Information Management (EIM) was developed to provide an integrated framework for analysing and evaluating a specific collaborative technology initiative as an integrated part of an organisation’s information infrastructure. The 8C’s framework (shown in Figure 1) provides a useful analytical lens for investigating E2.0 initiatives in context. It sets a specific technology project within its wider business context.

The framework comprises eight elements organised into two zones. The inner core (elements: communication, cooperation, combination, coordination) represents the specific project goals. The outer layer, the proximal influences (elements: content management, compliance, change,


contribution) represent keys aspects of the wider enterprise context. The eight elements are discussed in more detail below.

Inner core –the project context

The inner core focuses on a specific E2.0 implementation project in terms of:

1) the business activities that are being supported and

2) the collaborative tools that are being implemented in the technology solution.

The inner core (Figure 2) describes the business activity in terms of four elements: Communication, Cooperation, Coordination and Combination.

Figure 2: The inner core: activities being supported

The four core elements are a refinement and extension of the well-known 3C collaboration model that originated in foundation research in groupware and collaborative work [cf. Ellis et al 1991]. The original 3C Model focuses on collaboration in terms of Communication, Coordination and Cooperation. In E2.0 projects an additional focus is placed on the creation and re-use of digital content. In particular on end-users generating new digital content through tools such as wikis and blogs and combining and re-using existing digital content using applications such as mashups, portals and RSS feeds. Thus, we add a fourth element to our framework: Combination, to account for the activities and tools that directly support the creation, use and management of digital content.

COMMUNICATION: PEOPLE EXCHANGING MESSAGES

In our context communication involves people exchanging messages with people. This exchange may be direct and person-to-person (e.g. voice chat in skype) or indirect (e.g. via a message left as a post in a blog to be read at a later time by a not yet defined reader). This element includes functions and tools capable of supporting different modes of communication in terms of time (asynchronous/synchronous), location (collocated/remote), media (sound, video, text) and different


communication relationships (one-to-one, one-many) and exchange can be uni-, bi- or multi-directional. [cf. Johansen 1988].

COOPERATION/COLLABORATION: PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER

Collaboration refers to the mutual engagement of two or more parties in the achievement of common goals. The focus is on the tools and functions that enable people to work together. Not just simply exchanging messages (i.e. communicating) but entering into a well-defined relationship to work together on the same task, e.g. collaboratively writing and editing a report.

Cooperation is similar to collaboration, in that it involves people working together but their relationship may be less well defined or there is a division of labour. For example, where each party completes their own tasks independently and the collection of all tasks achieves a final goal (e.g. tagging a document and adding it to a wiki) [cf. Mattessich/Monsey 1992, Roschelle/Teasley 1995, Miles 2009].

COORDINATION: THE ORCHESTRATION OF PROCESSES, WORKFLOWS, EVENTS AND TASKS

Coordination refers to the functions and activities that support the orchestration of work and tasks and managing access to resources such as meeting rooms, documents etc. In the framework we use the term coordination to refer to activities and tools that support the allocation of resources and the definition and execution of all kinds of workflows and tasks, from highly structured (e.g. automation of document flows, reminders and alerts) to semi-structured and ad-hoc processes (e.g. project tracking, case document management). [cf. Carstensen/Sørensen 1996, Schmidt/Simone 1996].

Tools that enable the scheduling of appointments through shared calendars are considered coordination tools. Chatting to a colleague on skype and discussing a date for a meeting is not considered coordination. Support for coordination can also be seen in the distribution of (workspace) awareness information that helps people to (implicitly) react to or account for activities of others. The emphasis is placed on orchestrating workflows and on task support.

COMBINATION/CONTENT: IMPROVING THE ORGANISATION AND RE-USE OF DIGITAL CONTENT

This area is core to most collaborative technologies as they all generate content that must in some way be managed (e.g. blog postings, emails, jointly authored documents, tweets, log files etc.). The focus here is on the methods, tools and functions that facilitate the organisation of digital information, improve information findability (search, location and retrieval) and support the aggregation, integration and re-use of digital content. For example it includes activities such as those associated with creation of metadata and the tagging of information artefacts; the integration and aggregation of content using mashups and RSS feeds [cf. AIIM 2008b, Gurram et al. 2008].

The activities represented in the inner core can be seen as people oriented and information oriented (Figure 3). In communication and collaboration the focus is largely on activities that enable people to communicate and to work together. With coordination and combination the focus is on activities and that support the creation and management of information content and the coordination of workflows to orchestrate the exchange of information.


Figure 3: People-‐oriented and information-‐oriented functionality

Proximal influences: the wider enterprise context

The outer layer of the 8C framework integrates a specific collaborative technologies project (represented by the supported activities in the inner core) within the wider enterprise context and focuses attention on the management of: Content, Change, Contribution and on ensuring Compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

As projects move out of the experimentation phase they must be embedded in existing work practices and integrated with existing systems and processes. The new solution must be developed as a viable and compliant business (or government) service. For example, using Facebook to release company information and gather feedback from customers requires business roles and processes to be clearly defined. It is here that we find some of the main challenges facing organisations [Hardy and Williams 2010]. For example, who is responsible for the stewardship of the information? How will usage policies be created and enforced? What types of service levels (e.g. response times and response types) are appropriate? How will information be preserved and made available in the event of litigation discovery requirement?

CONTENT MANAGEMENT: MANAGEMENT OF DIGITAL CONTENT OVER ITS WHOLE LIFECYCLE

Determinations must be made about the management and custodianship of the information generated by collaborative technologies across the entire information lifecycle. That is, from the point the information is created to its final archiving or destruction. At each stage of the cycle information must be purposefully managed.

This element of the framework includes activities such as the design of metadata and the structuring of documents, implementation of storage, retrieval and retention systems and policies, rights management and monitoring the effectiveness of search and findability of information. It


also includes all the policies relating to information management and use. [cf. AIIM 2010, Gantz et al. 2008]

COMPLIANCE: MANAGING INFORMATION RISKS AND MEETING LEGAL REQUIREMENTS

The introduction of a new collaborative technology may bring new risks or intensify old risks and must therefore be considered within the wider legal and regulatory environments that businesses operate within.

There are new risks arising from the use of social media and end-user content creation (e.g. ensuring such information is available for e-discovery and compliant with regulatory requirements). There are also increased risks around social media and privacy and data protection requirements. For example, ensuring that Personally Identifiable Information [PII] and business information is protected and only available to authorised entities. [cf. Miles 2009, FINRA 2010]

CHANGE: MANAGING BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION & BUSINESS PROCESS CHANGE

The introduction of a new collaborative technology may bring about significant business and technology transformation and change. Such change must be managed and may require alterations to existing business processes. For example, E2.0 is changing the ways that organisations interact with their customers, by adding new channels and services. [cf. AIIM 2008a] Conversely, existing business processes may shape how a particular new collaborative technology is introduced and integrated into the organisation. For example, the integration of information arising from a new collaborative technology with the organisation’s existing business processes for Master Data Management.

CONTRIBUTION: THE COSTS AND BENEFITS.

Contribution relates to the identification and measurement of the costs and benefits that the organisation achieves from its investments in collaborative technologies. It also places a focus on the monitoring and management of those benefits over time as individual initiatives become integrated into the wider enterprise information infrastructure. [cf. Bughin et al. 2009, Andriole 2010]

Figure 4: convergence brings different functionality together


The challenge of convergence

A major challenge when assessing E2.0 technologies and their contexts of use is convergence of functionality (Figure 4). For example, the addition of Facebook and Twitter-like functionality has added social media capabilities to CRM software and the addition of portal/mashup functionality has added data aggregation and integration capabilities to ERP systems. There is now considerable evidence of convergence between established business software and newer E2.0 collaborative technologies. The trend in business software towards convergence of functionality means it is not always clear what purpose a particular application is being used for, or what work activity is being supported. Is the focus mostly on communication, collaboration, coordination or content combination, or is it equally focused in all areas? Table 1 provides four vignettes; they each represent an E2.0 project in the area of customer-relationship management and demonstrate very different activity and technology focus. The vignettes are developed from real-world cases and show that whilst all four cases are described as E2.0, the kind of work being supported varies greatly.

CRM Activity focus Description

Vignette 1 Communication People to people, exchange of information

In a particular case of CRM the business need and the technology solution are directed towards opening up more channels of communication (uni and bi-directional) between the organisation and its customers. Here the focus is on the exchange of information between the organisation and its customers, on person-to-person communication with customers and on the gathering of information or feedback from customers. The company uses Bang the Table, a Web 2.0 application to coordinate community consultation.

Vignette 2 Cooperation/collaboration people working together to create a joint solution/outcome

In another CRM situation the business requirements and technology solution are focused on the co-design of new products or the tailoring or existing products. For example, a situation that involves the customers in the design process in the design of a new kitchen. The company needs to know more about the customers preferences so the customer and company agent work together in a shared drawing space to cooperate on the final specification of the kitchen layout. The focus here is of cooperation/collaboration; the parties working together on a shared solution using an online shared drawing tool.

Vignette 3 Coordination Managing tasks and workflows

In another project the emphasis is on the coordination of a customer project (e.g. in a case management situation) where following up on a specific customers needs is at the heart of the work. For example, designing workflows for the processing of clients’ instructions relating to a court case, setting alerts and deadlines for actions on tasks relating to the case. Here the focus is primarily on coordinating work within the organisation to make sure events take place rather than on collaborating with the customer as in Vignette 2. The technology solution is an integrated legal case management tool that manages project documentation, the scheduling of tasks and action and the billing of partners’ time

Vignette 4 Combination Creating and adding value to digital information

In another CRM situation the focus is on organising and improving the digital content for both the organisation and the customer. For example, enhancing search and classification of product and technical information to improve the findability of digital information on a company web site/portal and providing information feeds to customers e.g. technical change information etc. Here the emphasis is on improving the re-use and combination of content and making it available (locatable and retrievable) to the customer.

Table 1: Vignettes using CRM as an example


Classifying E2.0 projects

As discussed above understanding the scope of activities and technologies presents a complex challenge for organisations especially amidst the hype that is surrounding E2.0. Companies are seeking assistance in selecting appropriate technologies and integrating them into their existing information infrastructures.

Building on the inner core of the 8C framework we have developed a method for mapping and visualizing the focus of the business requirements and functionality in a specific E2.0 project. The goal is to identify which kinds of business requirements are being supported by a specific technology solution. We are interested in capturing the functionality that is actually being used rather than that which is on offer. We therefore made a determination to generate a grounded classification based on the functions that were actually used in the projects analysed in our empirical case studies. We analysed each case study and identified the functions being used to support activity in the project. Using a coding process [guided by Saldaña 2009], we classified the functions into the elements: communication, cooperation, coordination, content. This was done through an iterative review cycle involving the two experienced coders and a third expert in the area of E2.0 technologies. Following four review cycles we identified 58 features in the area of Content Combination, 36 features for Communication, 34 for Coordination and 19 for Cooperation/Collaboration.

Table 2 shows an excerpt from the classification scheme for the area of Cooperation/Collaboration. If a feature on the list is used in the case study then it is given a rating value = 1. When the scope of activity/technology in each of the 4C areas was completed for each case study project we then visualised the results using spiderweb diagrams (see Figure 5).

Table 2: excerpt from the list of identified features grouped by the inner 4Cs of the 8C Model


Figure 5: Example spiderweb diagram for case study company (Fritz & Macziol)

Summary

In this chapter we have presented a framework for analysing E2.0 projects in context. The framework has been developed to assist organisations assess the impact of their E2.0 projects within the wider enterprise information management landscape. We use the 8C framework to develop a classification schema to classify the activities being supported in specific E2.0 projects. We focus most attention on the 4Cs in the inner core of the framework and extend the classification schema by using spiderweb diagrams to visualise the scope of individual projects. In the next chapter we apply the 8C’s framework, the classification schema and spiderwebs to analyse and compare the E2.0 case studies presented in this book.

0

5

10Communication

Cooperation

Content Combination

Coordination

FRITZ & MACZIOL(Lotus Connections)


References

AIIM (2008a): Enterprise 2.0: Agile, emergent and integrated. AIIM Market Intelligence Quarterly Q1. [http://www.aiim.org]

AIIM (2008b): Content Creation and Delivery. AIIM Market Intelligence Quarterly Q2. [http://www.aiim.org/green-ecm/research/Content-Creation-Delivery-Capture]

AIIM (2010): State of the ECM Industry 2010. AIIM Industry Watch. [http://www.aiim.org/Research/Industry-Watch/ECM-State-of-Industry-2010]

Andriole, SJ (2010): Business impact of Web 2.0 technologies. Communications of the ACM, Vol 53, No 12, pp.67-77.

Bughin, J et al (2009): How companies are benefitting from Web 2.0. McKinsey Global Survey Results. [https://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/PDFDownload.aspx?ar=2432]

Carstensen, PH; Sørensen. C (1996): From the social to the systematic. Mechanisms supporting coordination in design, Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Vol 5 No 4, S. 387-413.

Ellis, CA; Gibbs, SJ; Rein GL (1991): Groupware – Some issues and experiences. Communications of the ACM, Vol 34, No 1. pp. 38-58.

FINRA (2010): Social Media Web Sites Guidance on Blogs and Social Networking Web Sites. FINRA Regulatory Notice 10-06. [http://www.finra.org/web/groups/industry/@ip/@reg/@notice/documents/notices/p120779.pdf]

Gantz, D. et al (2008): The Diverse and Exploding Digital Universe. IDC/EMC White Paper. [http://www.emc.com/collateral/analyst-reports/diverse-exploding-digital-universe.pdf]

Gurram, R; Mo, B; Gueldmeister, R (2008): A web based mashup platform for Enterprise 2.0. Web Information Systems Engineering- WISE 2008 LNCS 5176, pp. 144-151.

Hardy, C. Williams, SP (2010): Developing an information capability. Practitioner Survey and Focus Group Findings. Project Report. August 2010 [http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/7117 ]

Johansen, R. (1988): “Groupware: Computer support for business teams,” New York: The Free Press, 1988.

Mattessich, P.W. & Monsey, BR. (1992): Collaboration: What makes it work: A review of research literature on factors influencing successful collaboration. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Miles, D (2009): Collaboration and Enterprise 2.0: Work-meets-play or the future of business? AIIM Industry Watch Report. AIIM: Silver Spring, MD.

Roschelle, J.; Teasley, S. D. (1995): The construction of shared knowledge in collaborative problem solving. in C. O'Malley (ed), Computer supported collaborative learning. pp. 67-97. Berlin, Germany: Springer. 1995.

Saldaña, J. (2009): The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers. London: SAGE.

Schmidt, K; Simone, C (1996): Coordination Mechanisms: Towards a Conceptual Foundation of CSCW Systems Design, Computer Supported Cooperative Work. Vol 5 No. 2-3, pp.155-200.

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