Collaboration
Content
HBMG
Collaboration as a Business Edge
By David Smith A white paper by HBMG Inc.
In today’s global marketplace, businesses find that they have to branch out from their traditional ways of thinking and operating. This means opening up their systems to work with others outside the enterprise. To compete and win you MUST collaborate. Obviously this is a big hurdle to overcome. Traditionally companies are hesitant about opening up their network and information systems for very valid reasons. How does a business do this without exposing trade secrets and risking a competitive edge? Once that is overcome the logistical concerns surface and prove to be daunting tasks? How can one manage electronic information and documents? How can one manage key personal data like employee information and timesheets in an efficient and effective way? Collaboration offers the answers to these challenges.
Collaboration is a standard for academia, business, and government. This is not surprising as people are social beings. Collaboration can be a natural fit for a lot of people hence the popularity and growth of easy social networks and other collaboration technologies. The benefits of collaboration are numerous. Cost reduction is, of course, an immediate benefit as is ease of communication both internally and externally. Collaborating fosters innovation, ties enterprises together with others, and leverages the capability of the entire enterprise. We have been collaborating on computer networks at various levels for years. There are two basic ways of collaborating: asynchronously and synchronously. Asynchronous, or non-real-time, collaboration includes e-mail, usenet-style threaded discussion, and file sharing. Synchronous, or real-time, collaboration includes capabilities such as instant messaging (IM), voice over IP (VOIP), video, and application sharing. Modern collaborative tools integrate these types of capabilities into a virtual collaboration environment. Collaboration is a process defined by the recursive interaction of knowledge and mutual learning between two or more people who are working together, in an intellectual endeavor, toward a common goal. Collaboration does not necessarily require leadership and can even bring better results through decentralization and egalitarianism. Collaborative methods are processes, behaviors, and conversations that relate to collaboration between individuals. These methods specifically aim to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving. Collaborative processes are supported by a category of computer software: collaboration platforms are unified electronic platforms that support synchronous and asynchronous communication through a variety of devices and channels. There are four possible levels of collaboration depending on the complexity and maturity of the collaborative process: - Information level (or transactional collaboration): sharing of data and information, e.g., prices, inventory data, logistics data, business performance data, design data, etc. - Systems level: sharing of applications, source code, software, middleware, databases and repositories, hardware, etc. - Process level: sharing parts of a procurement process, inventory management process, supply chain processes, product design, etc. - Relationship level: sharing contextual competencies, e.g., tire manufacturing with automobile design, outsourcing context. The highest level of maturity is exhibiting dynamic collaboration capabilities wherein enterprises are able to identify partners and work with them electronically.
In a 2006 global study conducted by IBM , researchers found that CEOs understand that in an increasing global marketplace collaboration is paramount. As a matter of fact, businesses acknowledge that collaboration not only internally with employees but also branching out externally with business partners and other enterprises is a key to productivity and innovation. Collaboration is the solution to this evolving business model. Businesses find that leveraging collaborative capabilities is a key element in fostering such innovation. Companies need a solid base for collaboration across multiple aspects of the enterprise. This includes internal and externals modes of interaction paired with collaborative business model and strategy. Future-facing collaborative strategies foster a collaborative culture that enhances the whole enterprise. In short, the better the capability to collaborate, the better the company performs. Collaboration is become a requirement, not an option. This said IBM’s study found that companies aren’t very good at collaborating despite their understanding and willingness to do so. The enthusiasm for collaboration was not matched by implementation, even though over 75 percent of the CEOs interviewed believe it to be a crucial requirement in furthering business capabilities. While businesses are connected, they are not collaborating at the level they should be. Why is this?
http://www.hbmginc.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
HBMG
First, collaboration is hard. Often companies find that they lack the expertise needed to undertake collaboration at the necessary scale. Collaboration is hindered by proprietary standards and incompatibility amongst infrastructures and technologies. And security and privacy are on of the biggest concerns. Companies are often leery of sharing information due to security and privacy issues as there is a real threat of unauthorized use and access, exposure and data loss. These are valid concerns. While collaboration is a natural feeling fit for people, the more information that is shared the harder it becomes to maintain security. People are apprehensive about publicly sharing information even on a small scale when it comes to private or important personal information and that is on an individual level. When it comes to business, enterprises develop a healthy paranoia concerning the potential risks and security pitfalls of collaboration. In specific areas such as government operations and especially financial sectors or medical sectors that paranoia grows exponentially. Then the problem becomes, the more enterprises try to combat security issues by surrounding themselves with security solutions, the more difficult they find effective and efficient collaboration. Cultural readiness is also a problem. The tools are out there but as evidenced from the IBM study and numerous others the trick is getting people to use them. Simply put, if people are uncomfortable using collaboration software, they will not use it. Opening up and collaborating within and especially outside of an enterprise is a particularly difficult task that often goes against the organizational structure and culture of the enterprise. It is a challenge to help companies cooperate with confidence. Having the right tools with the appropriate levels of security is a must. Whatever the need, ultimate goal, level of investment, and security the need for collaboration continues to grow in the global marketplace. Finding the set of tools is an essential step towards fully leveraging capabilities to move towards better innovation, productivity, and business and product development. HBMG Incorporated offers some solutions to these challenges. Whether you need only a document control tool or an integrated, collaborative solution to the management of your company’s information, it’s in the eManagers Suite. eManagers’ configurable modules, such as eLogs, Calendar, and Task Manager have multi-layer security to ensure that your information will be safe, yet accessible. eManagers provides centralized user administration and user authentication, and is a rapidly deployable, Web 2.0-based application. The eLogs module provides the full range of Content Management functions but costs significantly less than large scale Enterprise Content Management systems, such as FileNet, Livelink, Documentum and eDocs. eManagers eLogs can be a cost effective step on the path to a large scale companywide ECM implementation or be used to effectively handle all project, program, or departmental document and data management needs. Calendar is independent from users’ email systems and allows multiple sets of users using different email systems to coordinate meeting schedules and notices. It is an interactive, web-based online date book for your company, informing employees of the time and location of important company events such as meetings, holidays, etc. Calender manages the project calendar for scheduling field office meeting facilities and reserving specialized equipment (such as digital projectors) for use during meetings. It also has a function that allows users to add a reoccurring event, such as a weekly meeting. Calender is fully customizable, and adding events is simple. eLogs is a content manager designed for the fast paced, dynamic workplace, so content in the system can be checked out, edited, and reposted as a new version to ensure that the information is as current as possible and that everyone is working from the same, latest, version. eLogs module is a cross-platform design, making it possible to access your stored information from any machine with a web browser. eLogs is user friendly, consistent, and easy to understand. It is easy to learn, and all modules come complete with in-depth documentation of their features and uses. eLogs also has several report functions that generate easy to read reports on database information in several common file formats. Task Manager is an application within eManagers that creates, documents, and tracks tasks assigned to project personnel. It allows a user to assign a task to another user or users, making the application an excellent tool for management. After the initial task is assigned, this application allows employees to update their progress on the assignment by entering the percent of the task they have completed, along with comments pertaining to the work they are doing. The application can automatically email notifications to process participants and link project documents with associated tasks in Task Manager. Task Manager is an excellent managerial tool because it gives managers, and everyone assigned roles on the task, an up to date status on task progress and valuable insight on how to manage their team efficiently and effectively. While there are many other modules that can make up our multi-enterprise collaborative solutions these give an insight into the basic framework. Now who does your enterprise need to work with today? Copyright © 2008, HBMG Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this white paper may be reproduced in any form or by any means, other than short quotes to be used in reviews, without express permission from the publisher.
http://www.hbmginc.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
HBMG
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by HBMG Inc. 1033 La Posada Dr. Suite 310 Austin, Texas 78752 (512) 459-2000 Fax: (512) 459-5291 www.hbmginc.com
http://www.hbmginc.com
Powered by Joomla!
Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
Collaboration as a Business Edge
By David Smith A white paper by HBMG Inc.
In today’s global marketplace, businesses find that they have to branch out from their traditional ways of thinking and operating. This means opening up their systems to work with others outside the enterprise. To compete and win you MUST collaborate. Obviously this is a big hurdle to overcome. Traditionally companies are hesitant about opening up their network and information systems for very valid reasons. How does a business do this without exposing trade secrets and risking a competitive edge? Once that is overcome the logistical concerns surface and prove to be daunting tasks? How can one manage electronic information and documents? How can one manage key personal data like employee information and timesheets in an efficient and effective way? Collaboration offers the answers to these challenges.
Collaboration is a standard for academia, business, and government. This is not surprising as people are social beings. Collaboration can be a natural fit for a lot of people hence the popularity and growth of easy social networks and other collaboration technologies. The benefits of collaboration are numerous. Cost reduction is, of course, an immediate benefit as is ease of communication both internally and externally. Collaborating fosters innovation, ties enterprises together with others, and leverages the capability of the entire enterprise. We have been collaborating on computer networks at various levels for years. There are two basic ways of collaborating: asynchronously and synchronously. Asynchronous, or non-real-time, collaboration includes e-mail, usenet-style threaded discussion, and file sharing. Synchronous, or real-time, collaboration includes capabilities such as instant messaging (IM), voice over IP (VOIP), video, and application sharing. Modern collaborative tools integrate these types of capabilities into a virtual collaboration environment. Collaboration is a process defined by the recursive interaction of knowledge and mutual learning between two or more people who are working together, in an intellectual endeavor, toward a common goal. Collaboration does not necessarily require leadership and can even bring better results through decentralization and egalitarianism. Collaborative methods are processes, behaviors, and conversations that relate to collaboration between individuals. These methods specifically aim to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving. Collaborative processes are supported by a category of computer software: collaboration platforms are unified electronic platforms that support synchronous and asynchronous communication through a variety of devices and channels. There are four possible levels of collaboration depending on the complexity and maturity of the collaborative process: - Information level (or transactional collaboration): sharing of data and information, e.g., prices, inventory data, logistics data, business performance data, design data, etc. - Systems level: sharing of applications, source code, software, middleware, databases and repositories, hardware, etc. - Process level: sharing parts of a procurement process, inventory management process, supply chain processes, product design, etc. - Relationship level: sharing contextual competencies, e.g., tire manufacturing with automobile design, outsourcing context. The highest level of maturity is exhibiting dynamic collaboration capabilities wherein enterprises are able to identify partners and work with them electronically.
In a 2006 global study conducted by IBM , researchers found that CEOs understand that in an increasing global marketplace collaboration is paramount. As a matter of fact, businesses acknowledge that collaboration not only internally with employees but also branching out externally with business partners and other enterprises is a key to productivity and innovation. Collaboration is the solution to this evolving business model. Businesses find that leveraging collaborative capabilities is a key element in fostering such innovation. Companies need a solid base for collaboration across multiple aspects of the enterprise. This includes internal and externals modes of interaction paired with collaborative business model and strategy. Future-facing collaborative strategies foster a collaborative culture that enhances the whole enterprise. In short, the better the capability to collaborate, the better the company performs. Collaboration is become a requirement, not an option. This said IBM’s study found that companies aren’t very good at collaborating despite their understanding and willingness to do so. The enthusiasm for collaboration was not matched by implementation, even though over 75 percent of the CEOs interviewed believe it to be a crucial requirement in furthering business capabilities. While businesses are connected, they are not collaborating at the level they should be. Why is this?
http://www.hbmginc.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
HBMG
First, collaboration is hard. Often companies find that they lack the expertise needed to undertake collaboration at the necessary scale. Collaboration is hindered by proprietary standards and incompatibility amongst infrastructures and technologies. And security and privacy are on of the biggest concerns. Companies are often leery of sharing information due to security and privacy issues as there is a real threat of unauthorized use and access, exposure and data loss. These are valid concerns. While collaboration is a natural feeling fit for people, the more information that is shared the harder it becomes to maintain security. People are apprehensive about publicly sharing information even on a small scale when it comes to private or important personal information and that is on an individual level. When it comes to business, enterprises develop a healthy paranoia concerning the potential risks and security pitfalls of collaboration. In specific areas such as government operations and especially financial sectors or medical sectors that paranoia grows exponentially. Then the problem becomes, the more enterprises try to combat security issues by surrounding themselves with security solutions, the more difficult they find effective and efficient collaboration. Cultural readiness is also a problem. The tools are out there but as evidenced from the IBM study and numerous others the trick is getting people to use them. Simply put, if people are uncomfortable using collaboration software, they will not use it. Opening up and collaborating within and especially outside of an enterprise is a particularly difficult task that often goes against the organizational structure and culture of the enterprise. It is a challenge to help companies cooperate with confidence. Having the right tools with the appropriate levels of security is a must. Whatever the need, ultimate goal, level of investment, and security the need for collaboration continues to grow in the global marketplace. Finding the set of tools is an essential step towards fully leveraging capabilities to move towards better innovation, productivity, and business and product development. HBMG Incorporated offers some solutions to these challenges. Whether you need only a document control tool or an integrated, collaborative solution to the management of your company’s information, it’s in the eManagers Suite. eManagers’ configurable modules, such as eLogs, Calendar, and Task Manager have multi-layer security to ensure that your information will be safe, yet accessible. eManagers provides centralized user administration and user authentication, and is a rapidly deployable, Web 2.0-based application. The eLogs module provides the full range of Content Management functions but costs significantly less than large scale Enterprise Content Management systems, such as FileNet, Livelink, Documentum and eDocs. eManagers eLogs can be a cost effective step on the path to a large scale companywide ECM implementation or be used to effectively handle all project, program, or departmental document and data management needs. Calendar is independent from users’ email systems and allows multiple sets of users using different email systems to coordinate meeting schedules and notices. It is an interactive, web-based online date book for your company, informing employees of the time and location of important company events such as meetings, holidays, etc. Calender manages the project calendar for scheduling field office meeting facilities and reserving specialized equipment (such as digital projectors) for use during meetings. It also has a function that allows users to add a reoccurring event, such as a weekly meeting. Calender is fully customizable, and adding events is simple. eLogs is a content manager designed for the fast paced, dynamic workplace, so content in the system can be checked out, edited, and reposted as a new version to ensure that the information is as current as possible and that everyone is working from the same, latest, version. eLogs module is a cross-platform design, making it possible to access your stored information from any machine with a web browser. eLogs is user friendly, consistent, and easy to understand. It is easy to learn, and all modules come complete with in-depth documentation of their features and uses. eLogs also has several report functions that generate easy to read reports on database information in several common file formats. Task Manager is an application within eManagers that creates, documents, and tracks tasks assigned to project personnel. It allows a user to assign a task to another user or users, making the application an excellent tool for management. After the initial task is assigned, this application allows employees to update their progress on the assignment by entering the percent of the task they have completed, along with comments pertaining to the work they are doing. The application can automatically email notifications to process participants and link project documents with associated tasks in Task Manager. Task Manager is an excellent managerial tool because it gives managers, and everyone assigned roles on the task, an up to date status on task progress and valuable insight on how to manage their team efficiently and effectively. While there are many other modules that can make up our multi-enterprise collaborative solutions these give an insight into the basic framework. Now who does your enterprise need to work with today? Copyright © 2008, HBMG Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this white paper may be reproduced in any form or by any means, other than short quotes to be used in reviews, without express permission from the publisher.
http://www.hbmginc.com Powered by Joomla! Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
HBMG
Printed in the United States of America.
Published by HBMG Inc. 1033 La Posada Dr. Suite 310 Austin, Texas 78752 (512) 459-2000 Fax: (512) 459-5291 www.hbmginc.com
http://www.hbmginc.com
Powered by Joomla!
Generated: 18 December, 2008, 22:27
