Enterprise 2.0 – Top down or bottom up?
Many have said that the implementation of Web 2.0 technologies in organisations (Enterprise 2.0) should be started bottom up and try to prove to the senior management that it’s a great tool and hopefully implement it across the organisation. What I have seen so far is that, this is seldom the case. I agree that this is good in theory but often doesn’t happen in practice. Senior management buy in is absolutely crucial.
If a Enterprise 2.0 platform started bottom up, likely it would be targeting a specific problem that department or business unit has. If proper planning and implementation concepts are used, it is likely that the tool would be fit for purpose and achieve its goals. Sad to say this will just be another tool that large corporations have in their IT software portfolio which could contain hundreds, if not, thousands of software titles. This will just be another point solution. Social networking and collaboration of Enterprise 2.0 requires the whole population to be involved, contributing and interacting on the virtual platform across teams and geographical solutions.
If a point solution approach is taken, it will not achieve the full benefit of Enterprise 2.0 and this would not only increase the transaction costs between parties in the organisation and also increase the ongoing software maintenance costs and licensing/support fees. Employees would have to interact over different point solutions to get to their objective (assuming there are multiple solutions for collaboration and knowledge sharing). In this event, the Enterprise 2.0 will become a liability to the organisation.
Bottom up approach is great – this shows that people who are executing daily chores wants to use it to help improve efficiency and productivity. However, once the senior management sees a change in attitudes, this is time for change. Conduct proper business analysis, business case, strategy and everything a good consulting company would do in a software implementation project and select the best tool for the organisation and decommission any old system that is not fit for purpose anymore.
Only this way can organisations achieve the benefits of Enterprise 2.0. As I said before, innovation at a departmental level will result in departmental results.
nadia T said,
So i guess a small business is best LOL
I have been working with Deskaway and really we have non of these questions cause we just grew after we were using the software if it had to be installed later then probably I would have to wonder whether to install it at the grass root level or at senior level.
Dean Thrasher said,
“Point solutions” do have their place, but you’re right that the real benefits of E2.0 come later, with broad acceptance of the principle of transparency and the benefits of sharing.
Some organizations agree with the principles, but don’t know the right tool. For those companies, a point solution helps validate that a particular tool can get the job done.
Other organizations aren’t convinced that the benefits of collaboration outweigh the potential risks. In that case, it makes sense to have high-level sponsors and advocates.
Sean Lew said,
I totally agree with you. However, many a times, point solutions continues to stay as point solutions and that worries me as a consultant.
Just to add, The more long-term point solutions an organisation has, the more information management/governance issues they will experience and would cost alot of time and effort to consolidate them.
I feel that, in general, high level sponsors are a must for a successful collaborative platform.
Add A Comment