“The market for front-to-end solutions will grow.”
Turning the Enterprise 2.0 vision into a reality will require the introduction of platforms for knowledge management, for project coordination and for many different forms of collaboration. Pascal Matzke, Vice President of Forrester Research, answered our questions on the deployment of social software in a business context.
The potential uses of open-space tools for hierarchy-free communication were discovered 25 years ago. Social software with Web 2.0 features is not all that different. What is the current hype all about?
There is some justification to your question. After all, the technologicalbasis for managing collective intelligence has existed for some time. However, the digital-native generation is generating an influx of new employees for whom Facebook, Twitter and similar networks are givens – they are communication channels they expect to use within their working environments. This generation has grown up with the concept of personal networking, with the integration of knowledge. And they reject traditional, restricted processes. The second reason is globalization. For cost and other reasons, businesses are moving communications into the virtual space, and doing without physical, face-to-face meetings. At the same time, increasing intraand inter-enterprise integration is generating demand for consistent collaboration platforms.
There is some justification to your question. After all, the technologicalbasis for managing collective intelligence has existed for some time. However, the digital-native generation is generating an influx of new employees for whom Facebook, Twitter and similar networks are givens – they are communication channels they expect to use within their working environments. This generation has grown up with the concept of personal networking, with the integration of knowledge. And they reject traditional, restricted processes. The second reason is globalization. For cost and other reasons, businesses are moving communications into the virtual space, and doing without physical, face-to-face meetings. At the same time, increasing intraand inter-enterprise integration is generating demand for consistent collaboration platforms.
The wisdom of the crowd, collective intelligence – is Enterprise 2.0 the key? It sounds more like a fairytale?
The idea of making hierarchies more flexible, and of creating successful selfmanaging organizational structures is highly promising, very tangible, and no fairytale. The new generation of young employees expects a very different approach, and far more transparency when it comes to decision-making processes in business organizations. They expect and engage in competition with each other in a very natural way, and are alienated by rigid hierarchies. Companies need to respond; they need to create transparency from the board down to the basement, and the other way around. If they fail to do so, they will not attract and retain the young high-potential recruits now graduating from niversities. And at the very least, they need to secure their participation on a project-by-project basis by deploying many-to-many communications.
The idea of making hierarchies more flexible, and of creating successful selfmanaging organizational structures is highly promising, very tangible, and no fairytale. The new generation of young employees expects a very different approach, and far more transparency when it comes to decision-making processes in business organizations. They expect and engage in competition with each other in a very natural way, and are alienated by rigid hierarchies. Companies need to respond; they need to create transparency from the board down to the basement, and the other way around. If they fail to do so, they will not attract and retain the young high-potential recruits now graduating from niversities. And at the very least, they need to secure their participation on a project-by-project basis by deploying many-to-many communications.
It sounds like a cultural challenge?
For many enterprises, it is. In most organizations, we encounter diverse generations within one working environment: the old guard, the baby boomers, generation X, and now the digital natives. This means considerable challenges in terms of cultural change management. But it is important to understand that each generation has its own specific abilities and insights that it can bring to business processes. We need new concepts that enable the cross-generational learning of the necessary skills, helping to create a new culture of communication and collaboration.
For many enterprises, it is. In most organizations, we encounter diverse generations within one working environment: the old guard, the baby boomers, generation X, and now the digital natives. This means considerable challenges in terms of cultural change management. But it is important to understand that each generation has its own specific abilities and insights that it can bring to business processes. We need new concepts that enable the cross-generational learning of the necessary skills, helping to create a new culture of communication and collaboration.
So what kind of companies need to take note of Enterprise 2.0 plaforms?
Basically any company whose operations require extremely collaborative processes, for example project-driven businesses such as consulting and ICT. Also industries where research and development play a pivotal role; in other words the automotive sector, pharmaceuticals – where lengthy and complicated international approval procedures for medicines require extremely interactive approaches. And the manufacturers of consumer products, who need to involve consumers in their own processes in order to achieve customer satisfaction and innovation.
Basically any company whose operations require extremely collaborative processes, for example project-driven businesses such as consulting and ICT. Also industries where research and development play a pivotal role; in other words the automotive sector, pharmaceuticals – where lengthy and complicated international approval procedures for medicines require extremely interactive approaches. And the manufacturers of consumer products, who need to involve consumers in their own processes in order to achieve customer satisfaction and innovation.
From user-generated content to mass collaboration – what do ICT providers have to do in response to the blurring of lines between employees, partners and customers?
They need to operate as IT factories, creating a toolbox of modular elements based on standards, and they need to combine them with more business-driven solutions, and to offer them to customers within the context of business processes. The market for comprehensive front-to-end customer solutions will grow, and only providers with a portfolio that addresses both aspects, standards and go-to-market, will be in a strong position. Niche providers will only stand a chance if they join forces to create eco-systems. This is the only way to resolve the challenge that can be summed up as: IT as aggregator and integrator.
They need to operate as IT factories, creating a toolbox of modular elements based on standards, and they need to combine them with more business-driven solutions, and to offer them to customers within the context of business processes. The market for comprehensive front-to-end customer solutions will grow, and only providers with a portfolio that addresses both aspects, standards and go-to-market, will be in a strong position. Niche providers will only stand a chance if they join forces to create eco-systems. This is the only way to resolve the challenge that can be summed up as: IT as aggregator and integrator.
