Without access to historical information, organizations today would be severely limited in their ability to make informed, appropriate decisions regarding even the most basic aspects of their business. However, the challenges encountered during attempts to gather, codify and distribute this knowledge can be daunting. The answer for many organizations and their CIOs is Web 2.0 adapted for business-a rich social networking environment that provides secure and integrated collaboration tools which allow employees to harness the total knowledge of the extended enterprise. This whitepaper outlines the four keys to success and discusses the ROI of Web 2.0.
CIO White Paper
Web 2.0 @ work: how CIOs can help drive business
returns by improving organizational effectiveness
January 2009January 2009
Web 2.0 @ work: how CIOs can help drive
business returns by improving organizational
effectiveness
Without access to historical information, organizations today would be severely limited in their ability to make informed, appropriate decisions regarding even the most basic aspects of their business. However, the challenges encountered during attempts to gather, codify and distribute this knowledge can be daunting. The answer for many organizations and their CIOs is Web 2.0 adapted for business-a rich social networking environment that provides secure and integrated collaboration tools which allow employees to harness the total knowledge of the extended enterprise.
Jim, a sales rep, is updating the company's customer rela The four keys to success tionship management (CRM) application with the success IBM has uncovered four keys to a successful, sustainable ful results of his recent meeting. The customer wants to Web 2.0 initiative for business growth. move quickly and receive a proposal within the week. As Jim completes the update, something unusual happens. 1. Put business ?rst A screen pops up, displaying a list of people at his com To be valuable to the people who will be using them, an pany who have experience with customers that are in the organization's Web 2.0 tools need to work in ways that same industry or have similar product and service needs. users already work, in situations users are likely to ?nd When he moves his mouse over the name of one particu themselves. lar colleague, Barb, he sees a listing of previously created proposals similar to the one he needs to create, along 2. Embed the tools with documents describing win plans and Barb's blog A strategy of embedding Web 2.0 tools into existing applientries on successful strategies and services for similar cations and processes solves two key challenges to social customers. Jim clicks on Barb's picture to call her or, if she networking initiatives in many organizations: adoption is online, send her an instant message. resistance and the realization of measurable bene?ts.
Enabling innovation 3. Focus on roles Role-based tools can break down traditional organization According to CEOs around the world, innovation is a cru barriers of department, geography and procedure to allow cial component of today's adaptable enterprise. A recent users unfettered access to sources of expertise and inforIBM CEO study revealed innovation, along with global inte mation that would otherwise not be discovered as quickly, gration and a disruptive business model, to be among the if at all. 1 key traits of the Enterprise of the Future. As to how that innovation will take place-CEOs include collaboration and 4. Foster a collaborative culture 2 the use of Web 2.0 tools at the top of the list. To encourage employees to adopt social networking, key behaviors-such as sharing of expertise and reuse of existing corporate assets-need to be incented by the organization. The result: a more adaptable With these components as a framework, IBM has created enterprise a ?rst-of-a-kind ROI model for collaboration, showing the bene?ts of Web 2.0 that result from the interactions of According to the IBM Global Human Capital Study 2008, roles in the organization. the following are characteristics of companies that are "very capable of adapting to changing business For more information conditions": To obtain a copy of the full white paper Web 2.0 @ work: how CIOs can help drive business returns by improving ? Able to predict future skills organizational effectiveness-or to learn more about Web ? Effective in locating experts 2.0, IBM's Web 2.0 Goes to Work initiative, or IBM's prod? 3 Effective in collaboration. ucts and services for social networking, please contact As has been illustrated, a thoughtful, business-oriented your IBM marketing representative or IBM Business Web 2.0 implementation is highly capable of helping Partner, or visit the following Web site: ibm.com/cio/ organizations realize these characteristics of adaptability. empower Other potential bene?ts include shortened time-to-market horizons, facilitation of successful change and improved Additionally, IBM Global Financing can tailor ?nancing soluoperating efficiency. tions to your spe... [download for more]
