Clearvale Use Case: Research and Development Cooperative Product Management Extranet Network

Who Works for This Company? Dave is the VP of Development at a medium sized accounting software developer. His team resides locally and in Russia; the Russian team is hired through a sub-contractor. Employee turnover high and the team must know new accounting laws.

Dave is the VP of Development at a medium sized accounting software developer.

His team resides locally and in Russia; the Russian team is hired through a sub-contractor.

Employee turnover high and the team must know new accounting laws.

What are the R&D Challenges? R&D teams are distributed across broad geographic regions. Hard to manage documents across regions, especially when working with sub-contractors. Difficult for workers to collaborate on projects with minimal or no face-to-face time with colleagues. Managers are challenged with tracking work done locally and remotely; must utilize the best resources and work to improve the performance of others.

R&D teams are distributed across broad geographic regions.

Hard to manage documents across regions, especially when working with sub-contractors.

Difficult for workers to collaborate on projects with minimal or no face-to-face time with colleagues.

Managers are challenged with tracking work done locally and remotely; must utilize the best resources and work to improve the performance of others.

Why Clearvale Instead of Web 1.0? Web 1.0 One way communication—top down. Missed opportunities to leverage the knowledge of high-performers. Contractors and even some employees do not feel like part of the team. Cross-training is discouraged because of lack of collaborative tools. Information resides in several locations. Passwords, servers, and important documents are inaccessible to all team members. Different managers expect different types of status reports. Project scopes not always clear or available.

Web 1.0

One way communication—top down. Missed opportunities to leverage the knowledge of high-performers.

Contractors and even some employees do not feel like part of the team.

Cross-training is discouraged because of lack of collaborative tools.

Information resides in several locations. Passwords, servers, and important documents are inaccessible to all team members.

Different managers expect different types of status reports. Project scopes not always clear or available.

Why Clearvale Instead of Web 1.0? Clearvale Many-to-many communication encouraged. Knowledge experts share information using blogs or videos. New employees learn from them. Employees know their colleagues around the globe; despite cultural and geographic differences, a community forms. Cross-training can be formal (training videos) or informal (blogs and forums). A single location to access project information in a format that many employees today are familiar with—Web 2.0. Consistent performance and project monitoring style across the organization without the need for more tools.

Clearvale

Many-to-many communication encouraged. Knowledge experts share information using blogs or videos. New employees learn from them.

Employees know their colleagues around the globe; despite cultural and geographic differences, a community forms.

Cross-training can be formal (training videos) or informal (blogs and forums).

A single location to access project information in a format that many employees today are familiar with—Web 2.0.

Consistent performance and project monitoring style across the organization without the need for more tools.

When Can R&D Implement Clearvale? With Clearvale, Dave goes live quickly with no training. And he does not require the assistance of his Information Technology department.

With Clearvale, Dave goes live quickly with no training. And he does not require the assistance of his Information Technology department.

Who Else Works for This Company? Fred manages a team of developers—some local and some in Russia. Jill is an engineer who works for Fred.

Fred manages a team of developers—some local and some in Russia.

Jill is an engineer who works for Fred.

How Does R&D Do It? Set up Network Dave goes to www.clearvale.com and sets up a Clearvale network for his team. He invites the team to it—even subcontractors in Russia—by uploading a single file with staff email addresses. Employees upload their own photos and set up profile pages.

Set up Network

Dave goes to www.clearvale.com and sets up a Clearvale network for his team. He invites the team to it—even subcontractors in Russia—by uploading a single file with staff email addresses.

Employees upload their own photos and set up profile pages.

How Does R&D Do It? Create Communities Dave asks each manager to create a community for the products they manage. Fred creates a community called A-1 Accounting Engineers. He invites everyone working on the product to join, including team members in Russia.

Create Communities

Dave asks each manager to create a community for the products they manage.

Fred creates a community called A-1 Accounting Engineers.

He invites everyone working on the product to join, including team members in Russia.

How Does R&D Do It? Manage Projects Fred creates multiple DocuVault folders: Functional Specifications Product Documentation Schedules Testing Plans He uses the Event Calendar to track project milestones.

Manage Projects

Fred creates multiple DocuVault folders:

Functional Specifications

Product Documentation

Schedules

Testing Plans

He uses the Event Calendar to track project milestones.

How Does R&D Do It? Manage Projects Fred uses TeamWork to assign work to individuals. He creates a plan and then assigns two tasks to Jill—train the team and write the functional specification. He creates a Forum for any questions about the project.

Manage Projects

Fred uses TeamWork to assign work to individuals. He creates a plan and then assigns two tasks to Jill—train the team and write the functional specification.

He creates a Forum for any questions about the project.

How Does R&D Do It? Build Culture He sets up a Photo Block and shares pictures he took when visiting the Russian office. He uses a Twitter feed for the latest Sarbanes Oxley posts.

Build Culture

He sets up a Photo Block and shares pictures he took when visiting the Russian office.

He uses a Twitter feed for the latest Sarbanes Oxley posts.

How Does R&D Do It? Train Staff Jill schedules a training meeting in Clearvale. She posts the training meeting on the community calendar. She creates a new DocuVault category named Training and publishes her slides there before the meeting.

Train Staff

Jill schedules a training meeting in Clearvale.

She posts the training meeting on the community calendar.

She creates a new DocuVault category named Training and publishes her slides there before the meeting.

How Does R&D Do It? Train Staff The meeting is recorded as a video and posted to the community. People who join the project later can watch the training video. Jill marks this task as complete in TeamWork.

Train Staff

The meeting is recorded as a video and posted to the community.

People who join the project later can watch the training video.

Jill marks this task as complete in TeamWork.

How Does R&D Do It? Collaborate Jill then writes a functional specification and posts it for review in DocuVault. She sets an event on the community calendar for when comments are due.

Collaborate

Jill then writes a functional specification and posts it for review in DocuVault.

She sets an event on the community calendar for when comments are due.

How Does R&D Do It? Collaborate Team members download the document and provide feedback in the Comments area. Jill refreshes the document and posts it again. Jill marks this task as complete in TeamWork.

Collaborate

Team members download the document and provide feedback in the Comments area.

Jill refreshes the document and posts it again.

Jill marks this task as complete in TeamWork.

R&D After Clearvale Because of a more cohesive work team, turnover is down and Dave focuses on creating a better product. Employees know each other. They share knowledge with one another easily; natural mentorships develop. Employees find all project-related documentation in a single location; duplication is reduced. Managers use a consistent reporting mechanism that resides inside Clearvale—TeamWork—to track goals. Goals across the organization are aligned with the company’s mission. Because Clearvale is based on Web 2.0, IT has no tasks pertaining to managing the networks.

Because of a more cohesive work team, turnover is down and Dave focuses on creating a better product.

Employees know each other. They share knowledge with one another easily; natural mentorships develop.

Employees find all project-related documentation in a single location; duplication is reduced.

Managers use a consistent reporting mechanism that resides inside Clearvale—TeamWork—to track goals. Goals across the organization are aligned with the company’s mission.

Because Clearvale is based on Web 2.0, IT has no tasks pertaining to managing the networks.

Clearvale Advantages Company employees have a single location to find information within a framework that reinforces your corporate culture. Employees share valuable company knowledge with a broad audience. Team and individual goals are aligned with the company’s mission. New employees become productive more quickly than before. Training cost is reduced. Stronger and more expansive team collaboration, regardless of physical location.

Company employees have a single location to find information within a framework that reinforces your corporate culture.

Employees share valuable company knowledge with a broad audience.

Team and individual goals are aligned with the company’s mission.

New employees become productive more quickly than before. Training cost is reduced.

Stronger and more expansive team collaboration, regardless of physical location.