The Business Value Of Online Communities

Are you confused about Online Communities & Social Software and its value to your business? Dan Latendre, IGLOO Inc. dlatendre@igloosoftware.com

Some Background… Consumer Social Networking – 1st generation software (2007) – Fun & easy to use – Set up in seconds – Free (with ads) A central place on the web where people come together Network 1. Share 2. Collaborate 3. New “Killer App” on the web IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Not a NEW Concept to Business… Corporate Social Networking (CSN) has been around for over 20 years – “Face to Face” meetings, conference calls, water cooler conversations are all early forms of CSN Email is the #1 CSN application in world with over 90 billion messages sent daily Email CSN = Messages + Contacts + Calendaring IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Email – A Huge Corporate Problem Most companies today still struggle with isolated knowledge workers (RELATIONSHIPS); limited understanding of organizational expertise (TALENT); and a coping with vital corporate knowledge being trapped in information silos (KNOWLEDGE). These barriers hamper productivity, decrease employee awareness and cripple the pace of innovation by duplicating efforts. IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Finally… There’s a Better Way Using Web 2.0 social productivity tools within your business. It’s all about creating connections to achieve business results – bottom up and user driven. IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Creating Business Connections that Matter… Across distributed teams, departments, bu siness units Across geographies & cultures Across hierarchies Inside and outside your company IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Transforming Your Company into Traditional a Networked Organization… Hierarchy Information New Business Culture Bottom Up • Collaborative • Open • Sharing • People Trusting • Loyal • Responsive • Agile • Nimble • Innovative • Processes IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

A New Enterprise 2.0… Customer Community Marketing Community Services Community “Employees” know-how • R&D Partner skills • Community Community ideas • conversations • “Teams” experience • expertise • relationships • “Enterprise” focus • control • knowledge • buy-in • capacity • collaboration • productivity • knowledge sharing • innovation • efficiency • trust • reduced duplication • loyalty • learning • culture • IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Working - Inside & Out… Focus Focus – Inside the organization – Outside the organization Audience Audience – Employees – Customers, partners, suppliers, members and alumni Business Value Business Value – Improving productivity, agility and – Getting closer to your markets to innovation with a more connected & knowledgeable workforce increase responsiveness to changing conditions How? How? – Creating “team driven” corporate – Extending social networking social networks that connect employees to the people, beyond the corporate firewall to information and processes they connect with your partners, need in order to get their jobs customers and suppliers to create done effectively and efficiently deeper, stronger & more trusted relationships IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Business Benefit… Use it to build corporate capacity for real competitive advantage. 1000’s of knowledge workers The capacity of to innovate is far greater than that of a few executives. IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

Prepare for the Challenges… 1. Cultural 3. Operational – • Gen “X” Gen “Y” issues Identify specific business challenge you understand for a higher probability for success – They work differently – Keep the project small – budget conscious – The use different tools – Get buy-in from key stakeholder groups – users, management, • Change Management IT – Find champions who will act as evangelists – Have a plan with milestones and measured outcomes – Encourage managers to be enablers – not gatekeepers – Think about Incentives programs for contributions and – participation Get the users involved in the decision making process from the start - user driven (loyalty and buy-in) – Do you have a “Code of Conduct” – Is management bought in? 4. E-Engagement Strategy – Are you adhering to corporate governance rules, policies, SOP’s, best practices? – Stimulate participation – Answer questions – guides 2. Technology – Social marketing and awareness – Incentive systems – Are you buying a point solution or a fully integrated suite? – Is there an open API? 3rd party integrations? – 5. Measurement Is the application mobile ready? – Will it scale? – Outline key measures of success before you start – Is it secure? (data storage, network, data transmission, SAS – Can you measure ROI? 70 compliance, application security, auditing) – Summarize lessons learned along the way – Does it have administration controls? (reporting, – Identify potential risks membership management, brand, – Create a “playbook” for repeatability IGLOO confidential 2008. All rights reserved.

The Business Value Of Online Communities

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