- Introduction
- Developement of the Enterprise 2.0
- Requirements for Project Management
- How to use Web 2.0 in the Project Management
- Practical Examples
- Practical examples in the Project Start Process
- The Methods in the Project Start Process are for the planning of the project and are often collected in a project handbook. Therefore the main tasks of the Web 2.0 Services are documentation of text and collaborative working. Therefore you can see in the matrix, that Web 2.0 Services which are mainly developed for these tasks are best suitable for the Project Start Process. These Web 2.0 Services are Wikis and Group Editiors.
- Practical examples in the Project Controlling Process
- Practical examples in the Project Closure Process
- Practical examples in the Project Coordination Process
- Interview on Web 2.0 Services in the project management
- Practical Examples
- References
Introduction
The latest communication or, as others like to say, collaboration platforms were entitled with digits 2.0. First of all it refers to Web 2.0; however, as Web 2.0 is originally found in communication among individuals, application in business has got a different title: Enterprise 2.0. This name was coined by Harvard Business School professor Andrew McAfee. He used this term for the first time in his article „Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration“.
In a very basic form, Enterprise 2.0 is the use of Web 2.0 technologies by businesses in pursuit of their goals. It is everything that helps and improves communication and collaboration in business context. Enterprise 2.0 platform means eased communication among workers, team members, customers, vendors, clients – so that the information is used the most efficiently. Easily available information allows receiving feedback, making inputs, reacting more quickly and therefore making better decisions. „This is the opportunity inherent in Enterprise 2.0: a more efficient, productive and intelligent workforce“. [1]Developement of the Enterprise 2.0
As it is mentioned before, Enterprise 2.0 application is much about the same as Web 2.0, just the former one is employed in business. Enterprise 2.0 encompasses social and networked modifications to corporate intranets and other classic platforms allowing companies organizing their communication. “Enterprise 2.0 is fueled by three things: Web 2.0 technologies, a demand for increased socialization of enterprise applications and business cultures that enable companies to take full advantage of the technology”.[1]
To better comprehend the use of Enterprise 2.0, one should firstly understand the capabilities offered by Web 2.0 – the first driver of Enterprise 2.0. According to the report of Enterprise 2.0 conference held in May of 2009, „Web 2.0 is the term for web‐based tools and services that allow for – and even improve with – user participation“. The most popular examples of this platform are YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Facebook and the likes. In the article „What is Web 2.0“, Tim O´Reilly not only gives a clear description of Web 2.0 concept, but also provides fundamental characteristics of this platform:
· Rich user experience;
· Cost efficient scalability;
· Ownership and control over Web 2.0 data;
· Radical trust of the management of the website;
· Collective intelligence exploitation in a way that users are participants in the knowledge creation;
· Dynamic content. [2]
Web 2.0 is not only available by one prearranged technology: general principles and computer applications are easily applicable in the platform. They are enabled and supported by AJAX or RSS technologies. The main difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is the way is being used:
· Web 1.0 was about reading, Web 2.0 is about writing;
· Web 1.0 was about companies, Web 2.0 is about communities;
· Web 1.0 was about client-server, Web 2.0 is about peer to peer;
· Web 1.0 was about HTML, Web 2.0 is about XML;
· Web 1.0 was about home pages, Web 2.0 is about blogs. [3]
The primal use of this networking is found among individuals; however, enterprises are intensively looking for ways to benefit from it as well. Wikis, corporate blogs, corporate participation in social media are the main instruments that enterprises are using for internal and external communication and collaboration.
The second driver – the demand for increased socialization of business applications - refers to the alteration from data‐centric models to people‐driven applications. Often Enterprise 2.0 applications can do this cheaper and with the social features that have been lacking in business intelligence systems from years past. The principal outcome of these abilities are delivering data to the right people, letting them interact and understand it and eventually making quicker and better decisions.
The third key to successful implementation of Enterprise 2.0 is a transformation of business cultures. “Without changing the way corporations and their people behave, it’s impossible to free workers and information and achieve agility and increased productivity. It’s not enough to buy the technology – you have to buy in”. [4]
In the picture below one may observe the improvements of Enterprise platform. The principal transfers here are openness, fluent flow of information, and commonly created content.
Figure 1. Differences between Enterprise 1.0 and Enterprise 2.0 (Source: Conference report (2009): “Enterprise 2.0: what, why and how“)
However nicely and promising it sounds, it is not easy to quickly absorb the above mentioned tools. Company should firstly analyze its internal potential and prepare itself in order to exploit new Web technologies in the way that improves and not damages corporate reputation. As the start point, companies can check four basic prerequisites given by Andrew McAfee, allowing to better deciding whether Enterprise might be successful or not:
· There should exist receptive corporate culture.
· There should be established a common platform for all the organization members.
· There should be done informal rollout of the platform.
· There should be a strong managerial support. [5]
Koch and Richter[6], however, are approaching this new collaboration trend more critically. According to them, companies should take into account not only escalated strengths but also consider its weaknesses. Acknowledging disadvantages helps organization to avoid mistakes in social software implementation in businesses; furthermore, authors say, new social software should be strongly grounded by organizational measures. As a matter of fact, difficulty of calculating ROI is one of the major problems why many companies are still waiting around and observing what will happen with this new application.
Before we carry on with the next part of the paper, it is worth quoting A. McAfee words revealing the timing and benefits of Enterprise 2.0: “the worldwide economy is beset by a severe recession, and companies must figure out how to keep innovating and pleasing their customers while at the same time slashing costs and improving efficiency”. [7]
[1] Conference report (2009)
[2] O´Reilly, T. (2005)
[3] Barefoot D. (2006)
[4] Conference report (2009)
[5] McAfee A. (2009)
[6] Koch, M., & Richter, A. (2007)
[7] McAfee A. (2009)
Requirements for Project Management
The requirements on Project Management Applications in an Enterprise 2.0 can basically be divided into general requirements and specific requirements. While the general requirements focus on basic demands, the specific requirements can vary throughout the different project management phases.
General requirements
First of all we would like to focus on the basic requirements that need to be fulfilled by the Enterprise 2.0 Application. These requirements can again be divided into ones that absolutely need to be fulfilled and others that should be fulfilled or would be nice to have.
General requirements that need to be fulfilled
Usability: Not all users will be necessarily be trained to use complex IT structures. For this reason one of the main requirements will focus on the usability of the system.
Search Function: The search function should on the one hand be easy to use, but on the other hand also allow complex searches in order to deliver the right results.
Web Access: It is also necessary that the tool and files are accessible from outside of the company. Group members do not necessarily work at the same location or even within the same company. Therefore an external web access is mandatory.
General requirements that should be fulfilled
Documentation: All project relevant data need to be stored and documented in order to ensure access to it even after the project has been finished.
Communication between Users: The project management application should enable and encourage the different users to communicate with each other.
Collaborative working: The system should enable team members from different locations to work simultaneously on documents and tasks.
Which Web 2.0 Applications are able to fulfill the above mentioned requirements?
Following we offer a list of basic Web 2.0 Applications that can fulfill the above mentioned requirements even if they are not specific project management tools.
Wikis: Wikis can play an important role in project management as they enable users to work collaboratively on files and ensure a proper documentation. Furthermore, Wikis allow asynchrony communication within the group.
Weblogs: They offer the opportunity to document Project progress and communicate it instantly to other group members.
Group editors: Group Editors provide an interesting alternative to desktop applications as the documentation and manipulation of data is not done by single user but collaboratively by the whole team. All progress and versions can furthermore be tracked back to the origin which is another benefit.
Instant Messaging: This Software offers real time communication between the project team members. Text, Pictures and other files can be instantly submitted to others but also left in the inbox if the opponent is not available.
Social Networking: Also social networking platforms can partly be used for project management purpose. But since they only focus on communication the usability in project management is very limited. Usually there is no possibility to share documents or other data.
Specific requirements
- Project Start Process
- Project Controlling Process
- Project Finishing Process
- Project Risk Handling Process
The Project Start Process
The Project Controlling Process
The Project Finalisation Process
The Project Coordination Process
How to use Web 2.0 in the Project Management
As you can see, not all Web 2.0 services are able to support the project management process perfectly. However, the following in the following chapter possible cases for web 2.0 services in the PM process are exemplified.
Practical Examples
Practical examples in the Project Start Process
The Methods in the Project Start Process are for the planning of the project and are often collected in a project handbook. Therefore the main tasks of the Web 2.0 Services are documentation of text and collaborative working. Therefore you can see in the matrix, that Web 2.0 Services which are mainly developed for these tasks are best suitable for the Project Start Process. These Web 2.0 Services are Wikis and Group Editiors.
Group Editors in the Project Start Process: Group editors, like Google Docs & Spreadsheets or Think Free, are able to document the outcomes and findings of the Project Start Process, so that every project member can reread it during the project phase. Further more, group editors are able to assign different access levels for the documents. While some group members are allowed to work on the documents, others are just allowed to read the documents.
Wikis in the Project Start Process: Wikis, like group editors, are able to document the outcomes and findings of the Project Start Process in a project handbook. If you use extensions like a WYSIWYG editors, wikis are as simple to use like group editors. Further more wikis are able to use interacitve links in the documents. You are also able to set up links to other documents, that you can use the wiki system to create a interactive and linked project documentation.
Social Networking Systems in the Project Start Process: Social Networking services, like Xing, could be usefull to introduce the project team members, expecially in international projects where some members of the team will never meet each other personally. Looking to the team building process in the project management this could be a usefull service.
Practical examples in the Project Controlling Process
The methods of the Project Controlling Process are mainly to support the reporting system in a project. The results out of the methods therefore are mainly data and documents that need to be stored and shared with the project stakeholders. According to the requirements of the project controlling process on Web 2.0 services, Wikis and Group editors are best suitable to support the project reporting in the controlling process. Further more, Weblogs can be used to support the communication of the project reports to the project members.
Wikis in the Project Controlling Process: Project progress report can be written in a Project-Wiki. The project members can be informed about new progress reports via RSS Feeds or via Email. The Earned Value Analysis can also be done by a Wiki System if you install extensions for table calculation and chart developing. If you have already done your project documentation of the project start process with a Wiki System you are easily able to adopt these documentation in the Wiki System later on, and every team member will be informed via RSS or Email.
Group editors in the Controlling Process: Group editors can be used like there desktop counterparts. Therefore you will be able to write progress report, for example with Google Docs, or calculate your Earned Value Analysis with Google Spreadsheets. To adapt the existing project documentation with group editors is really easy, even if you have done that before with a desktop program. You can easily import documents to an online group editor. Nevertheless, to communicate progress on the project to the project members is a little bit more inconvenient then with Wiki Systems. You always have to inform the project member via Email on progress or invite them to your new document via Email.
Weblogs in the Controlling Process: Weblogs in the project controlling process can be used for project progress reports. However, it is not recommendable to have to much different systems within one process. Every system interface (from Wiki to Weblog, et.) can lead to a lack of clearness within the whole process documentation.
Practical examples in the Project Closure Process
In the project closure process Wiki Systems are best able to fulfill the requirements of this process. Nevertheless, Weblogs and Group editors can support the process closure process too.
Wikis in the Project Closure Process: In the beginning of the project closure process To-Do lists can be done in a Wiki System and can be marked with a status too. To evaluate the project all available information can be collected to one Wiki article. Further more, every project team member can publish his experiences and lessons learned in the wiki system. Weblogs can also be linked to the Wiki system.
Weblogs in the Project Closure Process: AS mentioned before, Weblogs can be used as project diaries to document the experiences and also the mood of the project team members. At the end of a project the collected information out of the Weblogs can be used to evaluate the project and draw best practice examples for further projects.
Group editors in the Project Closure Process: If the whole project planning was done by group editors, it would be easy to bring all single documents together to one project closure documentation. Every project team member would have access to the end report, and can bring in his own experience too.
Practical examples in the Project Coordination Process
Interview on Web 2.0 Services in the project management
References
Barefoot D. (2006): „Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0“. URL: http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2006/05/web-10-vs-web-20.html
Data retrieved: 2010 01 04
Conference report (2009): “Enterprise 2.0: what, why and how“
Koch, M., & Richter, A. (2007): „Enterprise 2.0: Planung, Einführung und erfolgreicher Einsatz von Social Software in Unternehmen“. München: Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag GmbH
McAfee A. (2009): “Enterprise 2.0: New Collaborative Tools for Your Organization’s Toughest Challenges”. Harvard Business Press
O´Reilly, T. (2005): „What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software“. URL: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html Data retrieved: 20 12 2009
