Social media and information management in work processes
We have conducted desk research and interviewed organizations that are exploring the possibilities of social media. Most organizations currently use social media primarily to make contact with their customers. Some are already experimenting with the possibilities that social media offers internally. The realization that a company can use social media to better utilize collective intelligence is growing, but we have not yet come across a link between social media in a kind of shell with information management systems, such as a case system. However, the people we interviewed did find it an attractive proposition.
Pleio and Yammer
In the spring of 2012, we discussed the results of the feasibility study during the spring meeting of the Information Management Platform . One of the participants mentioned that a major disadvantage of social media is that the information and knowledge that is shared is not automatically stored in an internal information system. The social media solutions are actually always stand-alone. The process-related information is still fragmented and available. Another problem that was recognized by several participants is that there is often only a small group of people who want to come to the fore via social media. The participants also exchanged experiences about Yammer, a system that lives up to its name according to some: it is considered a 'pity'. Useless information is often shared, such as the umpteenth time that someone has attended an "interesting conference".
Think for example of Pleio ; a good initiative, but due to the lack of a connection with the work in the organization it hardly got off the ground. It was too dependent on the employees' own efforts to make it a success, as was evident in Haarlem.
The basic idea is actually very simple: the new possibilities that social media offers are linked australia telegram data to the execution of work in the organization. The starting point is that people will share knowledge and information because they can do their work faster and/or better. The connection with others is therefore in the execution of tasks. After all, tasks are rarely performed in complete isolation. Employees will therefore seek the connection with others from their work and even need it in order to be able to achieve the requested results. Such as when writing a complex policy document.
But also an employee who is responsible for handling a file sometimes wants to involve others in the execution of his tasks. Within the digital, interactive collaboration space, he can ask a colleague a question and, if necessary, give direct access to a (part of the) file. In this way, the colleague can consult the relevant documents and add any comments directly to the document or file. The colleagues can also consult with each other in the same application. All information and knowledge is and remains available in one place.
Proof of concept: experimenting and measuring
At the moment we are in the second phase of the research testing whether the principles work. Initially, the social information management system, called the Haarlems Zaakcafé, is being rolled out to a small team of the municipality of Haarlem. The social case system connects people to other people, to information, knowledge and applications. In this way they can collaborate, communicate, share and develop knowledge online. All relevant documents are stored by the group on the digital platform and all relevant conversations also take place there. By using the case types as a basis, all relevant information is immediately linked to a specific case and everything is together.