There are now many ways to create organizational collaboration environments using social software. This presentation shows how you can use Yammer and Google Apps to create a very effective and low cost solution.

1. How to make a collaboration environment
based on Yammer and Google Apps
10.02.2011 Richard von Kaufmann // Concepting Director // co-founder

2. We help companies adapt social
media practices and software to
improved collaboration and
knowledge sharing within and
between organizations.
This presentation focuses on how
we designed a collaboration
environment for the OSKE Centre
of Expertise Programme run by
the Finnish Ministry of
Employment and the Economy
(TEM)

3. OSKE Case-study
The main needs were:
• Improve communication efficiency from the coordinating
body to around 200 related members
• Improve collaboration between and within the 13 clusters and
22 centres of excellence

4. Integrated collaboration environment
shared space

5. No Doubt
Social media is changing the way we do things.
New contact books
New encyclopedias
New photo albums
New diaries

6. New Potential
Now it’s changing the way we do business.
New marketing
New communication New intranets
channels
New workflows

7. Stuck behind Firewalls

9. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

10. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

11. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

12. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

13. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

14. Pass the Parcel
Project management via email attachments can be frustrating.

15. Cloud Computing
Cloud

16. New Collaboration Spaces

17. You have probably already
been working in the cloud?

18. People can work on the same
document or in the same space.

19. Google Docs

20. Access anywhere

21. Benefits:
• Find out about each other.
• Form teams, communities or informal groups.
• Work together on the same work objects.
• Discuss and comment on their work.
• Identify relevant work.
• Discover other people with common interests.
Gartner, October 2009

22. Benefits:
• Learn from others' expertise.
• Facilitating social interaction by helping people to establish and
strengthen personal relationships, develop trust and, in the end,
reduce friction and accelerate the business processes that people
are engaged in.
• Accessing relevant knowledge and expertise that can be used to
formulate a plan of action when decisions need to be made.
Gartner, October 2009

23. Social media skills
Results from the OSKE collaboration survey show that many members
were already familiar with some key social media activities.
• 75% have commented online
• 60% have downloaded a file
• 58% have used Skype
• 55% initiated a discussion
• 26% have embedded a file
• 17% have not participated in social media

24. Survey Highlights
When it comes to getting help the majority prefer to first ask a
colleague.
Users are most likely to adopt new collaboration tools if they are
being used in a project team.

25. 4 Fundamentals
What must a community provide to
keep its members engaged:
• Sense of belonging
• Mutual support
• Greater Influence
• Exploration
http://www.feverbee.com/2010/12/the-4-fundamental-things-a-community-provides-its-members.html

26. Gift Giving
Network research has identified trust,
reciprocity and social capital as being key
components for successful networking
[Miettinen 2009].
• Trust comes via authentic voices
• Reciprocity comes via participation
• Social capital comes via recognition
!

27. Enterprise Social Services
There are many social software enterprise
solutions; however, there are two
fundamental approaches that can be taken:
• all-in-one collaboration environment
• mixed-service collaboration environment
Gartner, October 2009

28. Service Selection Process
• Past experience (+3 years
collaborating online)
• Benchmarking (Confluence,
Elgg, Ning, Basecamp,
Microsoft online docs (beta
release), etc.)
• User collaboration survey

29. Starting small
Social media skills are new to many employees and
therefore it is important to start with easy but
beneficial tools and collaboration workshops.

30. OSKE Collaboration Environment
Yammer: Google Apps:
• improving awareness • announcements
• making help requests • generating knowledge
• sharing information • collaborative documents

31. Social Media Toolbox
It is more about guidelines
and coaching than
implementing technology.
Campfire
Basecamp

32. OSKE Collaboration Workshops*
Preparation 1st Month 2nd Month 3rd Month 4th Month
Client Q&A / Online
survey
Yammer & Google
Sites Setup
6 x Community
Manager / Admin
Workshops
“The social media policies introduced by Zipipop 6x User workshops
have already improved our communication and
collaboration processes. Although many of the
participants had no previous experience using
social media, Zipipop’s training has enabled them
User review workshop
to fully engage with the new technologies.”
Riikka Pellikka (OSKE, Head of Communications)
* Workshop order and months grouped and adjusted to aid understanding

33. Daily Workflow
Social tools have to be truly integrated into the daily workflow.
Tools

34. Without an audience,
we are not motivated… http://www.besser20.de/english

35. Social software
makes giving feedback easy : )

36. Social Credit
Recognition as an expert.
Community contributions.

37. High value — Low cost

38. Why Yammer? If implemented correctly micro-blogging
can provide some of the best gains for least
cost and effort.
“Yammer was the simplest to use and had a
stable of applications and even some 3rd
party apps. They seem to have the most
momentum and the largest user base.”
thenextweb.com (Oct, 2009)
“90,000 companies and organizations,
including over 80% of the Fortune 500 use
Yammer.” yammer.com (Dec, 2010)
There are many other enterprise
micro-blogging services:

39. Enterprise Micro-blogging
Yammer is one of the post popular enterprise micro-blogging
services.
Enterprise micro-blogging uses conventions developed from
consumer social media: most notably Facebook and Twitter.
The difference is that enterprise micro-blogging services are
closed and invite only.

40. Facebook pioneered the development of the live
“News Feed” stream. This interaction format is
now widespread in many services and it is fast
becoming a standard part of business software.

41. News Feed
components:
• Real-time
• Status Messages
• Links
• Likes
• Comments

42. Micro-blogging
Business software has
now adapted the News
Benefits:
Feed and micro-blogging
practices to improve • Improving awareness
collaboration within and • Requesting help
between organizations.
• Finding people
• Sharing tips and links
• Coordinating
• Reduces overall email
traffic
• Makes important email
standout

43. Avoid that spammy feeling
Don’t have
private
conversations
inside a large
open
community!

44. Yammer Usage:
Large Communities
EXAMPLE: OSKE Community
NEED: Generate better awareness and share
information within the community
BASIC RULES: Posts should mostly be of
interest to the majority of the community and
should be kept shortish.
THINK: “Notification news stream”

45. Yammer Usage:
Project Groups
EXAMPLE: OSKE Admin
NEED: Detailed knowledge sharing and
generation through more in-depth
discussion.
BASIC RULES: Initial discussion topic or
question is posted and comments are given
in reply. All comments should be given as
replies to keep them attached to the
original topic.
THINK: “Micro-forum”

46. Creating a wider network
X Cluster
Yammer Community OSKE Admins cluster members
Networks are a great way to cluster managers
expand a collaboration “community”
“community”
community. network
network
OSKE.net
admins only
“parent”
OSKE Community X Cluster
network
Network cluster members
Zipipop used Yammer open “community”
Community Networks to all OSKE users
create a linked network of
network
13 OSKE competence “community” network X Cluster
clusters consisting of 22
cluster members
different organizations –
which could use their own
work emails to get access. (“community”
network)

47. Community
Networks
• Members of the “parent” network
are able to create new Community
networks.
• Create new community
• Manage community membership
• See all communities

48. Design Customization
If people are following multiple networks it is a good idea to modify the designs
to help people be aware of which network they are looking at.

49. Admin Power
• Community settings
• Remove users
• Invitation settings
• Only admin can invite
• All members can invite

50. Yammer Networks Notifications
Always use the same email with your
Yammer accounts to keep them tied
together in one space

51. Community
Managers Only
Sometimes Community Managers of
shared inter-organizational Yammer
communities will have two email
accounts linked with Yammer:
domain email
For accessing “parent” network for
admin and creating new
communities.
normal work email
For uniting many Yammer networks
into one space.

52. Works with millions of people

54. Rules (often) Reversed
Micro-blogging usage (particularly in smaller groups) :
90% contribute
9% comment
1% consumes

55. Googles Sites
• simple wiki spaces
• ease-of-use
• comprehensive sharing options

56. Focused Sites
Information is focused by creating
Google Sites that are set up for
each cluster.
All members can access the main
A
cluster sites, however, closed
project sites can also be created.

57. hub.oske.net
A place to share news and knowledge A central site that links all parts
with the whole community. of the collaboration environment.

58. Linked Sites
Each Cluster has a site for their own collaboration needs.
Sites can also easily be created for more specific purposes, e.g. projects

59. Googles Sites Templates
One of the most powerful features in Google Sites is the ability to create Site templates,
so that similar sites can be easily replicated.
Zipipop designed the Cluster template for the OSKE Collaboration Environment

60. Empowering Users
Employees can add the content
directly.
Big benefits in knowledge generation
and participation.
Structure and content can be easily
post-moderated by Community
Managers.

61. Collaborative Calendars
Anyone in the community can
be given access to see and
even create events.
The calendars can even be
integrated into web spaces,
such as Google Sites.

63. File Sharing
Zipipop recommends that core off-line documents can be shared through the use
of the Google Site intranets. It offers a straight forward way to upload files and
see the version number.
It is important to create a folder structure.

64. Sharing via Groups
Use the Groups for sharing Sites, Calendars
and Documents.
The Group names appear automatically as you
type so that you don’t need to remember the
exact name.

65. Group structure is essential for easy sharing

66. Email forwarding
Because this is a shared space it is highly recommended you pay for the Google
Business accounts (50 USD per person per year) so that, amongst other benefits,
you can can use the automated email forwarding facility.
In the Google Apps control panel (dashboard) you can add the user’s everyday
work email so that they will receive notifications being sent out by the system.

67. Document control
When some one leaves your collaboration space it is important that you transfer
ownership of their remaining documents, so that the shared users will continue
to have access.
You can use tools like SherpaTools to do this and help make user control easier.
You can transfer the documents to permanent “fake” user account (say
doc.ownership) that will remain in the system forever to ensure access to left
documents.

68. Analytics Tracking
Zipipop is tracking usage data to help
improve the environment.

69. Multiple Sharing Options
Make a Site or Document public.
Use a unique link to share with people
who don’t have Google Accounts.
Or instantly sharing with everyone in
the organization.

70. Google Docs
Collaborative documents are an efficient way to create document drafts with
colleagues without having to send many alternative versions via email; and the
final layout can be completed in desktop office applications.
Google Docs are far from perfect but their benefits can be great.
export
Create text collaboratively
in a Google Doc
Polish in Word or Open Office

71. Collaborative documents popular in OSKE

72. Collaborative data collecting

73. Data collection and decision-making
The OSKE Secretariat have been using
simple Google Forms to collect data
from the members.

74. Automated survey analysis

75. Continuous data collecting

76. What is a Community Manager?
A Community Manager guides
communities towards smooth
and effective collaboration.
http://www.fillmoregazette.com/arts-entertainment/ventura-college-symphony-orchestra-%E2%80%9Cwinner%E2%80%99s-circle%E2%80%9D-concert-october-25

77. Partners
Community
Managers live rules
here guidance
support
OSKE Clusters

78. Key Roles of the Community Manager
• Evangelist — motivates users to participate
• Guide (Chair)— sets the usage guidelines and guides participation
• Moderator — makes sure users follow guidelines
• Councilor — listens to users’ concerns
• Mobilizer — initiates and schedules content creation
• Content Manager — organizes content to be useful and

79. Riikka Pellikka - OSKE
Community Manager
Riikka is Head of Communications for the OSKE
programme and she currently overseeing the setting
up of the new collaboration environment.
She is the main Community Manager and actively
supporting and developing the community everyday.
However, each Cluster has their own Community
Manager.
Community Manager training helps improve user
engagement.

80. Community Rules
• Setting the right usage rules for
collaboration tools is crucial
• New users learn the rules through
observing how the community is
already using the space.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/center_for_jewish_history/4352152712/sizes/o/
The usage rules are set by the initial
“champion users”.

81. Setting up Online Communities
• Daily workflow
• Political buy-in (senior management must dive in)
• Initial “champions” set the usage rules
• Constant support
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/624694

82. Sharing
Influence is moving towards those
who actively add value to their
communities.
“You will gain more by sharing
than you will by hoarding.” Garry
Hamel (BBC, 16 May 2010)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p007g9yr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/isafmedia/4077756856/

83. In a social network environment the more sweets you give out the more sweets you
will get back; and your reputation will be enhanced.
In everyday work your ability to make things move forward will be more respected
than your knowledge — since most knowledge is fast becoming freely available.

84. We Being open and transparent is not
about giving away secrets, it’s about
being genuine, telling the truth and
gaining the respect and commitment
of all stakeholders.
I respect and love you!

85. Social Media Guidelines
Educate users on basic participation
guidelines:
• representing self
• seeking permissions
• avoiding offence
• giving credit
• asking questions
• use a smiley when you mean it : )
lamunecadelasonrrisaalegre.blogspot.com

86. Social Support
Zipipop has developed a form-based
ticketing system for handling
accounts and group membership
approval.
In addition to email ticketing, we
have linked our Yammer support
network into the same ticketing
system — since it is more efficient if
people share their problems openly.
Our aim, however, is to help the
community become self-supporting.

87. Thanks!
Richard von Kaufmann
Concepting Director, Co-founder
+358 45 11 222 73
richard@zipipop.com