Post on 10-Feb-2015
description
Developing a UC Strategy
Patrick Borka, pborka@enablingtechcorp.com(443) 625-5238
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Agenda
• Key Ingredients of a UC strategy• Example output of a strategy• Lessons learned
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Key Ingredients to a UC Strategy
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People• End-user culture
– Which tools are most predominant?• Phone• Mobile device• PC
– How well can they adapt?• Risk averse• Tech-savvy
• IT Organization culture– Do all the groups work near to one another and do they get along?– Which has the ear of the business and leadership team?
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Best Practices and Trends:People
• End users– Pick a solution that users
are likely to embrace– Over-communicate the
reason for change and the WIFM message
• ‘If you build it they will come’ doesn’t always work
• IT– Merge groups or create
virtual team– Clearly define new roles
and responsibilities– Cross-pollinate experts
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Processes• Business & User Processes
– Is there value in embedding comms into business processes?– Are there established training and change processes?
• IT Support– Is one help desk already taking voice, network, and app calls?– Can issues be resolved quickly, across departmental boundaries?
• End User Training– Do they need to be convinced to use something new?– Or just shown how to use the new tools?
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Best Practices and Trends:Processes
• Business/End users– Think more broadly than
just person-to-person communications
– Rolling out by site is not as valuable as by workgroup
– Start with the right pilot groups
• IT – Unless you’re already
doing VoIP well, support and satisfaction risks are high
– Get all stakeholders to buy-in and agree that they will own the issue if it comes their way
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Comms-Enabled Example: Sales Force
• Problem: Unrecoverable returns• Symptoms: Customer returns equipment, Sales Rep
doesn’t know until end of month• UC Solution: Billing app launches IM/email/outcall to
the rep, who contacts customer to save the deal
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Comms-Enabled Example: Regulatory Affairs
• Problem: Mobilizing a task force is too slow• Symptoms: Regulators visit unexpectedly,
information and experts needed ASAP• UC Solution: Presence-enabled contact list and
conferencing for instant multi-party collaboration
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Technology
• What are the current and future expense trends?• Is the existing infrastructure ready?• Will there be prerequisite projects and investments?• Is there an impending event that will force the hand? i.e.
– New site needs new system– Voicemail system is outdated– Licensing renewal or major upgrade ahead
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Best Practices and Trends:Technology
• Address big picture first– Representative samples,
not single facility/circuit– Data center architecture,
not remote site LANs• Then, before deploying,
get into the details
• Consider which solutions can be best supported over time
• Phase in some components, phase out others
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Technologies in Scope
Applications•Voice
•Voicemail
•Audio and Web Conferencing
•Video
•Collaboration, IM, and Presence
•Mobile Devices
Supporting Technologies •IP Network
•Directory
•Desktop
•Security
•VPN/DMZ
•Federation
Example Output of a UC Strategy
UC Roadmap Example: Year 1 2010
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
RFP and/or PilotRFP and/or PilotPresence-enabled Contacts & IM PCs PDAs
Presence-enabled Contacts & IM PCs PDAs
Evaluate ApproachesEvaluate Approaches
Determine Solution
Legend: UC Planning Decision Rollout Prereq Projects
Confirm use cases and target users Confirm use cases and target users
Develop retention policies Develop retention policies
Create UC Strategy TeamCreate UC Strategy Team
Create UC User GroupCreate UC User Group
Determine Charter
Replace F/R with MPLSReplace F/R with MPLS
Gain Exec approval Gain Exec approval
Converge IT Help DesksConverge IT Help Desks
Evaluate video usage and needsEvaluate video usage and needs
Get quick wins: Fix easy issuesGet quick wins: Fix easy issues Global Audio and Web ConferencingGlobal Audio and Web Conferencing
Evaluate Training via web conferencingEvaluate Training via web conferencing
Train On web?
Develop ArchitectureDevelop Architecture
Evaluate Skype Risks vs RewardEvaluate Skype Risks vs Reward
Replace Skype
Evaluate linking UC with key surgeons /partnersEvaluate linking UC with key surgeons /partners
UC Roadmap Example: Year 2 2010
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Automate AttendantsAutomate Attendants
Legend: UC Planning Decision Rollout Prereq Projects
Solidify Training’s Voice NeedsSolidify Training’s Voice Needs
IntegrateVoice?
Research JDE ExtensibilityResearch JDE Extensibility
Replace F/R with MPLSReplace F/R with MPLS
Pilot Presence-enhanced VoIP Pilot Presence-enhanced VoIP
Pilot Message Flow from ERPPilot Message Flow from ERP
UC User Group UC User Group
Deploy Second UC HubDeploy Second UC Hub Presence-enhanced VoIP for Emerging Markets and Road WarriorsPresence-enhanced VoIP for Emerging Markets and Road Warriors
Proceed with Comms-Enabled Workflow?
Alert Sales Consultants about product returns from ERPAlert Sales Consultants about product returns from ERP
ValuableGoing Forward?
Validate value of having consultants’ phone #s on Synthes systems
Validate value of having consultants’ phone #s on Synthes systems
Give Sales Consultants a Synthes Phone # on hub UC systemGive Sales Consultants a Synthes Phone # on hub UC system
Evaluate ‘in-sourcing’ of VideoEvaluate ‘in-sourcing’ of Video
Evaluate Integrating UC into PLM portalEvaluate Integrating UC into PLM portal
IntegrateVideo?
Prepare network for videoPrepare network for video
Evaluate Social Networking and other Web 2.0 optionsEvaluate Social Networking and other Web 2.0 options
Is company /Technology Ready?
Pilot “Find the Expert” Search EnginePilot “Find the Expert” Search Engine
Click to Communicate from PLM portalClick to Communicate from PLM portal
UC Planning team Evaluate Market Options, Validate
UC Planning team Evaluate Market Options, Validate
Evaluate linking UC with key surgeons /partnersEvaluate linking UC with key surgeons /partners
See it. Hear it. Respond.
Summary of Key Lessons Learned• Single vendor solution is a good a target, but not likely
– Multivendor interoperability (with caveats) is more common• People and processes can derail a solid technical direction• Three year outlook is feasible, longer vision gets hazy• Communication-enabled business processes are under the
radar, but are usually the most compelling use cases
Developing a UC Strategy