Ict Tcc Discussion Notes

Space DetailsKey: thecampaigncompany

Name: thecampaigncompany

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Creator (Creation Date): admin (Feb 21, 2007)

Last Modifier (Mod. Date): admin (Mar 02, 2007)

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• Improving how we work

• How we build knowledge• How we communicate with each other• How we manage projects• Working with clients

Document generated by Confluence on Mar 11, 2007 16:33

Improving how we work

This page last changed on Mar 09, 2007 by [email protected].

Improving how we work at The CampaignCompany

An introduction to Social Software - This article is interesting but might be a bit impenertable.. feel freeto skip it we'll cover this in the meeting on monday.

Areas of how we work:

Communication and collaboration with clients

How we communicate with each other

How we build knowledge

How we manage projects


http://try.atlassian.com/display/thecampaigncompany/Social+Software+-+An+Introduction

http://try.atlassian.com/display/thecampaigncompany/Working+with+clients

http://try.atlassian.com/display/thecampaigncompany/How+we+communicate+with+each+other

http://try.atlassian.com/display/thecampaigncompany/How+we+build+knowledge

http://try.atlassian.com/display/thecampaigncompany/How+we+manage+projects




Current

Currently projects are discussed and expertise shared in 'brain showers', e-mail threads and phoneconversations

Limitations of this approach

• Much of the experience and knowledge gained through research and project work isn't captured islost

• The information which is captured is difficult to find and access• Our knowledge and expertise isn't well demonstrated to the outside world

Alternatives

Project wikis - Back here again, project wikis would capture the discussions and ideas that arise inproject work. That knowledge would be accessible and searchable

Case study - Ben learns about recycling

First a confession when Anna passed the Wakefield project to me I didn't know much about re-cycling. Sowhat's the first thing to do I think? Find out what internal knowledge there is I can tap into. Well Annamentioned the EC1 project so clearly thats my first point of call, I phone Nick, he tells me some usefulstuff and points me too the server where I find some documents. It's a bit tricky to identify the relevant(general) docs so I spend a while sifting, having found the few docs I thing will help I read them, much ofthe docs isn't relevant to me. At the end of this process I've gained (patchy) knowledge of one relevantTCC project taken up a fair bit of my time and some of Nics.

Imagine this scenario if all the TCC projects were on wikis, I log in, type 'recycling' in a search field in afew seconds all TCC documents, blog entries and on-line conversations which mention recycling arereturned. I've got a far more comprehensive picture of TCC experience and knowledge of recycling in afraction of the time.

Any old wiki! - They don't have to be for project work, they could be for something internal (like thisone), or a conference report back a summery of an interesting report. All of this captures easilyaccessible knowledge

Social Bookmarking - Bookmarks are an important source of knowledge, however they are hidden


away on each persons browser, social bookmarking simply a way of sharing bookmarks... sounds simplebut is surprisingly effective

Ben's bookmarks on Delicious

Imagine I need to know about a particular foundation trust, rather than googling and getting 100,000hits, some useful some not, I can search the shared bookmarks of everybody in TCC and theiraccumulated bookmarking over years of working with trusts.

RSS Feeds - A simple way of seeing whats new on a given web site

So at the moment some people have feeds, we recieve google alerts in to our inboxs. A company widelibrary of feeds, people could pick the ones they were interested in and aggregate them so that all theinformation was arriving in one accessable flow. I'd suggest that this replace google alerts, uncluttinginboxs.


http://del.icio.us/benwildthing/tcc


This page last changed on Feb 25, 2007 by [email protected].


What we do now

Talking on land lines and mobiles, in meetings and in e-mails

Limitations of this way of working

• Take time• Doesn't allow multi tasking

Alternatives

Instant Messaging (i.e. MSN or Skype)

Some benefits:

• Easy to hold multiple conversations• Free• Allows transfere of files• Doesn't take up other peoples time tranfering calls

Voice over IP (Making phone calls over the internet, Skype)

Some benefits:

• Free• Don't have to do tiresome dialing!• Did I mention it's free





What we do now

• Documents stored on the server• GANTT charts in excel• Personal to do lists• Excel time sheets

Limitations of this approach

• Poor accessibility of informaton• Poor document control• Confusing

Alternatives

Again, again with the Project Wikis

• Excel sheets can be embedded in a wiki, so people can still use that tool but it'd be more accessible• To do lists can be added to Project spaces, these can then be shared... for example when Hannah

handed over B&D to me on Friday she wouldn't have had to write me an e-mail of outstanding jobsit would have been apparent from the Project Wiki

• Time sheets and Expenses forms could be on wikis, avoiding having to send them by e-mail


Working with clients


Communication and collaboration with clients

How things are now

We use phone calls, e-mails and meetings to develop ideas with clients. We have tried offering onlineresources to clients inc YouTube and MySpace with limited success.

Limitations of this way of working

• These conversations are difficult to access for all the people at TCC or the client who may havecontributions to make

• It's difficult to trace decisions or conversations• It results in alot of unfiltered e-mail traffic• Most of the ideas and dialogs are never recorded (those in meetings and on the phone) and those

on e-mail are difficult to find or store

Alternative approaches

Project Wikis - You're looking at one!... simple a online space (web page) with an easy to use interfaceand can be edited by us or the clientSome benefits:

• Can be branded however we want i.e. one could be added to the NDC network to discuss aparticular project or issue and it could have NDC network branding

• We can choose what each Wiki can do depending on the project. So for the Maidestone Youth Boardwe might create a simple Wiki were people could use a forum to discuss ideas and upload anddownload bits of video.

• All ideas, conversations, documents, brainstorms, succeses, feedback etc etc about a project wouldbe gathered in one place

• All of the information would be easily and quickly accessible from anywhere in the world (with ainternet connection of course)

• Less e-mails• Less meetings• Project status could be checked on mobile phones (via RSS feeds on WAP phones)• Clients would have more immediate feedback and a greater sense of ownership of the projec

Case study - The NDC NetworkThe NDC network is a great example of a network of people with a set of common interests who couldbenefit from having a an on-line space to communicate, collaberate and network. A forum for dicussingideas, a blog for more soap box stuff, a library of documents could all easily be offered. With a wiki this


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

would differ to what we currently offer in several key ways. It'd be easy to use and add stuff (currentlynotices and docs have to e-mail to TCC), it'd be owned by the NDC network, they could add content,change the structure as they saw fit,NDC chairs and chief execs could subscribe to an RSS feed of the siteenaling them to see when things were added without having to check the site. Even if this functionalitywasn't used at least TCC would be providing a user friendly, upto date platform.

Case study - Maidestone Youth BoardThe youth board are developing a DVD. With a project wiki we could easily provide them with a platformto discuss ideas, upload video and documents. Note that even when a system like this is being usedexclusively by the client, we still capture their knowledge, we end up with a great example which caneasily be shown to clients of how we are using technology to facilitate interesting organisations andexciting projects.

Another point - The Northern OfficeSoon to consist of three people working in an actual office. If project documents are attached to a projectwiki, if the brainstorming and conversations about a project are happening on that wiki then it will be fareasier for all the people not in the Croyden office to fully engage in that process. We won't be accessingdocuments and e-mails through a ropey 'Remote Desktop connection'. There will be less meetings for usto miss beacuse they're in London.

Comments

Look see you can leave`comments against wiki pages too....

Posted by [email protected] at Feb 23, 2007......................................................................................................................................................................


Ict Tcc Discussion Notes

Technology

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