Comments on: Making the Business Case for Social Computing – Part Deux http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/ A blog about Knowledge Management, Communities, Collaboration, Learning, Social Computing and Work/Life Balance Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:54:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: E L S U A ~ A KM Blog by Luis Suarez » Blog Archive » Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing - Part I http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-426739 E L S U A ~ A KM Blog by Luis Suarez » Blog Archive » Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing - Part I Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:57:46 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-426739 [...] Over the last couple of days, I have been reading with interest the good number of different comments and blog posts related to the last couple of articles on ROI for Social Computing I created over here. During the course of yesterday and today I have been putting together some further thoughts and decided that instead of replying to those different articles, I would first go ahead and create a follow up weblog post (Or two) where I would be able to expand further those different conversations that people have been leaving as comments. Pretty much like I have done over at ITtoolbox earlier on today. Then as time goes by, I will go ahead and chime in as well on those different discussions as they are just too good to miss out. [...] [...] Over the last couple of days, I have been reading with interest the good number of different comments and blog posts related to the last couple of articles on ROI for Social Computing I created over here. During the course of yesterday and today I have been putting together some further thoughts and decided that instead of replying to those different articles, I would first go ahead and create a follow up weblog post (Or two) where I would be able to expand further those different conversations that people have been leaving as comments. Pretty much like I have done over at ITtoolbox earlier on today. Then as time goes by, I will go ahead and chime in as well on those different discussions as they are just too good to miss out. [...]

]]> By: Enterprise 2.0 ROI - rant and reflection at Sims Learning Connections http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-256513 Enterprise 2.0 ROI - rant and reflection at Sims Learning Connections Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:43:11 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-256513 [...] Luis Suarez’s ELSUA blog: “Making the Business Case for Social Computing” (Part I and Deux); continuing with “Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing” (Part I and Part II) [...] [...] Luis Suarez’s ELSUA blog: “Making the Business Case for Social Computing” (Part I and Deux); continuing with “Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing” (Part I and Part II) [...]

]]> By: The ROI of Social Learning | BlogCascadia http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-244090 The ROI of Social Learning | BlogCascadia Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:52:39 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-244090 [...] There is a debate about how to do ROI on Social Learning and technologies or even if there should be an ROI at all. Can it even be done? My answer is NO. Not in the traditional sense of the definition of ROI. There are efforts to measure using the traditional ROI. I have not seen anything widely successful (although I have not looked really hard either). But what I do know is that many people have tried and have come up with some great case studies instead. [...] [...] There is a debate about how to do ROI on Social Learning and technologies or even if there should be an ROI at all. Can it even be done? My answer is NO. Not in the traditional sense of the definition of ROI. There are efforts to measure using the traditional ROI. I have not seen anything widely successful (although I have not looked really hard either). But what I do know is that many people have tried and have come up with some great case studies instead. [...]

]]> By: Luis Suarez http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-243919 Luis Suarez Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:53:02 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-243919 Thanks a lot, folks, for dropping by and for each and every comment you have been sharing above. Lots of great insights in there. Too many to let them pass just like that as comments, so I have taken the liberty of creating a follow up blog post with them and have shared some further thoughts on them over <a href="http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/05/commenting-further-on-roi-and-social-computing-part-ii/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Thanks again for the additional thoughts and keep the conversation going! Thanks a lot, folks, for dropping by and for each and every comment you have been sharing above. Lots of great insights in there. Too many to let them pass just like that as comments, so I have taken the liberty of creating a follow up blog post with them and have shared some further thoughts on them over here.

Thanks again for the additional thoughts and keep the conversation going!

]]> By: E L S U A ~ A KM Blog by Luis Suarez » Blog Archive » Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing - Part II http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-243915 E L S U A ~ A KM Blog by Luis Suarez » Blog Archive » Commenting further on ROI and Social Computing - Part II Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:51:26 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-243915 [...] A follow up comment from that one came from Atul Rai, once more, where he sees the need to be able to figure out a mechanism to measure it anyway, more than anything else because the CFOs need to decide in the end what the deal would be. And his comments are very much along the lines of what Olivier Amprimo (From Headshift) mentions, where he details some of the reasons why traditional KM failed to deliver, along with the additional commentary on what I also feel needs to happen with ROI: That is, needs to evolve over time. And not just remain static like it has all along, which is the main reason why I am not saying that we should get rid of it, but that we should augment what we already and make it much more relevant to the current business environment (Something that Dennis Howlett seems to agree with as well). [...] [...] A follow up comment from that one came from Atul Rai, once more, where he sees the need to be able to figure out a mechanism to measure it anyway, more than anything else because the CFOs need to decide in the end what the deal would be. And his comments are very much along the lines of what Olivier Amprimo (From Headshift) mentions, where he details some of the reasons why traditional KM failed to deliver, along with the additional commentary on what I also feel needs to happen with ROI: That is, needs to evolve over time. And not just remain static like it has all along, which is the main reason why I am not saying that we should get rid of it, but that we should augment what we already and make it much more relevant to the current business environment (Something that Dennis Howlett seems to agree with as well). [...]

]]> By: Irregular Enterprise mobile edition http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-243225 Irregular Enterprise mobile edition Thu, 04 Oct 2007 20:18:50 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-243225 [...] My post on ROI produced a series of responses from Luis Suarez. Great stuff well argued but missing the point. To quote: We should not forget that social computing is everything but tools and processes. It is all about the people! It is a philosophy, a lifestyle, i.e. that growing urge from knowledge workers to go out there, connect with other knowledge workers, build further up their relationships and share their knowledge. [...] [...] My post on ROI produced a series of responses from Luis Suarez. Great stuff well argued but missing the point. To quote: We should not forget that social computing is everything but tools and processes. It is all about the people! It is a philosophy, a lifestyle, i.e. that growing urge from knowledge workers to go out there, connect with other knowledge workers, build further up their relationships and share their knowledge. [...]

]]> By: Dennis Howlett http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-242813 Dennis Howlett Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:17:06 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-242813 Thanks for this Luis. I could offer a range of other reasons why KM failed and they are tied to the command and control nature of those systems. But to the point about ROI - another thought: the *language* people apply matters. There is a genuine issue here that needs exploring because regardless of rights/wrongs, CFOs sign checks and will require some sort of validation. That world is one that is steeped in financial measures so for the time being, rather than fight it, I'd argue for augmenting it. Thanks for this Luis. I could offer a range of other reasons why KM failed and they are tied to the command and control nature of those systems. But to the point about ROI – another thought: the *language* people apply matters. There is a genuine issue here that needs exploring because regardless of rights/wrongs, CFOs sign checks and will require some sort of validation. That world is one that is steeped in financial measures so for the time being, rather than fight it, I’d argue for augmenting it.

]]> By: The ROI of Social Learning http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-242798 The ROI of Social Learning Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:35:26 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-242798 [...] There is a debate about how to do ROI on Social Learning and technologies or even if there should be an ROI at all.  Can it even be done?  My answer is NO.  Not in the traditional sense of the definition of ROI.  There are efforts to measure using the traditional ROI.  I have not seen anything widely successful (although I have not looked really hard either).  But what I do know is that many people have tried and have come up with some great case studies instead. [...] [...] There is a debate about how to do ROI on Social Learning and technologies or even if there should be an ROI at all.  Can it even be done?  My answer is NO.  Not in the traditional sense of the definition of ROI.  There are efforts to measure using the traditional ROI.  I have not seen anything widely successful (although I have not looked really hard either).  But what I do know is that many people have tried and have come up with some great case studies instead. [...]

]]> By: Stan Garfield http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-242778 Stan Garfield Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:02:47 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-242778 Hi, Luis. I linked to parts one and two from my blog at http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/garfield/archive/2007/10/02/4632.html Regards, Stan Hi, Luis.

I linked to parts one and two from my blog at http://h20325.www2.hp.com/blogs/garfield/archive/2007/10/02/4632.html

Regards,
Stan

]]> By: Olivier Amprimo http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-242687 Olivier Amprimo Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:42:43 +0000 http://www.elsua.net/2007/10/02/making-the-business-case-for-social-computing-part-deux/#comment-242687 Bonjour Luis, Two major reason why KM failed was that Knowledge managers were managing documents and not people and because software editors were selling very expensive licences with no change management. As for the ROI specifically, I already had the opportunity to detail my approach some time ago here: http://www.headshift.com/archives/003290.cfm The main issue at this point is that social computing has a contextual impact: - you can do many thing with one product and one thing with many products. For instance, one company can enrich project coordination, CEO blogging, team coordination, internal communication, customer engagement with a blogging platform. Alternatively a mix of blogs, wikis and social bookmark correctly interfaced can produce a very nice knowledge sharing app. - depending how extensively you use it, and we know that its emergent (check steward mader's presentation on "how to grow a wiki"), the "ROI" evolves over time. Consequence is that we simply have to be back to the fundamentals of management metrics: in situation. I see no need of inventing new ways. Bonjour Luis,

Two major reason why KM failed was that Knowledge managers were managing documents and not people and because software editors were selling very expensive licences with no change management.

As for the ROI specifically, I already had the opportunity to detail my approach some time ago here: http://www.headshift.com/archives/003290.cfm
The main issue at this point is that social computing has a contextual impact:
- you can do many thing with one product and one thing with many products. For instance, one company can enrich project coordination, CEO blogging, team coordination, internal communication, customer engagement with a blogging platform. Alternatively a mix of blogs, wikis and social bookmark correctly interfaced can produce a very nice knowledge sharing app.
- depending how extensively you use it, and we know that its emergent (check steward mader’s presentation on “how to grow a wiki”), the “ROI” evolves over time.
Consequence is that we simply have to be back to the fundamentals of management metrics: in situation. I see no need of inventing new ways.

]]>