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Two workshops at the IA Summit

Just a reminder that I'm running not one but two workshops at the upcoming IA Summit (Miami, April 10-14). In particular, my one-day intranet workshop is the full masterclass that I run all over the globe, so this is worth heading down to Miami just for this.

The two workshops:

Successfully deploying collaboration (half day)

Collaboration is the big unmet need within organisations, and this is the reason for the rapid spread of new tools such as SharePoint. While these tools are hugely valuable, they are also bringing real challenges for information architects.

If left unmanaged, the spread of collaboration tools can be ‘anti knowledge sharing’. What works well for local teams can easily lead to the ‘fragmentation’ of information, with key content locked up in local silos.

This is an information architecture challenge, as much as it is a knowledge management or information management one. As IA’s, we need to understand collaboration, when it work and how to make the best of it. We also need to find ways of slotting in collaboration tools alongside the existing platforms, such as the intranet.

This workshop will explore collaboration and collaboration tools. A new model will be provided that positions collaboration within organisations, and highlights where it can be used most effectively.

Strategies for innovative intranets (full day)

While the concept of the intranet as an ‘internal website’ has done much to improve the quality and status of these sites, it has now stuck intranet teams in perpetual ‘maintenance mode’. This metaphor also struggles to provide a vision of how to move intranets forward. To be effective, intranets need to innovate, to find new ways of meeting organisational needs. They must also become a valuable business tool that delivers tangible and visible benefits for the organisation as a whole.

The growing recognition of ‘enterprise 2.0’ and rich internet applications is further putting pressure on intranet teams to move the site to become a more interactive environment. The challenge is how to deliver this additional functionality when resources (and other constraints) are so tight.

This workshop provides practical approaches for managing and growing intranets. Central to this is the new ‘6x2 methodology’, which offers a rigorous framework for intranet planning. This unique approach focuses on carefully scoping the next six months of work, to ensure that what is planned is not just achievable, but is also worth doing.

Posted by jamesr on March 16, 2008 03:49 AM
Categories: Conferences & presentations