Is This Enterprise Social Tool Right For You?
Jinfo Blog

By Ana Neves

Abstract

Enterprise social tools are increasingly common. They are either replacing intranets or complementing existing platforms with a more "social" set of features. However, organisations report a slow uptake of these new internal platforms. Very often that is due to a poor choice of tool(s). Ana Neves lists the most frequently-used poor selection criteria and recommends a much more effective one.

Item

As a knowledge management consultant I am frequently asked to help organisations choose a good platform to support collaboration, communication and key knowledge processes like sharing and retention. I am also called in to advise on how to make the most of the existing tools.

During these assignments I have come to realise that tools are very often chosen based on wrong criteria. The top recurring four poor choices are:

1. The (leading) market position of the vendor
2. Price
3. Number of features
4. Number and profile of existing clients.

Although they are all criteria to consider, none of them should be used as the basis for the decision.

Find out more about these in the article "How (Not) to Choose an Enterprise Social Tool for Your Organisation".

The Key Element to Consider when Choosing an Enterprise Social Tool

It has to be the organisational fit.

The organisational fit encompasses a lot:

• How well the tool meets business requirements
• How much it is aligned with the culture
• How it supports the current way of working
• How it can evolve to enable more efficient work processes.

Enterprise social tools may be brought into an organisation to encourage new ways of working. However, the change in process has to start from where the organisation is.

It has to acknowledge, respect and accommodate current habits and preferences. Failing that, people are sure to reject the new tool.

How to Check Tools for Organisational Fit

There are two main elements in the selection process:

• One is mostly based on facts
  Does it meet the set of identified business requirements?
  Does it sit within existing constraints (e.g. financial, legal)?
  You can get this information from product reviews, through comparison matrices or by asking vendors directly.
  
  
• The other element has a lot more to do with instinct and feeling
  Do I see how this tool could improve our work processes?
  Can I imagine our people using this tool?
  The answers will be clear once you see the tool "in action".

Visit other organisations already using the tool. Ask them to show you how they use it as part of their daily routine.

Alternatively, check out the Social Now event where you get to see how 12 tools respond to the same company. It is a fast and effective way to assess whether a tool would fit your organisation.

FreePint is a media partner of Social Now Europe 2015 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 20th & 21st April. Readers can receive 20% off with the code "freepint" at socialnow.org.

« Blog