When Web 2.0 arrived on the scene in 2001 it was soon dubbed "The Collaborative Web." Web 2.0 is not so much a group of technologies that signify an upgrade from the original, but rather the usage of technology in a radically different way. No longer does the end user have to make sacrifices in the name of the webmaster to get things done, the end user becomes the master of the Web.
Websites no longer need be unidirectional electronic brochures, but need to become multidimensional and more functional with the addition of blogs that open communication channels, RSS feeds that allow customization of the information reaching you, XML (which helps translate data from one source to another) and Web services that further expand the distribution of information between previously disparate systems.
You have almost certainly benefited in the office from Web 2.0 applications, from content management programs to Facebook pages to wikis. We are going to briefly run down three programs we have found to be very useful in working within the office and with others: Google Docs, SharePoint and Smartsheet.
A Google of Uses
Chances are you have already discovered Google Docs, which puts word processing, spreadsheets, forms and other applications on the Web and makes them accessible from anywhere you have an Internet connection. Any document can be shared with others, so keeping the team diligently updating the project schedule in a spreadsheet or collaborating on a presentation is greatly simplified.
As an example, our MPI chapter has adopted Google Docs as an effective way to share information and archive records. Board reports are submitted now using a Google Docs Forms template that feeds a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet becomes the combined board report. A process that used to take someone a couple of hours to compile every month now occurs almost automatically. In addition, important documents like chapter policies, the budget and financial reports, and business plan are located in Google Docs so everyone is on the same version.
SharePoint
|Microsoft's collaborative Web platform may not be as familiar to you. When we first heard about it, we thought it was totally out of reach, but we discovered the software was free to us from our Microsoft Exchange provider (Rackspace), and actually pretty simple to set up and use at a basic level.
Basically, SharePoint is a blank canvas with a broad palette of tools for building internal and external websites and sharing documents and other information with colleagues both within the company and beyond.
We originally set it up to help with our production schedule and sales management. A large number of templates are available for a variety of uses, from a charitable contributions database to decision making workspaces. We adapted a sales pipeline site for those efforts and a team site to give everyone access to central documents, a wiki for procedures and policies, and a list of all jobs in-house that was constantly updated and let everyone know what's going on and who's doing it.
Where Google Docs is simple and easy to use, SharePoint has a much higher degree of complexity. Although we were able to use it pretty well in our spread-out office of 10, we would probably need a SharePoint administrator to make the best use of the tool. A technologically adept do-it-yourselfer could make SharePoint fit for their organization, but it may not the best solution for the small office.
SmartSheet
After trying several project management tools over the years, we finally found one that is inexpensive, comprehensive and easy to use. Work sheets resemble spreadsheets and allow you to attach multiple documents to a job or task (including Google Docs), record discussions, set alerts and reminders, and report on progress in real time. Rows on the sheet indicate jobs or tasks, and most columns are defined by the user (start/end dates, percentage complete, job status, contact info, etc.). Other columns host documents, discussions and action items.
You can give clients and suppliers access to sheets and allow them to view overall progress and add to the discussions and documents. By sharing access, you can also create client job request forms, a help desk system and issues logs. One of our favorite features is the alerts function. If something changes on a sheet, an e-mail goes out highlighting exactly what has been updated. Alerts can go to an individual or group either immediately, hourly, daily or weekly, and at any level of detail (any or all columns).
Smartsheet begins at $9.95 per month and goes up to $149 per month for the Enterprise edition. We chose the $29.95 Advanced version that allows up to 50 active projects, Gantt charts, surveys, reporting and some branding options.
Our dive into the collaborative software birthed by Web 2.0 remains relatively shallow. We're learning more all the time, and will continue to share what we discover. You can add to the conversation, too. Share your best practices in collaboration with us on Meetings Focus Forum (www.MeetingsFocusForum.com), or send an e-mail to the address below. Now, let's get to work...
The father/daughter/son team of Jeff Rasco, CMP, Christina Rasco Adams, and Layton Rasco are partners in Attendee Management Inc., a registration services company based in Wimberley, a small Texas Hill Country hamlet outside of Austin. Always looking for ways to gain efficiencies and effectiveness, they stay on the lookout for new technologies and ways of intelligent application to the global meeting and event community. They can be reached at talkingtech@attendeenet.com.
