April 2018 - Content Formula

Wizdom and GDPR Compliance

Posted on 30 April 201829 June 2022 by Dan Hawtrey

The General Data Protection Regulatory (GDPR) will take effect in May, defining a new standard for how personal data is handled in connection with professional and commercial activities. The aim is to ensure more transparency about personal data storage and to provide individual citizens more control over what information is kept about them and utilized.
In this post, we will outline what you need to know about your Wizdom solution in relation to GDPR. We will describe the user data, that is stored in the Wizdom solution, and introduce to the coming updates to our product that enable Wizdom data GDPR compliance.

What Data is Stored in your Wizdom solution?

The majority of data in your intranet solution is stored in SharePoint. However, for the proper functioning of Wizdoms modules and web parts, some information is also stored in the Wizdom solution. The information stored about users in Wizdom is exclusively relevant data that is necessary for the operation of an intranet solution.

All data stored in Wizom is stored in the Wizdom database of the clients Wizdom solution. Below, we will walk you through the user data that is stored here.

1) User Properties

Wizdom will store the following properties of users from (Azure) Active Directory:

full name,
email,
account name,
and membership of AD groups.

The user properties are stored in one central table in the Wizdom database of the customers Wizdom solution. Storing these properties from Active Directory in the Wizdom solution allows the Wizdom product to deliver the needed performance in regard to speed of page load.

2) Data for Analytics

Wizdom will log how users in an organization use the intranet to provide statistics of the solution to intranet admins. The logged data includes page loads with reference to user, page, and time. You can disable analytics in your solution which will stop the logging of users intranet usage.

3) Activities Related to Intranet Content

Sometimes, Wizdom will log a reference to the user. This is e.g. the case when the user likes and comments content, answers polls, is contact person for content, editor of content, or creates messages in the solution. This enables Wizdoms notifications mechanism, content governance mechanism, and the proper functioning of a selection of Wizdoms modules.

4) Content Created by Users

The majority of content created on your intranet is stored in SharePoint. However, some content that users create will be held in Wizdom. This includes editorial content e.g. in messages, comments, and FAQs.

If users enter personal data as content in the solution it will be the customers own responsibility. However, of course upon the customers request and agreement, selected people in Wizdom Consulting can be given access to write ad hoc database queries to locate possible sensitive editorial content created by users in Wizdom and/or SharePoint.

Product Updates to Meet the Principle of the Right to Be Forgotten

To meet the principle of the right to be forgotten, we will release a version of Wizdom with the following additions no later than mid-May 2018:

A function where a user can be selected to be forgotten will be introduced. This function will anonymize the users full name and email where these data appear in the database of the customers Wizdom solution. Meaning that for all GDPR purposes that persons information is no longer stored, and any content, the user has provided, will have unknown as author.
Wizdoms analytics mechanism will be changed so that instead of collecting full name and login (to enable reports about unique user visits), an internal ID of the user will be stored. When a user is forgotten, that ID, then, can no longer be traced back to that persons information.

Recommendations to our Customers GDPR Policies Concerning Their Wizdom Solution

As described, solely data that is necessary for the proper functioning of an intranet solution is automatically stored in the customers Wizdom solution.

To comply with the new standards for handling personal data, we can, therefore, be content with recommending the following three practices in relation to our clients Wizdom solutions:

1) When an employee is part of the organization, we recommend our clients to store the user properties of that employee in the Wizdom solution.

2) After employees leave the organization, we recommend that they will either be automatically forgotten in the Wizdom solution, or that a function is set up so that employees can easily request to be forgotten.

3) We recommend our clients to carefully remind their employees to take responsibility and be mindful of privacy regulations. This includes recommending employees to not store unnecessary personal information as editorial content.

The original article was published here

An intranet and Office 365 should be part of digital transformation

Posted on 25 April 201829 June 2022 by Dan Hawtrey

Digital transformation is a popular way to describe the important journey for many organisations who are seeking to leverage technology to drive exponential growth, introduce new services, change their own business model or dramatically change the customer experience.

The focus for digital transformation can be internal, but also external with an impact primarily experienced outside the company. However even in those cases where the primary focus is on transforming the customer experience, it almost always requires a similar change on the inside. Not only do organisations need to change the way they carry out processes and collaborate, they also often need to change the mindset of employees about using digital tools.
Intranets and Office 365 often prove to be essential for digital transformation, driving the internal change required to transform the experience of employees as well as customers. Lets explore five of the key ways this happens.

Leading the change

Digital transformation, whether its on the inside or the outside of the company, requires change management. And change management requires an effective digital communication platform which all employees can easily access, and which delivers the appropriate messaging
An intranet can facilitate the leadership communications to inspire and motivate employees and give the context to any wider change. It also provides very specific information about whats coming for example about new processes, new services or new technology being introduced. Ideally the intranet should also deliver specific and relevant content to different groups.
Of course, effective change management for digital transformation will need more than an intranet, but a successful, engaging communication channel is essential.

Breaking down silos

Usually digital transformation requires teams that havent worked together closely before to come together through new groups, virtual teams and streamlined processes and workflow. Therefore, a common theme in digital transformation is the removal of silos, often exacerbated by poor communication and digital channels. These silos can act aa barriers to digital transformation.

A social intranet provides an excellent platform to provide the kind of flexible, agile, team and group communication and collaboration which digital transformation needs. Hierarchical, geographical and functional silos are no longer a barrier.

Sometimes more efficient processes are also required. Office 365 and even custom-built requirements can support the specific internal workflows and processes need to establish new external services for customers. For example, teams can start to digitize processes using web forms and workflow.

Being able to work in a more agile way

Removing silos also opens the ability to work in a more agile and speedier way. This can be important for digital transformation where the ability to react to customer need, respond to market conditions and seize opportunities very quickly can be a real source of competitive advantage.

To be able to react rapidly not only requires digital capabilities which can be deployed quickly to clients, but also allows employees to communicate and collaborate quickly and efficiently with each other. Companies who have more traditional lines of communication, usually based on hierarchy, may find it very difficult to respond quickly to the market.

A great intranet and Office 365 is critical for facilitating agile working across different locations, allowing teams to spot and react to opportunities, and then work together to design and deploy products and services. For example, tools such as Microsoft Teams or Wizdoms community spaces allow teams to collaborate more easily on projects or incubate ideas and bring them to fruition within Communities of Practice.

Helps increase digital literacy and confidence

Digital transformation is as much about a new mindset among employees as it is about working in different ways. Employees need to get comfortable with the idea of using digital tools beyond email, not only to drive any new processes, but to also encourage their colleagues to work in that way too. Digitally-confident employees can also encourage customers to adopt digital tools.

Increasing digital literacy and the mindset can then help drive adoption, collaboration, innovation and many of the other qualities associated with transformation.

A social intranet like Wizdom and some of the other Office 365 toolset can work very well in getting teams and individuals to tangibly experience the benefits of using digital tools, see the possibilities and get used to working collaboratively. This can lay the foundations for some of the potentially more intense and complex changes associated with transformation and embed some of the accompanying digital behaviours which employees will need.

Drive innovation

Innovation can also be a core part of digital transformation where organisations develop new ideas to work more efficiently, improve customer services and introduce new products and services. It only takes one exceptional idea to have a highly significant impact.

When you deploy an effective intranet and Office 365 you may be making available a sophisticated, digital platform to all employees for the first time, including frontline employees who may not have had access before. When everybody can contribute ideas and give input (and is encouraged to do so), organisations can leverage the insights and knowledge from all parts of the workforce, including those who directly interface with customers and know them the best. Those ideas can lead to digital transformation.

Intranets contribute to digital transformation

External digital transformation starts from within. An intranet makes an important contribution, not only as a communication channel but also to enable faster collaboration, drive innovation and change the mindset of employees.

When considering digital transformation, it is important that organisations dont just consider the external change required, but also the internal change needed too. Deploying an excellent intranet is a great way to help support and drive digital transformation and change.

The original article was published here

Video: Scaling enterprise intranets in Office 365

Posted on 9 April 201829 June 2022 by Dan Hawtrey

Our partner Wizdom held a webinar with Sam Marshall of Clearbox. They looked at what it means to scale up a simple intranet in Office 365 into something enterprise-wide. A look at the implications for going from a legacy single site intranet to a geographic or business-unit multi-site approach, often involving multiple languages and regulations too.

Tips on how to deepen your intranet by expanding it to frontline workers and external partners, concluding with a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Office 365 feature set.

Go to presentation.

Seven reasons why were excited about workplace chatbots

Posted on 5 April 201829 June 2022 by Joe Perry

Artificial intelligence. Machine learning. Chatbots. Yes, we know everywhere you turn there seems to be talk about AI or bots, and the hype can be a little off-putting. But hear us out on this one.

Weve recently deployed a chatbot for our client Haines Watts, and were genuinely excited about this new technology for intranets and digital workplaces. Admittedly some of our enthusiasm is down to us being rather geeky when it comes to these matters, but we also see some real long-term potential that will drive value for organisations and users alike.

What are chatbots?

A chatbot allows users to ask questions in natural language and get intelligent automated answers back, again using natural language. Its accessed usually via a website, intranet or messaging platform.

A chatbot can help a person to find things, get information or carry out simple tasks. It can also learn to better understand phrases and instructions. Its likely that youve already used a chatbot perhaps on a website or social media platform or when you used a digital assistant like Siri on your iPhone, Cortana on Windows 10 or Amazons Alexa. And this new technology is increasingly being deployed within the enterprise.

And while its still early days, heres seven reasons why were excited about chatbots.

1. There are multiple use cases

Currently chatbots tend to be deployed with quite limited functionality and focused on a specific use case for example to answer questions about an individual topic such as an office move or to enhance intranet search. But there are a wide range of use cases where a chatbot interface makes considerable sense. If there is a simple, routine task then a chatbot can help, for example:
Answering frequently asked questions for the IT or HR helpdesk

Helping you log an IT ticket
Booking a meeting room
Accepting a meeting invitation
Letting you know how much annual leave you have
Booking annual leave
Finding an expert
Finding directions to one of your offices

But it doesnt take much imagination to extend this range of tasks to any specific scenario. What are the routine tasks you carry out where a chatbot could assist you?

2. This can go across different channels

One of the challenges of the digital workplace is that is a constantly-evolving, multi-channel environment. Different users will be using different tools for different purposes. Some will have preferences as to what tools they want to use.

The great thing about chatbots is that they can be deployed, relatively easily, across different channels. At Haines Watts the chatbot is available through a chat panel at the bottom of each intranet page but also via Skype for Business. Chatbots can just as easily be integrated into other messaging platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack or Workplace by Facebook. A chatbot can even be deployed over SMS.

This means that a chatbot can be deployed across the digital workplace to serve different needs and users.

3. This works great on mobile

As well as being multichannel, chatbots work well on mobile devices both smartphones and tablets. We are so used to texting and messaging on our own mobile devices that using a chatbot feels like a logical, natural and easy way to interact, even if were conversing with somebody that isnt real!

Mobile devices are a natural home for chatbots and it will be very interesting as more chatbots are deployed to see what proportion of workplace use comes through mobile compared to desktops.

4. This could unlock advanced search

Many intranets and wider enterprise search facilities have a powerful advanced search, where results can be filtered by different criteria such as content type, author, date and different subjects. But all too often users dont want to use the advanced search screen, preferring to rely on the Google like experience of just one search box.

Chatbots can be an effective conversational interface in front of advanced search capabilities. Consider if a user asks the chatbot to Find all documents relating to cyber security since January 2018. Thats an advanced search which is done by not having to go into the advanced search screen. Chatbots have the potential to unlock the full capability of search and encourage more advanced searching.

5. Voice-activated chatbots are waiting in the wings

Currently most workplace chatbots deployed are assuming interaction based on text, but voice-activated chatbots are growing in popularity. We already have Siri and Cortana, but now many consumers own a voice-activated device like Amazons Alexa or Google Home. A corresponding rise of voice-driven chatbots in the workplace seems inevitable especially as companies like Amazon are launching services aimed at the business and enterprise market.

Voice-activated chatbots have clear advantages over text in terms of convenience but also in some use cases. For example, using an Alexa or similar device in a meeting room to retrieve information may be particularly useful as everybody present can hear what is being said, and people may not have individual devices with them.

6. The scope for process automation is exciting

Another reason to get excited about chatbots is the scope for improving and automating processes making time-consuming tasks easier and quicker. This will save time, but we think bots will also start to get more and more sophisticated.

For example, lets look at booking meetings with several of your colleagues. Perhaps now a bot can search your booking room system to pick the best room and then reserve it for you. Tomorrow it may do much more, such as:

find everybodys availability
book any necessary equipment
send out an invitation for you to all participants
find the previous minutes and resend those
suggest a draft agenda for you to amend and approve based on analysis of your activities
book the preferred meeting room based on everyones previous preferences

Perhaps even further ahead AI will also suggest what meetings are worth organising based on how successful the outcomes and actions were from other meetings.

7. Were just at the start of the journey

This is still an emerging technology and we really are at the start of the journey of using chatbots in the digital workplace. We dont quite know how its going to develop, but we think there may be rapid development over the next couple of years as vendors develop products, organisations experiment and individuals develop skills in building and training chatbots.

Of course, we may also see a few twists and turns and we fully expect a negative workplace chatbot backlash! Gartner places Bots and Conversational User Interfaces still in the innovation phase on its digital workplace hype cycle, so weve still got to reach the Peak of Inflated Expectations followed by the Trough of Disillusionment but we suspect any lows will be easily outnumbered by the highs.

Another thing worth pointing out is that deploying an effective and useful chat bot in your organisation is not something that can be done overnight. It’s an evolutionary process. This is especially true when you consider that the best chatbots will be connected to multiple systems in the digital workplace: CRM systems, HR systems, case management systems, policy management systems – you name it. It takes time to build a chatbot that is not only connected to all these systems but is ‘trained’ so that it can also intelligently mediate between them and carry out useful, time-saving tasks. Companies that are dipping their toe in the water now are getting a head start. The first iterations of your chatbot may seem a little gimmicky but you have to go through this phase in order to progress. Given how every company is unique with its own systems, processes and ways of working, there isn’t going to be an opportunity for late adopters to leap frog early versions of the technology. Those companies that are getting started now will be ahead of the game.

Curious about chatbots?

Chatbots are getting a lot of attention but looking beyond the hype theres long-term potential. If youre as excited about chatbots as we are or just curious to see what the fuss is what about, then get in touch. Wed be delighted to hear your thoughts and ideas, happy to talk you through how they work or discuss our recent project in more detail.

Wizdom customers receive awards at the IntraTeam Event 2018

Posted on 3 April 201829 June 2022 by Dan Hawtrey

Last month the IntraTeam event 2018 took place in Copenhagen with Wizdom as Platinum sponsors! As always, we enjoyed meeting so many digital workplace interested people and show them the Wizdom product. This years event was one for the books, as Wizdom came home with not only one, but both the first and second price. This once again proves that the hype and all the awards given for the Wizdom platform are well deserved.

We wish Wizdom’s customers The National Police of Denmark and Danish Cancer Society a big congratulation on the winning. We look forward to continuing the collaboration so that their Wizdom Intranets can grow and evolve with the people using them.

This is the second year in a row that the solution winning is based on Wizdom, which we are extremely proud and delighted about.

The original article was published here

Ten more tips for driving adoption

Posted on 3 April 201829 June 2022 by Steve Bynghall

Driving adoption of the intranet and related digital workplace tools is usually a preoccupation for the teams that manage them. Often the focus of adoption is to drive the number of employees visiting, engaging with and contributing to your intranet. While the numbers are important, adoption also needs to cover the ways your intranet adds value and drives success. It is better to have a smaller number of employees contributing to your intranet in a way which makes a real difference to improving a process, than a larger number contributing who add little value.

Tactics for adoption success

But how do intranet and Office 365 teams drive adoption? Unfortunately, there is no one magic ingredient or secret sauce which will guarantee your employees will use your digital channels in the way you want them to. Instead, a range of different tactics need to be deployed, and keep on being deployed. Driving adoption tends to be a gradual and ongoing effort.

We last looked at driving the adoption of SharePoint back in 2015. The tactics listed in that post including carrying out training, user research, stakeholder mapping and not turning on every feature are still relevant to intranets, collaboration platforms, Office 365 and other parts of the digital workplace.

There are several other tactics which weve seen our clients and other teams deploy to help drive adoption. Here are some of the most important.

Run a champions network

A consistently successful approach for driving intranet or digital workplace adoption is to use a network of voluntary champions who can help support users and be advocates for the intranet throughout your organisation. Often a recommendation from a trusted peer and the benefits explained within a frame of reference for specific teams, roles and locations can be a powerful driver of adoption. For small central teams wanting to stay close to their users, leveraging the enthusiasm an energy of local champions really does reap dividends.

Ensure there is ongoing visible involvement from senior management

While bottom-up communication is important, so is top-down support. It always pays to have senior management support for your intranet as this endorsement shows the intranet is a management priority. Whats even better is having ongoing visible involvement from senior leaders by featuring in news, appearing in videos, creating blogs, commenting on items and in discussions and responding to feedback. This particularly encourages behaviour from other managers to follow suit and use the intranet for communication and collaboration, and that in turn encourages other employees to contribute. Its another way to continue to drive adoption.

Integrate other tools

Intranets help employees get things done and can be an essential front door to the wider portfolios of applications in use in the digital workplace. Many intranets are now powered by Office 365 and by integrating tools such as Skype for Business, Yammer or Teams directly into the intranet experience they can help to drive adoption of the intranet and the related tools. Its far easier for employees to have just one place to go, where theyll want to return.

Establish mobile access for employees not in the office

Many intranets now have great mobile access out of the box. For example, the Wizdom intranet renders perfectly onto mobile devices. Mobile is a great way for staff not based in offices and who dont have easy access to a desktop to view your intranet. With the right BYOD and security policies in place its also possible for employees to access the intranet on their own personal device. For example, in retail or manufacturing companies this can help extend the intranet or digital workplace to all employees.

Launch with a splash

How you launch your intranet will depend on the culture of your organisation. Intranet-branded cupcakes on every desk, flash-mob dancing or even branded lifts are just some of the tactics intranet teams have deployed to create some buzz around the intranet. Many organisations go for a more straightforward approach and have a welcome video from the CEO. Whatever method you choose to launch your intranet it pays to make some noise and launch with a splash. Its a natural time to drive some curiosity among employees, get interest from senior stakeholders and can help carry some momentum for ongoing adoption efforts.

Promote as part of the onboarding process

Most companies have a process for onboarding new employees with checklists to complete, training to undertake and perhaps even a formal induction day. Involving the intranet in the onboarding process is a great way to not only help new employees have a smooth welcome but also to show them the value of the intranet from the moment they join. This can either involve a light introduction to the intranet or them utilising it in the onboarding process itself. An early positive experience with the intranet should help drive adoption, particularly in companies where there is high employee turnover.

Formalise community management

Community management is essential for a successful social intranet or collaboration platform. Community managers provide support, training, moderation, group development, content and more for individuals communities and sites. They drive adoption on the ground. It really helps to formalise community management within your organisation through clear descriptions of roles and associated skills, training and even a formal certification programme.

Gather user feedback (and then act on it)

What do users think of your intranet? Too often teams only find this out when they are planning for a new platform. Having an ongoing programme of user feedback is a good way to get insights into improvements you can make which should drive more usage. It also helps to drive trust with users. Some teams do carry out an annual user survey, but it also helps to have ongoing feedback too, with a form for users to provide comments via the intranet itself. You can also use polls, a discussion group or a regular user group meeting to gather observations and opinions as you go. Its also imperative to act on the feedback, otherwise you can create a negative impression.

Continually improve

Continual improvement is as much of a mindset as it is about putting it into practice. If an intranet team is committed to continually improving their intranet this should be noticed by your users and in turn this should drive adoption. There are many ways to continually improve but often it is about having a steady schedule of improvements, new features and content areas throughout the year. Its also about using analytics to identify where things need fixing and what works well, and taking the necessary actions. Its also about taking on board user feedback and being willing to experiment.

Use imagery in your intranet

A very text heavy intranet can be unappealing for users and that can impact adoption. Using imagery can help lift an intranet, make it more user-friendly and attractive, and that makes visitors want to return. This is an area where you can experiment to see what works but beware of adding cheesy stock imagery to your intranet that can even backfire!

The battle for adoption never stops

Driving adoption is an ongoing effort. Theres no real rest for intranet teams although its good to be busy! Taking a holistic approach to driving adoption is best which covers everything from using champions to engaging senior leaders to adding new features to providing a great user experience. Combining a great intranet with change management efforts and a continual improvement ethic is the ticket to success.

What Data is Stored in your Wizdom solution?

1) User Properties

2) Data for Analytics

3) Activities Related to Intranet Content

4) Content Created by Users

Product Updates to Meet the Principle of the Right to Be Forgotten

Recommendations to our Customers GDPR Policies Concerning Their Wizdom Solution

Leading the change

Breaking down silos

Being able to work in a more agile way

Helps increase digital literacy and confidence

Drive innovation

Intranets contribute to digital transformation

What are chatbots?

1. There are multiple use cases

2. This can go across different channels

3. This works great on mobile

4. This could unlock advanced search

5. Voice-activated chatbots are waiting in the wings

6. The scope for process automation is exciting

7. Were just at the start of the journey

Curious about chatbots?

Tactics for adoption success

Run a champions network

Ensure there is ongoing visible involvement from senior management

Integrate other tools

Establish mobile access for employees not in the office

Launch with a splash

Promote as part of the onboarding process

Formalise community management

Gather user feedback (and then act on it)

Continually improve

Use imagery in your intranet

The battle for adoption never stops

Let's discuss your project...