From Intranet to Digital Workplace

On the 28th-29th April 2016, I attended the Digital Workplace Conference in Melbourne.  Here are my notes & thoughts about one of the sessions.

Session: From Intranet to Digital Workplace

Speaker: James Robertson - @james_steptwo

Session Takeaways:

• Intranets should achieve the objectives of the business.  Shouldn't be used for any one team to push their agenda or workload onto others.
• James' 3 simple steps for building a Digital Workplace:
  

  1. Have projects to utilise the technology currently available

  2. Develop a strategy for the technology that is on the horizon

  3. Have a vision to justify what paths you choose & that plainly explains what you are trying to achieve 

  
  
• 6x2 Methodology - James' every-6-months approach to choosing the most critical & beneficial projects for the business.  As well as how to get executive buy in for your vision.
• A Week in the Digital Workspace - A vision of how we will work in the future, and how to align that vision with your business objectives.
• Showed great examples of next-level workplaces, utilising intranet to lower costs & increase productivity.

My Musings:

• Building a digital workplace isn't about a sexy intranet, although that's a good start!  It's about having a long-term vision of where you are trying to get to.  The vision in turn justifies why you've chosen a certain strategy & why it's worthwhile for the business to keep funding you on your selected projects.
• Every department should have a story about what they are trying to do and how it aligns with business objectives.
• Does your IT department have objectives for this year?  Are they tangible?  Do they match what the company is trying to achieve?  Do they align with IT's long term vision of what the companies technology suite should look like?

Rating: 5/5 Strategic Visions

Reasoning:  Great speaker, inspirational, logical.

Agree or Disagree?  Please feel free to discuss your thoughts in the comments below!