Have you tried out ?discussion? format in your organization?

Govind

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
#1
Have you tried out “discussion” format in your organization?

I want to find out if anyone has experience trying out this V Bulletin Software for their organization for internal product/process discussions. I am thinking of this idea looking at the success of Elsmar and other forums. We are all use to discuss business subjects by emails (rarely messenger) and archive the information. What if we discuss in a “discussion format” open to a team within the organization? Wouldn’t it serve as good knowledge base? I want to find if anyone tried out this approach so far? What do you think would be the Pros and Cons?

Thanks,
Govind.

Note: Typically bigger organization have discussion boards for “buy/sell” within the organization for employees. I am not referring to this. I am referring to business/technical discussions.
 
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Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#2
I'm surprised that more companies don't use something like this or even phpbb which is free. You can limit access to the company intranet if you want, or whatever. Most of these 'forum' or 'bb' programs are very tailorable taken into consideration knowledgable server management (which is the pain for me as I'm 1/2 dangerous....).

I like the medium because it's essentially a database. That's why newsgroups are old hat for me (and for all intents and purposes have been for a number of years) and why I started this forum. It was the idea of bringing everything into one database and have a decent Search feature.

For a company to use as collaboration software makes sense. I know some companies do but I've never seen one. But if you check around and read the vBulletin forums, for example, or the phpbb forums, there are people there who keep up a forum like this in companies and use it as collabortive software.
 

Govind

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
#3
Thanks Marc & Congratulations.

Thanks Marc for the detailed feedback. I was planning to also write to Vbulletin to find if they have customers that use for application I mentioned above. My advance congratulations for your 10,000th Post You are just one post away. Wish it had been my thread;) What an honour.

Regards,
Govind.
 
#4
Govind said:
I want to find if anyone tried out this approach so far? What do you think would be the Pros and Cons?
Govind, I have to say that I haven't seen it used that way, but what a brilliant idea. Like most really good ideas it would also be relatively simple to realize. I really like it. :agree1:

Pros? I see several: Keeping record would be a breeze with this setup. It's already taken care of... Lots of unnecessary meetings could be avoided... The search function would be exceedingly useful...

Cons? Some education of not so savvy users would be required, but on the other hand that is also true for any other new detup I can think of.

/Claes
 
B

Bill Ryan - 2007

#5
Two years ago I found a discussion board on our intranet. I worked with one of our IS people and got it "running". The intention was to have a tool for exactly as Govind described. Alas, there are exactly five postings - 4 by me and one from the IS guy. It just hasn't caught on :nope:
 
T

tomvehoski

#7
We have a similar system on our intranet for knowledge sharing (huge multi-national company). Use is pretty low.

I've also tried using a similar feature in Sharepoint to discuss individual processes, procedures, etc. If I e-mail something out for review to 10 people I tend to get 10 responses of "you spelled XXXXXX wrong". Worse everyone likes to use the "reply to all" function and e-mails take on a life of their own. I have not been able to get anyone to use it as yet, and just get e-mails back.
 

RoxaneB

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#8
I also tried using an e-discussion board for our Management Systems group and our Quality Control group. Unfortunately, like Bill, the idea never caught on. I had the sites set up, invited people and some even signed up. But for some reason, they continued to email or phone.

My hope was that such a communication tool would either reduce the number of face-to-face meetings scheduled or better prepare us for these meetings so that we were all on the same page when we showed up.

Unfortunately, my thought on this was that people had so many software systems to access (doc control, production control, purchasing, order entry, safety, environment, failure analysis, etc.) that they didn't want one more system with one more user name with one more password.
 
B

Bill Ryan - 2007

#9
Claes Gefvenberg said:
I see. I gather that there are alternative ways to achieve the same thing, then?

/Claes
Pretty much like Tom and Roxane describe.


added: Wow! A "milestone post - I'll never forget it!!!!:rolleyes:
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Govind

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
#10
Find the barrier

Thanks for the input so far. Please do continue.

I think we need to get to the roots and see what is the hesitation to use this format in a business setting?

I still remember the days we use to send paper inter office memo, everyone reads and sign that they have read and/or assign actions to others. End of the circulation there use to be a cluttered instructions and signature everywhere on the page to track down the actions and acknowledgements. Something should have happened to break that 100 year practice to move to e-signature and email communication. We need to find that “something” that will transform the way we discuss in our organizations.

As Claes mentioned, my pitch to our management was mainly on “knowledge management” emphasis. Even though we archive all our mails and documents in the main server, there is no intelligent way to go back to query or review the knowledge acquired and lessons learned. Forum discussion setting provides that requirement in an effective at an affordable cost.

We also have the discussion feature in the SharePoint. I don’t think anyone is using it. Even ASQ sections that have SharePoint websites don’t use the discussion features (to my knowledge).

I think a focused application of this discussion format in a business setting like:
Project Management/ Product development post release issues and action discussion would be a good starting point. There is an opportunity of interaction. Secondly, in the current business world, project members are virtually connected from across the globe with time zone differences.

The main “CON” is overcoming the shyness to discuss in an open forum. I bet even here there are many Quality management professionals who read the Elsmar post everyday but hesitate to initiate the first post and start a discussion. The organization’s culture should also play a significant role in implementing these bold approaches.

Regards,
Govind.
 
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