SME guide to open collaboration frameworks

OPEN COLLABORATION FRAMEWORKS AND STRATEGIES FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM ENTERPRISES The Why, What and How for SME`s that are interested in Organization Innovation through the Implementation of Open Collaboration Processes Draft Suresh Fernando Partner, Radical Inclusion Table of Contents TOC
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Objectives and Scope PAGEREF _Toc246924975 5What is Open Collaboration? PAGEREF _Toc246924976 5What is collaboration? PAGEREF _Toc246924977 5What is Openness? PAGEREF _Toc246924978 5Why Implement an Open Collaboration Strategy? PAGEREF _Toc246924979 5Fostering Innovation PAGEREF _Toc246924980 6Increasing Productivity PAGEREF _Toc246924981 6Examples of Very Successful Enterprise Open Collaboration Strategies PAGEREF _Toc246924982 6GoldCorp - making visible and internal problem PAGEREF _Toc246924983 6Proctor and Gamble – developing a collaborative innovation framework PAGEREF _Toc246924984 6IBM: Fostering innovation and transforming corporate culture PAGEREF _Toc246924985 7ThinkPlace PAGEREF _Toc246924986 7SmallBlue PAGEREF _Toc246924987 7Beehive PAGEREF _Toc246924988 8Jamming PAGEREF _Toc246924989 8Lego - empowering a user community to co-create products PAGEREF _Toc246924990 8Intel – Developing a Collaborative Research Framework PAGEREF _Toc246924991 8The Open Innovation Attitude PAGEREF _Toc246924992 9Why Open Collaboration Works PAGEREF _Toc246924993 10Challenges to Implementing Open Collaborative Processes PAGEREF _Toc246924994 10The First Thing To Realize PAGEREF _Toc246924995 10Effective Collaboration Will Take Time PAGEREF _Toc246924996 11Agreeing on common goals PAGEREF _Toc246924997 12Leadership and organizational Culture PAGEREF _Toc246924998 12Sharing Information Widely PAGEREF _Toc246924999 12Developing Trust PAGEREF _Toc246925000 13Resource Scarcity PAGEREF _Toc246925001 13Information Quality PAGEREF _Toc246925002 13Common Mistakes When Developing Open Collaboration Strategies PAGEREF _Toc246925003 13Focusing on Reducing Bottom Line Rather than Increasing Top Line PAGEREF _Toc246925004 13Ineffective Leveraging of Collaboration Partners PAGEREF _Toc246925005 13Failure to Align Collaboration Strategy with Business Strategy PAGEREF _Toc246925006 13Strategic Considerations for Implementing Successful Open Collaboration Strategies PAGEREF _Toc246925007 14Develop a clear leadership message PAGEREF _Toc246925008 14Collaborate With Clients PAGEREF _Toc246925009 14Develop A Culture of Trust and Openness PAGEREF _Toc246925010 15Continuously Improve Products and Services Through Iteration PAGEREF _Toc246925011 15Understand That Participation in Open Communities Is A Skill PAGEREF _Toc246925012 15Preparing Your Organization to Collaborate PAGEREF _Toc246925013 15The Process for the Implementation of an Open Collaboration Strategy PAGEREF _Toc246925014 15Existing Communities Versus Developing Your Own Community PAGEREF _Toc246925015 16Advantages of Participating in Existing Community PAGEREF _Toc246925016 16Disadvantages PAGEREF _Toc246925017 16Open Collaboration Frameworks for Intra-Organizational (between organizations) Collaboration PAGEREF _Toc246925018 17Closed Hierarchical Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925019 18Closed Flat Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925020 18Open Hierarchical Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925021 18Open Flat Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925022 18Closed Hierarchical Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925023 19Closed Flat Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925024 19Open Hierarchical Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925025 19Open Flat Community: PAGEREF _Toc246925026 19Open Collaboration Frameworks for Inter-Organizational (inside organization) Collaboration PAGEREF _Toc246925027 20Closed Hierarchical Enterprise: PAGEREF _Toc246925028 20Closed Flat Enterprise: PAGEREF _Toc246925029 20Open Hierarchical Enterprise: PAGEREF _Toc246925030 20Open Flat Enterprise: PAGEREF _Toc246925031 20Open Collaboration Assessment Questionnaire PAGEREF _Toc246925032 20Developing the Right Open Collaboration Processes PAGEREF _Toc246925033 24Open Collaboration Products PAGEREF _Toc246925034 24Strategy Formation PAGEREF _Toc246925035 24Open Collaboration Strategy Assessment PAGEREF _Toc246925036 24Open Collaboration Testing PAGEREF _Toc246925037 24Open Collaboration Framework Development PAGEREF _Toc246925038 24Execution PAGEREF _Toc246925039 25Identification and Engagement of Key Stakeholders PAGEREF _Toc246925040 25Developing Culture of Trust and Openness PAGEREF _Toc246925041 25Virtual Team Building PAGEREF _Toc246925042 25Developing Collaboration Spaces PAGEREF _Toc246925043 25Internal Marketing and Positioning PAGEREF _Toc246925044 25Virtual Facilitation PAGEREF _Toc246925045 25Selecting the Right Tools and Platform PAGEREF _Toc246925046 26Developing the Right Governance Mechanisms PAGEREF _Toc246925047 26Meritocracy PAGEREF _Toc246925048 26Identifying and Implementing the Right Metrics and Measurement Processes PAGEREF _Toc246925049 27Positioning and Branding PAGEREF _Toc246925050 27Inter-Organizational Collaboration: possible strategies for SME Space PAGEREF _Toc246925051 27Cooperative Marketing Association PAGEREF _Toc246925052 27Procurement Networks PAGEREF _Toc246925053 27R&D and Innovation PAGEREF _Toc246925054 28Inter-Organizational Collaboration: possible strategies for large NGO’s PAGEREF _Toc246925055 28Enterprise Open Collaboration Projects PAGEREF _Toc246925056 29APPENDICES PAGEREF _Toc246925057 32Collaboration as Co-Creation of Value PAGEREF _Toc246925058 32Intel’s Exploratory Research Framework PAGEREF _Toc246925059 33Inter Organizational Collaboration: possible formal Structures PAGEREF _Toc246925060 34REFERENCES PAGEREF _Toc246925061 35 Objectives and Scope The following is designed to provide small to medium enterprises with an understanding of the rationale and associated strategy for the implementation of an open collaboration strategy within the enterprise. The approach that will be outlined will approach the problem from the top down in that it will make the case that an effective collaboration strategy is an enterprise wide commitment that requires the active engagement of senior leadership. The organizational commitment comprises not only the formation of specific activities and processes to support open collaboration, but also a commitment to developing a collaborative culture; a commitment to the sharing of risks, rewards and responsibilities as well as the collective formation objectives. The aim will be to develop a sequenced approach, beginning with a series of questions, for the development of a specific strategy that includes a breakdown of specific collaboration ‘products’ that can assist organizations both in the identification and the development of the correct strategy as well as it`s effective execution. What is Open Collaboration? To properly understand what an open collaboration strategy is, it is necessary to provide a definition both of what we mean by both collaboration as well as openness. What is collaboration? There are many ways to define the notion of collaboration. We consider the following as essential: ,[object Object]

The co-creation of contentWhat is Openness? By open we mean that the collaboration strategy will reach across existing corporate boundaries. The boundaries can be either within the organization (inter organizational) or across different organizations (intra organizational). Open collaboration, therefore, is a specific form of collaboration; one that aims to extend the range of participation by using various communications tools, thereby increasing the number of people, groups and organizations that are thinking about the problem that an organization is attempting to solve. The essence of open collaboration strategies is well represented in Linus Torvalds famous quote: ‘Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.’ The point being that if enough people are thinking about a problem, any problem can be solved. Why Implement an Open Collaboration Strategy? Larger organizations are successfully implementing open collaboration strategies. The technology infrastructure makes it possible for smaller organizations to implement the same strategies that larger organizations do and, therefore, to reap the benefits in similar ways. All that is necessary is a proper understanding of what sorts of problems can be solved and what the correct implementation strategies are. Broadly speaking, open collaboration strategies can be of benefit to organizations in two different ways: Fostering Innovation Organizations can foster innovation by using open collaboration principles to: ,[object Object]

Modify or develop internal processesNote that Size Matters!: Creating a large and open infrastructure with very loose informal networks can be a strong source of innovative ideas and processes. Growing the size of the informal network/community does not result in a point of diminishing returns due to the low cost of communication and the development of new tools to support information processing. Increasing Productivity ,[object Object]

Increase Frequency and Efficiency of Distributed Meetings: virtual capabilities allow organizations that operate across boundaries to collaborate more effectively

Enter Into New Markets: This can be accomplished by joint development strategiesCapturing Value from Open Collaboration Processes There are three fundamental ways in which organizations can capture value for open collaboration processes: Monetizing what is Co-created: Intellectual property that is created through the collaboration process leads to new products or processes that have a direct benefit to the organization. Developing Associated Products or Services: In participating in open collaboration projects, organizations have visibility into the activity of other groups. This allows them to develop products and services that can support other products and services that are being developed within the community. RedHat, for example, built a business providing consulting services in support of the Linux operating system. Indirect Benefits: Participating in open collaboration processes provides visibility for your organizations within a broader ecosystem of relationships. This serves to position the group as leaders in the community, develop brand recognition within the community etc. Examples of Very Successful Enterprise Open Collaboration Strategies The following are a few examples of how large enterprises utilize the principles of open collaboration. GoldCorp - Mobilizing an external community to solve an internal problem Goldcorp is a mining company that was faced with an underperforming mine based in the Red Lake area in Ontario, Canada. The mining industry is very traditional and hence were shocked when, GoldCorp decided to open up their data on their mines via offering $575,000 in prize money to virtual prospectors. ,[object Object]

The contest winner, a collaboration between Fractal Graphics and Wall & Associates from Australia, no member of whom had ever even seen the mine, built a powerful 3-D rendition of the mine.

Subsequent drilling resulted in striking gold in four of the first five recommendations from the winners.

In 1996 the mine produced at an annual rate of 54,000 ounces/year

In 2001 it was producing at an annual rate of 504,000 ounces/yearProctor and Gamble – developing a collaborative innovation framework Proctor and Gamble is a poster child for the effective use of open collaboration strategies to dramatically improve the effectiveness of its innovation strategy. P&G implemented their Connect & Develop strategy which, in essence, is a strategy to partner with other organizations to drive the organizations Research and Development process. The results have been no less than staggering. ,[object Object]

Has dramatically increased the number of partnerships, licensing agreements etc. increasing rate of successful innovations threefold.

Today, more than 35 percent of P&G’s new products in market have elements that originated from outside P&G, up from about 15 percent in 2000

45 percent of the initiatives in P&G’s product development portfolio have key elements that were discovered externally

R&D productivity has increased by nearly 60 percent

P&G’s innovation success rate has more than doubled, while the cost of innovation has fallen

R&D investment as a percentage of sales is down from 4.8 percent in 2000 to 3.4 percent today

Internal Branding: “Connect and Develop” and “50% Rule” – 50% of all new innovations to come from external partners“You don’t need to be a $70 billion most companies to do Connect & Develop. Most companies leverage other people’s ideas and assets… Small companies can get started like we did, namely with one person having the idea and the vision…” “P&G, for example, once known as an obsessively secretive organization, has thrown open its laboratory doors and invited outside collaborators to help develop new technologies and products, and at the same time is sharing some of its own intellectual property freely.” IBM: Fostering innovation and transforming corporate culture One of the main reasons IBM introduced their social media strategy was to develop a means to better connect their 380,000 employees (50% of which are mobile) and 200,000 contractors that are spread across 2000 offices in 50 countries. Another important reason was in order to bridge generational gaps between the older, established, members of the organization that had grown up within the established culture and the younger generation of employees who both had something to contribute to the formation of new culture as well as much to learn about IBM’s history. Specifically, IBM has introduced a number of specific processes; ThinkPlace ThinkPlace is an open discussion forum where ideas can be submitted, modified and reviewed collaborative by anyone in the organization. It was launched in late 2005. Since that time it has attracted 160,000 users who have generated over 180,000 ideas. 350 ideas have been implemented giving rise to a financial impact of over $500 million! SmallBlue SmallBlue is a social networking tool that provides a graphic view of the degrees of separation between IBM employees on the basis of common interests. Beehive Beehive is an enterprise social networking site similar to Facebook. Employees report that they use Beehive to essentially humanize their workplace by getting to know employees on levels that are not visible from within the corporate environment. Jamming A unique and interesting strategy utilized by IBM is the process of Jamming which is supported by a proprietary technology developed within IBM. Effectively Jamming is a real time mass collaboration brainstorming session. In 2006, IBM held InnovationJam, an internal brainstorming session that engaged 150,000 people from 104 countries and 67 different companies. On the basis of this, ten new IBM businesses were launched with an aggregate seed investment of $100 million Lego - empowering a user community to co-create products Lego has developed a complete social media/consumer engagement strategy that includes a number of different touchpoints; a fan club, a social network, online movies, online games, and message boards. They are also working on a massively multiplayer game. What is most interesting is that they have opened up their software design process to roughly 120,000 designers who can design their own products. This serves the purpose of engaging closely with those that most care about the brand. Intel – developing a Collaborative Research Framework Intel, the world’s leading manufacturer of microprocessing chips, operates in a highly dynamic and technically challenging arena. In order to drive competitiveness Intel needs to be on the forefront of the discovery of new technical solutions of various sorts. The nature of the microprocessor industry makes it possible (using Moore’s Law) to identify many of the technical hurdles that the company will face in the future. Hence Intel, throughout its history, has had a very well defined roadmap driven research process. This, however, is strategically inadequate because it fails to identify the following: ,[object Object]

Disruptive innovation that might threaten the existing product roadmap.In order to address this strategic constraint, Intel has made a commitment to developing and driving exploratory research processes. The four pillars of this strategy are: ,[object Object]

Developing collaborative research facilities in close proximity to universities

Providing corporate venture capital

Driving specific corporate research projects The Open Innovation Attitude In the examples above you will consistently find a commitment to a certain way of thinking within organizations that have successfully implemented open innovation strategies. The contrast with old ways of thinking about innovation is well summarized in the following table: Closed innovation principlesOpen innovation principlesThe smart people in the field work for us.Not all the smart people in the field work for us. We need to work with smart people inside and outside the company.To profit from R&D, we must discover it, develop it, and ship it ourselves.External R&D can create significant value: internal R&D is needed to claim some portion of that value.If we discover it ourselves, we will get it to the market first.We don't have to originate the research to profit from it.The company that gets an innovation to the market first will win.Building a better business model is better than getting to the market first.If we create the most and the best ideas in the industry, we will win.If we make the best use of internal and external ideas, we will win.We should control our IP, so that our competitors don't profit from our ideas.We should profit from others' use of our IP, and we should buy others' IP whenever it advances our business model. This means that within the company a shift should take place in the way people look at the company and its environment. Involving other parties when developing new products and technologies can be of great added value. Why Open Collaboration Works Here are some of the reasons why the implementation of open collaboration strategies within larger enterprises has proven successful. More people focusing on the problem Most talented individuals focus on the problem Open peer review processes create more accountability People are more likely to share information in open environments because there is not expectation that ideas be implemented; as opposed to work environments Leverage Collective Intelligence of whole organization… plus others outside organization Empowers all members of organization: ‘mailroom to boardroom!’ Fosters innovation and creativity Cultivate leaders within the organization Leadership lies with contributors, not established hierarchy Team Participation can Scale More resources More ideas Creates culture of openness and transparency Creates sense of being part of much larger whole Acknowledges diversity of employee skills – not ‘pigeonholed’ Direct organizational benefit: access to additional knowledge Indirect organizational benefit: makes employees feel ‘fully valued’. Connects organization across boundaries Creates dialogue that results in new clients, partners… Creates dialogue that results in different perspective – thought is not constrained by organizational ‘group think’ Information transfer accelerated – is viral Distributed Collaborative Intelligence: proportional to size of group Generates knew organizational knowledge; synthesis of cross boundary information Challenges to Implementing Open Collaborative Processes There are two types of challenges that you will face in implementing open collaboration processes; collaboration and culture related challenges and implementation related challenges. Collaboration and Culture Related Challenges The First Thing To Realize Collaboration is tough!! Collaboration is a hot topic these days – one that is getting lots of interest. We all intuitively know that working with others should be a good thing, but the reality is that effective collaboration either within an organization or across organizational boundaries is a challenge. Aside from the process related issues, your organization will be challenged by various interpersonal considerations; resistance to change, power struggles etc. All of these factors need to be considered as one develops a collaboration strategy. Are you up for the challenge? Effective Collaboration Will Take Time Even after the decision to implement a collaboration strategy is made, the process is developed, the governance mechanisms put in place and so on, it will take time before the group is effectively collaborating. We can understand this evolution over time, and the differences in terms of the types of collaborative activity as well as the respective goals the pertain to each stage, the following way., ActivitiesGoalsTrustNetworkingExchanging information for mutual benefitLow TrustCoordinationExchanging informationModifying activities: regular meetings etc.Goals are complementary (not in conflict)Some TrustCooperationExchanging informationModifying activitiesSharing resourcesGoals are compatible Moderate TrustCollaborationExchanging informationModifying activitiesSharing resourcesCo-Creating (sharing risks and rewards)Some goals are equivalentHigh Trust We note, therefore, that effective collaboration involves the development of trust amongst participants, and this takes time. Agreeing on common goals Conventional wisdom suggests that if a group of individuals or organizations is going to collaborate, the basis for the collaboration needs to be the identification of common goals. Hence in attempting to collaborate, there is a sense that we should have a common goal! In practice, however, identifying a common goal is much more difficult than it might appear to be at first. Groups or organizations enter into collaborative activity for a myriad of different reasons and bring different goals, resources, commitments, skills, etc into the process. Hence, it is useful at the outset to enter into a process that investigates the Collaborative Aims of participants; individuals and organizations. The following is one possible framework to consider: Leadership and organizational Culture In many cases, open collaboration processes are democratic and the organizational structure is flat. Since the essence of open collaboration is to leverage the human capital assets within an organization, the leaders need to be open to cultivating leadership within the group. This challenges traditional notions of organizational hierarchy and responsibility. The tradeoff for a more innovative and vibrant organization that has leadership that is willing to take on this challenge is the creation of a new organizational culture where employees think differently and see their role within the organization differently. We suggest that, in the long run, this will be of benefit to the organization. Sharing Information Widely Business leaders are taught to keep intellectual property close to the vest as it is an asset that can be monetized. Committing to openly sharing information with clients, partners and potentially even competitors is a necessary feature of open collaboration; one that requires a firm commitment from leadership and, in most cases, requires a cultural shift within the organization. Developing Trust Essential to the functioning of any collaborative enterprise is the development of trust amongst participants. Although the ideal case is that participants enter into the collaboration with a certain level of mutual trust, the reality is that in many cases participants don’t know each other and hence the starting point is a certain level of distrust. (see Developing Trust Within Virtual Teams for practical suggestions) Implementation Challenges Resource Scarcity An obvious challenge that any new initiative faces (not just open collaboration processes) is the requirement to redeploy resources (people, money, infrastructure etc.) internally in order to move forward with the initiative. Hence, a strong commitment to the project will be necessary in order to garner the support required. Incentivizing Participants A key ingredient to the success of the overall strategy will be the formulation of a strategy that provides the proper incentives both to participants within your organization as well as those in outside communities that you want to get involved. Information Quality Information quality is clearly an issue in cases like Wikipedia where essentially anyone can contribute to content creation. It is also a problem, from an enterprise perspective, if the collaboration generates any products or services that are associated with the brand, hence a quality control strategy needs to be implemented. Common Mistakes When Developing Open Collaboration Strategies Here are some common mistakes organizations make when implementing a collaboration strategy: Focusing Excessively on Reducing Costs Rather than Increasing Top Line A common mistake was for firms to engage global partners for the purpose only of reducing costs. Collaboration must be understood as benefiting an organization’s top line. Not only reducing its bottom line. Successful implementations focused on both. Ineffective Leveraging of Collaboration Partners Two basic considerations are partners`: ,[object Object]

Local knowledgeEffective strategies will account for and leverage a partner`s advantages in these areas Failure to Align Collaboration Strategy with Business Strategy In many cases since the collaboration strategy was viewed as merely an extension of the partnership strategy the purpose of which was merely to reduce costs, further consideration wasn’t given to the formulation of a specific collaboration strategy that supported the organization`s mission. As we have already stated, an effective open collaboration strategy is an enterprise wide commitment that must obviously be integrated with a firm`s larger strategic objective. Strategic Considerations for Implementing Successful Open Collaboration Strategies An examination of successful open collaboration projects suggests that organizations would be wise to consider the following as they formulate their strategy. Develop a clear leadership message The collaboration strategy needs to be an enterprise wide initiative. As a consequence it must be the CEO’s project. Furthermore, in order to effectively communicate the message across the organization it will be necessary to craft a specific internal branding and positioning message (see P&G case study). Collaborate With Clients Engaging with clients provides insight into both what is right about ones correct service offering as well as precisely what sort of problems clients have that your organization might be able to help to alleviate. Collaborate with your clients in the formulation of products and services that are solutions to problems as identified by them! Develop A Culture of Trust and Openness As has been mentioned previously, this is of the utmost importance. If one wants to engage clients and partners the right context must be present. We believe that openness and trust go hand in hand and therefore the first step towards the modification and evolution of one’s relationships with ones clients is the creation of open environments where information flows freely. Continuously Improve Products and Services Through Iteration One model that is proven and that is enabled by the evolution of collaborative platforms and other infrastructures is iterative and dialogical development of a product or service. In the case of software development this is represented through the release of various versions of software that are made open for testing and feedback; alpha, beta etc. This model allows many interested parties to engage on the development of the process and also engages stakeholders in the development of the product/service. Understand That Participation in Open Communities Requires Developing New Skills Participation in open collaboration environments requires fostering new skills and behaviour patterns amongst employees and other stakeholders. In particular participants must become accustomed to certain features of virtual environments; immediate feedback, unfiltered feedback, the need to develop writing skills etc.; Larger organizations develop specific training to ensure employees are prepared. IBM, for example, requires participants in new open source development communities to ‘lurk’ for a period of 30 to 60 days without active participation so as to acclimatize themselves with the dynamics of the community they are interested in joining. Preparing Your Organization to Collaborate In advance of the decision to move forward with a collaboration strategy, it`s important to consider the state of affairs within your organization. Consideration needs to be given to Governance: who, how etc. Effective provision of staff, budget and other resources (Provide Detail) The Process for the Implementation of an Open Collaboration Strategy In the following, we will present a methodology for the implementation of an open collaboration strategy within the enterprise or across a number of enterprises. There will be a number of specific questions that need to be answered, the most basic of which are: ,[object Object]

If it is decided that you want to extend your strategy across corporate boundaries, do you want to participate in existing networks or develop your own community with it`s own infrastructure.Existing Communities Versus Developing Your Own Community Advantages of Participating in Existing Community Allows more flexibility if organization’s strategy, business models etc. might change. Less commitment required up front. Organizations can walk away more easily. Less financial risk since there is no cost for infrastructure development etc. Disadvantages Investment required at the outset to determine which communities are of strategic importance. Less ability to direct attention towards problems of interest to your organization No control over IP – innovation generated within community might not benefit your organization. Reduced ability to develop brand presence Reduced ability to develop strong relationships The methodology we present suggests a two step approach: ,[object Object]

Develop the correct Open Collaboration Process upon the chosen Framework.Identifying Your Goals, Objectives and Priorities Open Collaboration processes can be utilized to satisfy a range of different corporate objectives that, broadly speaking, can be reduced to the following. In order for you to determine what the correct Open Collaboration Framework is, the first step is to prioritize amongst the following possible goals. The various goals suggest a specific framework. In working through organizations goals we can determine which framework is most suited for the problems that a particular organization wants to solve. In order to simplify this process and in order to develop a method to easily engage clients, we have developed the following questionnaire. Note that each priority suggests a particular framework. Hence in forcing a client to prioritize amongst their objectives, we can identify the framework that is best suited for their needs. Open Collaboration Frameworks for Intra-Organizational (between organizations) Collaboration The first thing that an organization needs to do when considering the implementation of a collaborative process is to determine what the right framework is. Which framework is the correct one for a particular circumstance depends on what a particular organization`s objectives are. Different framework have different governance structures and focuses and therefore should be aligned with specific organizational objectives. In advance of explaining how an organizations goals are linked to a particular Open Collaboration Framework, we will first describe explain the taxonomy we are using: The primary considerations are whether the structure should be: Open: anyone can participate, or at least the boundaries for participation are less constrained. Closed: participation is clearly defined Hierarchical: Leadership structure, intellectual property rights etc. are defined in advance Flat: Leadership structure is emergent, intellectual property belongs in the public domain etc. This leads to four possible scenarios each having unique characteristics. For the purposes of nomenclature, we will refer to collaboration outside enterprise boundaries in terms of the formation of a community. Closed Hierarchical Community: Closed/HierarchicalLead by one organizationProblem(s) defined by organizationParticipants definedSolutions selected by (property of) leadersClosed Flat Community: Closed/FlatEmergent Leadership StructureProblem(s) defined by groupParticipants definedSolution could be selected by (property of) leaders or open sourceOpen Hierarchical Community: Open/HierarchicalLead by one organizationProblem(s) defined by organizationParticipants openSolutions selected by (property of) leadersOpen Flat Community: Open/FlatEmergent leadership structureProblem(s) defined by groupParticipants open Solutions are ‘open source’ How do you select the most appropriate Open Collaboration Framework to use? Closed Hierarchical Community: AdvantagesControl of participationControl of management processesFocusNo intellectual property issuesEasy to manageDisadvantagesCan’t crowdsourceNeed to select expertsNo client engagementLittle marketing and business development potentialClosed Flat Community: AdvantagesControl of participationSelect expertsStrong leadership and participationFoster deep cross boundary relationshipsDisadvantagesNo control of management processesNo crowdsourcingPotential conflict over focus and questionsConflict over IP issuesLittle marketing and business development potentialOpen Hierarchical Community: AdvantagesControl over questions and problems posed to communitySupports innovationSome control over IPEngage clients and partnersSource ideas from outside organizationSome marketing and business development potentialDisadvantagesCan’t control input from outside organizationEvaluating different ideas from different sourcesManagement and process conflictsConflict over IP issuesOpen Flat Community: AdvantagesFosters Innovation: source large number of ideas from wider communityFoster relationships outside organizationLeverage intelligence from everywhere – generate innovative ideasStrong marketing and business development potentialDisadvantagesCan’t control input from outside organizationToo many ideasFocusing ideas in a way relevant to your organization Open Collaboration Frameworks for Inter-Organizational (inside organization) Collaboration The principles just described apply directly to the case of inter-organizational collaboration as well. The only difference is that the focus is internal to the organization and the boundaries across which collaboration strategies are implemented are internal; departments, office, geographic regions etc. Closed Hierarchical Enterprise: Closed/HierarchicalLead by one individual or small teamProblem(s) defined by individualParticipants definedSolutions selected by (property of) leadersClosed Flat Enterprise: Closed/FlatEmergent Leadership StructureProblem(s) defined by groupParticipants definedSolution could be selected by (property of) leaders or open sourceOpen Hierarchical Enterprise: Open/HierarchicalLead by one individual or small teamProblem(s) defined by individualParticipants openSolutions selected by (property of) leadersOpen Flat Enterprise: Open/FlatEmergent leadership structureProblem(s) defined by groupParticipants open Solutions are ‘open source’ Open Collaboration Assessment Questionnaire The following questions are designed to help us to understand what your organizational priorities are in determining what collaboration strategy is most appropriate for your organization. Please assign a value between 0 and 20 for each of the following questions. Please note that the total you can assign is 120 for all questions 20: extremely important 15: very important 10: important 5: somewhat important 0: Not important ,[object Object]

Clearly if it is determined that the focus must be within the organization, then it becomes necessary to implement an inter-organizational (within the organization) strategy.

Do you have a clearly defined business problem that you want to solve? How important is this for your collaboration strategy?

Do you know where the knowledge to solve your business problem resides? Yes, we know exactly which people/organizations have the required information.

Is innovation a priority? Do you want to generate new ideas that you can use within your organization: products, services, processes etc. Open ,[object Object],How do you want to approach innovation? Is co-creation an important strategic objective? ,[object Object]

Hierarchical: Need to formalize collaborative relationship if you want to drive co-generationIs client feedback important for your organization? Do you want to hear what your clients have to say? What they like, dislike, etc. Open ,[object Object]

Do you want to explore new partnership relationships with clients and others in the community?

Is marketing and business development an important element in developing your collaboration strategy? Do you want to increase the awareness of your company and its products in the community?

Do you want to have control over how the open collaboration process is implemented and managed?

SME guide to open collaboration frameworks

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