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Web 2.0: My Personal Business Perspective

Tim O’Reilly is rightfully credited with coining the phrase “Web 2.0” in early 2004. (See “What is Web 2.0?” for the full story.) Since that time, there has been a huge outpouring of discussion about this term. A recent Google search of “Web 2.0” yielded 141 million hits (1)! So, much like beauty, Web 2.0 means very different things to different people. The topic generates a lot of energy, disagreement, and passion.

Tim Rosa Associates recently sponsored an in-house workshop that focused on Web 2.0. Kathleen Gilroy, Chairman and CEO of The Otter Group, helped us explore the value of Web 2.0 in the context of the way we manage our business today, as well as the potential long term impact on our project teams, our company, and our interaction with our clients. Hosted at the Emerging Enterprise Center at Foley Hoag LLP, the interactive session generated a lively exchange of reactions, thoughts, and ideas.

So, what did we discuss? Far too many things to put into one short article. However, here are some of the more important items:

• Web 1.0 represents the power of the web to support the transactional aspects of doing business in the Internet Age. However, the lack of inherent scalability—as evidenced by private information silos of overstuffed inboxes and valuable data trapped on individual hard drives—means we’re hitting the wall when it comes to effective ways to develop brand awareness, reach out to customers, build teams, and work collaboratively.
  
  
• Web 2.0 represents the next generation of tools that capitalize on the Web’s incredible potential to change the way we work, play, and communicate. The social networking aspects of Web 2.0 allow virtual teams to come together in exciting new ways, pooling their incredible talents by sharing information more easily. New technologies place individuals in the driver’s seat when it comes to the information they access and share.
  
  
• With Web 2.0 small businesses are now on a level playing field, enabling them to quickly and cost-effectively build brands while engaging more easily in digital conversations with prospects, customers, and commentators through powerful new channels. With new ways to instantly share and access information, individuals wield new degrees of influence.
  
  
• It is easier to both produce and consume content in the Web 2.0 world. The implication is that the development and distribution of quality content are more critical now than ever before. Companies need to ensure that content contributions in these new channels continue to support the company’s reputation for excellence.
  
  
• The barriers to entry into Web 2.0 are low. The essential tools for creating and sharing information via blogs, wikis, podcasts, video podcasts, and images are either free or inexpensive. The technologies themselves are also easy to use, and because most are hosted or available via the software-as-a-service (SAAS) model, maintenance is minimal. While IT and other specialists still have important roles to play, IT is less of a participant than in the Web 1.0 days.
  
  
• While management is eager to realize the potential of Web 2.0, getting employees to adopt these new tools is critical to success. In our experience, when management frames the challenges and empowers the employees to own the solutions, the results are overwhelmingly positive. By giving employees permission to find ways to automate processes and re-invent what they do, the results are unpredictable, creative, and amazingly simple. Introducing Web 2.0 concepts in a way that involves employees, customers, and business partners lets you gain a wealth of new ideas for the business. However, because these tools represent a grassroots way of problem-solving that generates results from the ground up, companies must avoid old patterns of business process re-engineering initiatives. Put more simply, “Plant the seeds, take care of them, and watch them grow.”
  
  
• By allowing free, open, and constructive comment on aspects of the business with Web 2.0 technology, senior management is freeing the information flow from the restrictions of the traditional organizational hierarchy. While this democratization of ideas excites some executives, others will not be interested in having this happen. Also, depending on the industry segment, there may be more need for oversight of Web 2.0 communication due to government regulations and compliance requirements.
  
  
• Clearly, there is no “one size fits all” solution for Web 2.0. Companies need to explore the technologies, identify the approaches that are right for them, and deploy them in ways that achieve corporate goals and are consistent with the culture. Some elements might be best for the customer-facing side of the business, while some might be more appropriate for use by the company’s employees only.

Bottom Line

1 Search performed on google.com, November 9, 2006.

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Tim Rosa Associates, LLC

Copyright © 2006 Tim Rosa Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.