Microsoft Case Study: Microsoft Case Study: Portals as Communities for Portals as Communities for Knowledge Sharing Knowledge Sharing

Mary Lee KennedyMary Lee KennedyDirector, Knowledge Network GroupDirector, Knowledge Network Group

Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Corporation

KnowledgeNets 2001KnowledgeNets 2001May 17May 17thth, 2001, New York, 2001, New York

The Topic The Topic

““The case study will focus on the The case study will focus on the intranet knowledge capture, intranet knowledge capture, organization, access, and delivery organization, access, and delivery and reuse strategy to put what we and reuse strategy to put what we know at our fingertips.”know at our fingertips.”

Community as Social Community as Social CapitalCapital

“Officialdom”Understanding

ConnectivityConnectivity Peer to peerPeer to peer Peer to expertPeer to expert Expert to expertExpert to expert

Collaboration

Low High

Individual/Group Effort

Ind

ivid

ual

/Gro

up

En

gag

emen

t

High

Why Bother?Why Bother?

Brain powerBrain power Top companies in 20 industries ranked Top companies in 20 industries ranked

according to their levels of knowledge according to their levels of knowledge capital with ave. company’s KC having 3 capital with ave. company’s KC having 3 times their book value or $21 billion. times their book value or $21 billion. (1999 Knowledge Capital Scorecard*)(1999 Knowledge Capital Scorecard*)

http://www.intellectualcapital.nl/http://www.intellectualcapital.nl/

*“Seeing is Believing,” CFO, 2/1999 – NYU Stern School of Business, *“Seeing is Believing,” CFO, 2/1999 – NYU Stern School of Business, Prof. Baruch LevProf. Baruch Lev

Microsoft Employees…Microsoft Employees…

On average spend 2.31 hours a day engaging On average spend 2.31 hours a day engaging with information with information 50% of that time is looking for it and 50% of the time is 50% of that time is looking for it and 50% of the time is

using it.using it.

Are avid users of both tacit expertise and explicit Are avid users of both tacit expertise and explicit information in electronic environmentinformation in electronic environment

Want one-stop shopping, faster access/real-time Want one-stop shopping, faster access/real-time access, easier/more accessibility to web sites, a access, easier/more accessibility to web sites, a good/powerful search engine and relevant good/powerful search engine and relevant information.information.

Expect “everything” to be specific, measurable, Expect “everything” to be specific, measurable, relevant and tangible i.e. relevant and tangible i.e. there is an expectation of there is an expectation of value, value creation and contextual understandingvalue, value creation and contextual understanding..

MSWas domain

MSW as an integratorprovides access to the majordomains of the intranet.

Portal Topography

Super-Level Integrator

MSWas integrator

HRWebITGWebFinWeb InfoWebPGPortalWatson

Domains are the major portal players, and aredefined by their ownership of unique materialthat maps to concepts or subjects like "HR."MSW is a domain as well as an integratorbecause it has unique content.

Domains

Audit

Corp.Finance

Benefits

Miicrosoft.com

““Community” LeversCommunity” Levers

Content (Information and knowledge)Content (Information and knowledge) ToolsTools ServicesServices

Explicit ContentExplicit Content

FY01 Top 15 RequestsFY01 Top 15 Requests:: 77% - MS product/tech info77% - MS product/tech info 70% - Training materials70% - Training materials 68% - Technical or white papers68% - Technical or white papers 68% - Internal project websites68% - Internal project websites 62% - Internal news and features62% - Internal news and features 61% - Presentations61% - Presentations 60% - Standards & specifications60% - Standards & specifications 54% - Books54% - Books 53% - External News53% - External News 48% - Trade journals (electronic)48% - Trade journals (electronic) 47% - Competitor Product info47% - Competitor Product info 44% - Competitor websites44% - Competitor websites 42% - Conference proceedings42% - Conference proceedings 37% - Org charts37% - Org charts 37% - Trade journals (print)37% - Trade journals (print)

Implicit ContentImplicit Content

Intranet ToolsIntranet Tools

““Officialdom” engagementOfficialdom” engagement Electronic connectivityElectronic connectivity Workgroup collaboration Workgroup collaboration

Corporate PortalCorporate Portal

People/RolesPeople/Roles

Connectivity Connectivity

Contribution/ConsumptionContribution/Consumption

New HireNew Hire

Employee in Employee in training, professional training, professional

developmentdevelopment

Senior Senior EmployeeEmployee

ContributionContribution

vs.vs.

ConsumptionConsumption

ExperiencedExperiencedKn. WorkerKn. Worker

Develop orDevelop orProcureProcure

Mentor &Mentor &CollaborateCollaborate

ReuseReuse(delivery or(delivery or

publish)publish)

Workgroup CollaborationWorkgroup Collaboration

Group Collaboration Group Collaboration

Intranet Web ServicesIntranet Web Services

TaxonomyTaxonomy SchemasSchemas Search and tag taxonomy Search and tag taxonomy Navigation taxonomy Navigation taxonomy

SearchSearch

Navigation Navigation

Today’s Pro’s and Con’sToday’s Pro’s and Con’s Pro’sPro’s

Peer recognition motivating Peer recognition motivating factor in workgroup factor in workgroup collaborationcollaboration

Grass-roots, “middle” and Grass-roots, “middle” and technology drivers are technology drivers are cultural fit – and productivecultural fit – and productive

Intense levels of informal Intense levels of informal sharing and information sharing and information publishing based on publishing based on meritocracymeritocracy

Subject matter is Subject matter is organizational catalyst in organizational catalyst in enterprise/divisional enterprise/divisional communitiescommunities

Joint commitment to Joint commitment to platform, content, and platform, content, and servicesservices

Con’sCon’s Multiple effortsMultiple efforts Deep knowledge of user Deep knowledge of user

experience within each experience within each portal but not across the portal but not across the intranet (other than MSWeb)intranet (other than MSWeb)

Potential for confusion and Potential for confusion and ignorance on key content ignorance on key content and internal messagingand internal messaging

““Deer in the headlights Deer in the headlights syndrome” syndrome”

Evolution Evolution

Web-site Access

Industry Information

EventsLOB

InformationArchitecture

MicrosoftCommunity“Anywhere

On any Device”

FY1996 FY1999 FY2000 FY2001/2002

The Challenge of IslandsThe Challenge of Islands

??

????

??

Browse Browse the Webthe Web

Program Program the Webthe Web

Next Wave: XML Web ServicesNext Wave: XML Web Services

Technology

Technology

Web Services

Web Services

XMLXML

ProgrammabilityProgrammability

HTMLHTML

Web PagesWeb Pages

PresentationPresentationStandardStandard

FTP,FTP, EE-mail, Gopher

-mail, Gopher

TTCCP/IPP/IP

ConnectivityConnectivityInnovation

Innovation

Employee EngagementEmployee Engagement

Brendan Brian

PattyDianne

Henry Heath

Common Goals StrategyCommon Goals Strategy

Establish an internal network of major Establish an internal network of major portal owners to adopt standards and best portal owners to adopt standards and best practices, including:practices, including: Portal planningPortal planning User experienceUser experience Content qualityContent quality Business and employee information and Business and employee information and

knowledge, knowledge, Information architectureInformation architecture Editorial programming, andEditorial programming, and Applications platform.Applications platform.

Vision for the IntranetVision for the Intranet

Empower Microsoft employees Empower Microsoft employees through seamless access to tools, through seamless access to tools, services, information and knowledge services, information and knowledge any time, anywhere, on any device. any time, anywhere, on any device.

i.e. information and knowledge at your fingertips!

Value PropositionValue Proposition

The CompanyThe Company will have an efficient and effective information and will have an efficient and effective information and

knowledge management solution for employees, and knowledge management solution for employees, and

one to share with our customers.one to share with our customers. EmployeesEmployees

can easily find, share and reuse information and can easily find, share and reuse information and knowledge, understand its significance/relevance, and knowledge, understand its significance/relevance, and apply it as intended by the employee. apply it as intended by the employee.

Network membersNetwork members Will meet their audience needs faster than they would Will meet their audience needs faster than they would

when operating independently. when operating independently.

FrameworkFramework

Infrastructure (Assumed)

User Experience

Editorial Programming Information Architecture

Information and Knowledge

Applications PlatformCollect/Manage/Share/Metrics

CustomersPartners

Employees

Pla

nnin

g

FY02 Success FY02 Success

Increase reuse of the most valuable Increase reuse of the most valuable content, tools and knowledgecontent, tools and knowledge

Increase employee ability to identify and Increase employee ability to identify and understand key business topicsunderstand key business topics

Decrease multiple portal efforts and Decrease multiple portal efforts and increase efficienciesincrease efficiencies

Increase user satisfaction across the Increase user satisfaction across the intranet experienceintranet experience

Have a great story to tell our customers.Have a great story to tell our customers.

Key “Mantras”Key “Mantras”

Culture defines what works when Culture defines what works when establishing communityestablishing community

The dynamic duoThe dynamic duo Technology can enable it Technology can enable it People drive it People drive it

Common understanding and Common understanding and desired end-state keep it productive desired end-state keep it productive

QuestionsQuestions

Mary Lee KennedyMary Lee Kennedy marylken@microsoft.com marylken@microsoft.com

PlanningPlanning

ObjectiveObjective Establish a cross-portal business-owner Establish a cross-portal business-owner

driven strategy for the intranet that ensures a driven strategy for the intranet that ensures a measurable benefit to employees and to measurable benefit to employees and to Microsoft. Microsoft.

First stepsFirst steps ““Vote with your wallet”Vote with your wallet” Research sub-team to establish intranet Research sub-team to establish intranet

baselinebaseline Collaborative workspaceCollaborative workspace Executive sponsorshipExecutive sponsorship Internet/Intranet review Internet/Intranet review

User ExperienceUser Experience ObjectiveObjective

Design a simple, intuitive and flexible user Design a simple, intuitive and flexible user experience which provides seamless experience which provides seamless navigation across the major portals navigation across the major portals

First stepsFirst steps Baseline exploratory research on intranet user Baseline exploratory research on intranet user

expectations including community tools and expectations including community tools and preferred method of engaging with peers, preferred method of engaging with peers, experts and the “company”experts and the “company”

Audience (employee) understanding thru a Audience (employee) understanding thru a Persona Village Persona Village

Tie-ins between intranet/internet/extranetTie-ins between intranet/internet/extranet

Editorial ProgrammingEditorial Programming

ObjectiveObjective Coordinate editorial content that increases Coordinate editorial content that increases

employee understanding employee understanding First stepsFirst steps

Requirements for a consistent employee Requirements for a consistent employee understanding understanding

Editorial roles and responsibilitiesEditorial roles and responsibilities Common programming scheduleCommon programming schedule Editorial standardsEditorial standards Content quality standardsContent quality standards

Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture ObjectiveObjective

Design and implement an information Design and implement an information architecture that provides architecture that provides

The employee-base with the ability to find (through The employee-base with the ability to find (through search and browse) the authoritative, consistent, search and browse) the authoritative, consistent, exhaustive information needed exhaustive information needed

The publishers and aggregators the ability to add The publishers and aggregators the ability to add metadata based on a shared taxonomy with a metadata based on a shared taxonomy with a minimum expense of time and effort. minimum expense of time and effort.

First stepsFirst steps Core taxonomies (search, tag, navigation)Core taxonomies (search, tag, navigation)

What makes a “Best Bet”What makes a “Best Bet” Use of common content management tool Use of common content management tool

Information and KnowledgeInformation and Knowledge

ObjectiveObjective Guarantee that critical content sets Guarantee that critical content sets

meet business and employee meet business and employee productivity needs productivity needs

First stepsFirst steps Baseline information needs assessmentBaseline information needs assessment Identification and valuation of key Identification and valuation of key

information and knowledge sets information and knowledge sets Articulation of roles and responsibilitiesArticulation of roles and responsibilities Agreement on content quality standardsAgreement on content quality standards

Applications PlatformApplications Platform

ObjectiveObjective Provide reusable platform solutions Provide reusable platform solutions

with architectural guidance and a with architectural guidance and a synchronization path that ensures synchronization path that ensures fastest deployment. fastest deployment.

First stepsFirst steps Construct an architectural guidance processConstruct an architectural guidance process Review current platforms…identify Review current platforms…identify

audience/planned use opportunities audience/planned use opportunities Engage product groups Engage product groups