Enterprise 2.0 Strategists

Enterprise 2.0 Strategists are the ambassadors of E2.0. They are the authorized representatives of business executives or information technology. They speak the languages of business and technology and know the cultures of business, technology and Enterprise 2.0.

Business analysts played this role for the development and enhancement of business processes, legacy systems, and Web 1.0. The focus then was on processes, either the systematization of existing processes or the design of new processes to take advantage of changes in technology. The impact of processes and/or technology changes were a factor to be considered as part of the implementation and training plans but did not have a significant impact on design.

Web 2.0 applications may incorporate legacy, Web 1.0 and new technologies. The emphasis is on the technologies with some regard for the changing environment or culture in which a particular set of technologies will be used. It encompasses both enterprise technology and culture plus technologies and cultures found outside of enterprises. Outside examples include personal blogging, social networks and wikis that are not linked to specific enterprises.

Enterprise 2.0 uses the technologies of Web 2.0 but reflects the business requirements and cultural issues of an enterprise. Changes in the business environment or culture are a significant element in the design of strategies for E2. In its most effective form, an E2 strategy changes the culture of the market, business relationships, internal operations, and/or human resources recruiting and retention.

In an earlier post, we talked about four corporate communities to be considered for Enterprise 2.0 strategies: customers-who buys, who influences, competitors, etc., contracts-suppliers, dealers, advertising and PR agencies, law firms, etc., corporate including marketing, finance, production, lines of business, etc., and HR-with particular emphasis on recruiting and retention.

Outside the enterprise, Web 2.0 tends to look at just one or two communities at a time. Within the enterprise, one of these may represent a good place to start but the strategy must expand to encompass all four. We also posed four questions:

What are your:
Communities doing today? - probably more than you expect
What are your tactics for these four communities?
What are your strategies for these four communities?
What are your plans to manage these strategies?

None of these questions are focused on technology although the answers will involve technologies. The tactics and strategies will depend on what you and your competitors are doing and the needs of your enterprise and each of your communities. The tactics and strategies need to be coordinated because these communities overlap to some extend, e.g., how your deal with your customer communities will be known to your recruiting and employee communities.

If you have started, congratulations. Where do you go from here? If you haven't started, where do you start? There is no single answer but experienced business analysts who are familiar with Web 2.0 within and beyond the enterprise are good candidates to start designing processes that will lead to the answers you need for your enterprise.