What else can you do with your data?

There are many dynamics to getting your collaboration solution right, but ultimately it's not something you can buy for your organisation. Collaboration is something that people do...adoption is the key outcome.

But how do we actually measure both these dimensions accurately? What else can you do with that data?

Measuring key dimensions in collaboration usage and adoption

Firstly you need to have some sophistication in how you group users for analysis. Take unified communications (UC), a key component of most end-to-end collaboration solutions, for example. This provides a multitude of tools and circumstances or scenarios under which users might make the most of those tools to get their work done more efficiently and effectively.

However one grouping of tools and scenarios might be good for one part of your organisation - but not others.

There may be little point in doing a single analysis across the entire organisation. If you want to understand if mobile web conferencing and video conferencing, for example, is being adopted according to the business case, then you want to focus that analysis on the relevant users only. Maybe some groups don't even have a mobile device or a web camera to start with - and using your organisational structure as a filter is an efficient, flexible and functional way of going about things.

What patterns are you looking for?

Patterns of behaviour should ideally include what type of tool is being used (be that Instant Message, screen sharing, web conferencing etc.). Also the network circumstances - can you, for example, include analysis around whether the tools are being used when mobile, on corporate network (Wi-Fi or fixed) or being used on a non-corporate network?

This is key to understanding, not just which tools are being consistently (or inconsistently) used by similar types of users, but also if they understand the application of those tools when they are in different locations?

You are looking here to ensure that cultural change has been successful - and consistency of usage, across devices, locations as well as different tools is key to gaining that clarity.

Be imaginative with the application of the data analytics

Some of our customers have asked us how to blend Telstra's Collaboration Performance and Measurement Framework analytics tool with other systems such as workflow monitoring and business performance. Imagine if you could identify the perfect collaboration pattern that matches consistent, positive outcomes according to other business systems.

That would be a great way to create a focused change campaign - educating users much more specifically about ways of using their collaboration environment to help them perform well (for themselves - as well as your customers).

For more information go to Telstra Exchange