Collaborative systems

Introduction Collaborative systems

Use of intranet and extranets to support communication & collaboration- specific enterprise collaboration system as tools for communication of ideas, sharing resources & co-operative work efforts associated with HR business processes and projects. Consultative Role: basic concepts and components of management information, decision support and executive information systems application systems software for consultative role of HR.

What is collaboration?

Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals Results should be greater than individuals working alone Involves more than coordination and communication alone

The three critical collaboration drivers are:

Communication Content management Workflow control

Enterprise Collaboration
Communicate

Goal of Enterprise Collaboration Systems Coordinate Collaborate

Intranets and extranets

Engineering Server

Marketing Server

CORPORATE INTRANET
Customers Extranet Links

Extranet Links Supplier s

Intranet Links
H.R. Server

Other Company Locations

Intranet

An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network within an organization. Sometimes, the term refers only to the organization's internal website, but may be a more extensive part of the organization's information technology infrastructure. It may host multiple private websites and constitute an important component and focal point of internal communication and collaboration

Intranet

An intranet can be understood as a private analog of the Internet, or as a private extension of the Internet confined to an organization. The first intranet websites and home pages began to appear in organizations in 1996-1997. In many organizations, intranets are protected from unauthorized external access by means of a network gateway and firewall. (Eg. H.R.M.S., SAP)

Benefits

Workforce productivity: Intranets can help users to locate and view information faster and use applications relevant to their roles and responsibilities. With the help of a web browser interface, users can access data held in any database the organization wants to make available, anytime and subject to security provisions from anywhere within the company workstations, increasing employees' ability to perform their jobs faster, more accurately, and with confidence that they have the right information. It also helps to improve the services provided to the users.

Benefits

Time: Intranets allow organizations to distribute information to employees on an as-needed basis; Employees may link to relevant information at their convenience, rather than being distracted indiscriminately by electronic mail. Business operations and management: Intranets are also being used as a platform for developing and deploying applications to support business operations and decisions across the internetworked enterprise.

Benefits

Communication: Intranets can serve as powerful tools for communication within an organization, vertically and horizontally. From a communications standpoint, intranets are useful to communicate strategic initiatives that have a global reach throughout the organization. The type of information that can easily be conveyed is the purpose of the initiative and what the initiative is aiming to achieve, who is driving the initiative, results achieved to date, and who to speak to for more information. By providing this information on the intranet, staff have the opportunity to keep up-to-date with the strategic focus of the organization.

Web publishing allows cumbersome corporate knowledge to be maintained and easily accessed throughout the company using hypermedia and Web technologies. Examples include: employee manuals, benefits documents, company policies, business standards, news feeds, and even training, can be accessed using common Internet standards (Acrobat files, Flash files, CGI applications). Because each business unit can update the online copy of a document, the most recent version is usually available to employees using the intranet.

Benefits

Cost-effective: Users can view information and data via web-browser rather than maintaining physical documents such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms. This can potentially save the business money on printing, duplicating documents, and the environment as well as document maintenance overhead. For example, People soft "derived significant cost savings by shifting HR processes to the intranet".[

Benefits

Promote common corporate culture: Every user has the ability to view the same information within the Intranet. Immediate updates: When dealing with the public in any capacity, laws, specifications, and parameters can change. Intranets make it possible to provide your audience with "live" changes so they are kept up-to-date, which can limit a company's liability. Supports a distributed computing architecture: The intranet can also be linked to a companys management information system, for example a time keeping system.

Benefits

Enhance collaboration: Information is easily accessible by all authorised users, which enables teamwork. Cross-platform capability: Standards-compliant web browsers are available for Windows, Mac, and UNIX. Built for one audience: Many companies dictate computer specifications which, in turn, may allow Intranet developers to write applications that only have to work on one browser (no cross-browser compatibility issues). Being able to specifically address your "viewer" is a great advantage.

Applications of Intranets
Communications and Collaboration

Web Publishing and Intranet Management

Business Operations and Management

Intranet Communications & Collaboration

Electronic Mail

Groupware

Intranet Communication and Collaboration within an Enterprise

Voice Mail

Faxes

Paging

1. Electronic Mail

Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the same time, in common with instant messaging. Today's email systems are based on a store and forward model. Email servers accept, forward, deliver and store messages. Neither the users nor their computers are required to be online simultaneously; they need connect only briefly, typically to an email server, for as long as it takes to send or receive messages.

2. Groupware

Groupware refers to programs that help people work together collectively while located remotely from each other. Groupware services can include the sharing of calendars, collective writing, e-mail handling, shared database access, electronic meetings with each person able to see and display information to others, and other activities. Sometimes called collaborative software, groupware is an integral component of a field of study known as Computer-Supported Cooperative Work or CSCW.

Groupware

Groupware is often broken down into categories describing whether or not work group members collaborate in real time (synchronous groupware and asynchronous groupware). Some product examples of groupware include Lotus Notes, skype, Microsoft Exchange, both of which facilitate calendar sharing, e-mail handling, and the replication of files across a distributed system so that all users can view the same information. Electronic "face-to-face" meetings are facilitated by CU-SeeMe and Microsoft NetMeeting.

Categories of Groupware

Synchronous communication

Team members meet at the same time, but not necessarily at the same geographic location. It may include conference calls, face-to-face-meetings, or online meetings. Team members do not meet at the same time or in the same geographic location. It may include discussion forums or email exchanges.

Asynchronous communication

Types of groupware

Enterprise Collaboration Tools

Data Conferencing Discussion Forums

Voice Conferencing

Groupware Enterprise Collaboration Tools

Chat Systems

Videoconferencing

Electronic Meeting Systems

2.1. Data conferencing

A communication session among two or more participants sharing computer data in real time. Interaction and presentation devices such as a screen, keyboard, mouse, camera, etc. can be shared or be able to control each other computer. It is used to distinguish from video conferencing and audio conferencing.

2.2. Voice conferencing

Connecting a set of people using audio settings Applications for web conferencing include meetings, training events, lectures, or short presentations from any computer.

2.3. Video conferencing

Videoconferencing is the conduct of a videoconference (also known as a video conference or videoteleconference) by a set of telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to communicate by simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions. It has also been called 'visual collaboration' Videoconferencing differs from videophone calls in that it's designed to serve a conference or multiple locations rather than individuals.

2.4. Internet forum

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. Also, depending on the access level of a user or the forum set-up, a posted message might need to be approved by a moderator before it becomes visible. Forums have a specific set of jargon associated with them; e.g. a single conversation is called a "thread". Examples : - php Bulletin Board, Fast Uncompromising Discussion forum (FUD forum) etc

2.5. Electronic meeting systems

An electronic meeting system (EMS) is a type of computer software that facilitates creative problem solving and decisionmaking of groups within or across organizations. Similar to a web conference, a host invites the participants to an electronic meeting via email. Standard features of electronic meeting systems include electronic brainstorming (generally in anonymous format), parallel processing, discussion tools and voting. The unique features of EMS systems overcome the limitations of traditional face-to-face meetings such as lack of participation, criticism and domination of the proceedings by a few members.

3. Faxes

Fax (short for facsimile), sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device The original document is scanned with a fax machine (or a telecopier), which processes the contents (text or images) as a single fixed graphic image, converting it into a bitmap, the information is then transmitted as electrical signals through the telephone system. The receiving fax machine reconverts the coded image, printing a paper copy.

4. Voice-mail

Voice-mail (also known as voice message or voice bank) is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone. The term is also used more broadly to denote any system of conveying a stored telecommunications voice messages, including using an answering machine. Most cell phone services offer voice-mail as a basic feature, and many land line phones and corporate PBXs include voice-mail services.

5. Paging

A pager (often called a beeper) is a simple personal telecommunications device for short messages. A one-way numeric pager can only receive a message consisting of a few digits, typically a phone number that the user is then requested to call. Alphanumeric pagers are available, as well as twoway pagers that have the ability to send and receive email, numeric pages, and SMS messages.

Extranets

Use of the Internet (network) and its technologies but in a secured way (people in general cannot access the web sites) for business-to-business transactions, customer service and support and communication.

Replaces traditional Electronic Data Interchange systems and networks in many cases.

Extranet

An extranet is a computer network that allows controlled access from the outside, for specific business or educational purposes. In a business-to-business context, an extranet can be viewed as an extension of an organization's intranet that is extended to users outside the organization, usually partners, vendors, and suppliers, in isolation from all other Internet users. In contrast, business-to-consumer (B2C) models involve known servers of one or more companies, communicating with previously unknown consumer users.

Advantages of extranet

Exchange large volumes of data using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Share product catalogs exclusively with trade partners Collaborate with other companies on joint development efforts Jointly develop and use training programs with other companies Provide or access services provided by one company to a group of other companies, such as an online banking application managed by one company on behalf of affiliated banks

Disadvantages of extranet

Extranets can be expensive to implement and maintain within an organization (e.g., hardware, software, employee training costs), if hosted internally rather than by an application service provider. Security of extranets can be a concern when hosting valuable or proprietary information.

DSS

DSS is a system, which is helpful for taking a decision to a complex problem. A system that provides tools for mangers to assist them in solving semi structured and unstructured problems. DSS are computer based information system that provide interactive information support to managers and business professionals during the decision making process.

Decision support systems

Assumptions of scholars a style of behavior that is appropriate to the achievement of given goals, within the limits imposed by given conditions and constraints Herbert Simon

Decision support systems

A lass of systems that generally supports in the process of decision making but does not provide a decision of its own. 3 phases of decision support system Intelligence helps in identifying the problem Design finding the solutions Choice Selecting the solution Implementation

Types of decisions
Programmable rule based & result predetermined Non programmable manually done Attributes of decision support systems Flexibility tracking of semi/unstructured decisions Simple models Database requirement for inputs

Types of DSS

Status enquiry decisions based on one more aspects of decisions Data Analysis systems comparative analysis, formulas & algorithms Information analysis Accounting systems Model based systems infrequent (product mix, material mix, job scheduling rules)

Features of DSS

Developed by users as well as system analysts Uses the principles of science, economics and engineering along with tools & techniques of management. Data drawn from information systems of the company Developed in isolation and form an independent system Most common use is testing the alternatives

CHARACTERISTICS

It is designed and run by managers. Contains a database. Help to improve managerial decision and thereby managerial effectiveness. The decision maker retains control over decisions through out the decision process. Effective problem solving is enhanced by interaction between the computer and the manager. DSS are best suited to semi-structured problems where parts of the analysis can be computerized but the decision makers judgment and insight is needed to control the process. The computer provides support but does not replace the

MIS

Interdisciplinary in nature neither a pure science nor an art MIS more into management than IT.

Concepts in MIS
-

Management Information Structured Unstructured Approximate Futuristic External System set of elements which are joined together to achieve a common objective..

Components of MIS

Hardware Input and output devices constitute the hardware components of MIS Software The programs and applications that convert data into machinereadable language are known as software Procedures - sets of rules or guidelines, which an organization establishes for the use of a computer-based information system

Components of MIS

Personnel The computer experts, managers, users, analysts, programmers, database managers, and many other computer professionals who utilize the computer-based information systems are the personnel in a management information system Database

Components of MIS

INPUT - Data PROCESSOR classification/sorting/summarizing/calculation OUTPUT - processed data/information

Functional subsystems of MIS

1.

2.

3. 4.

5.

Production Information System or manufacturing management Financial management Information System Marketing information System Human Resource management Information System Research and Development System

Characteristics

Systems approach Management oriented Need based Exceptions based Future oriented Integrated Common data flows

EIS

It is an extension of MIS which is a special kind of DSS. Specially tailored for the use of chief executives to support in decision making EIS enables executives to find those data according to userdefined criteria and promote information-based insight and understanding. Unlike a traditional management information system presentation, EIS can distinguish between vital and seldomused data, and track different key critical activities for executives, both which are helpful in evaluating if the company is meeting its corporate objectives.

Features of EIS

More specific and personal It is comprehensive information system that contains different DSS models Takes into account not only the requirements but also the personality and functioning style of the manager.

Components

Hardware Software User interface - scheduled reports, questions/answers, menu driven, command language, natural language Telecommunication for decentralization

Advantages of EIS

Easy for upper-level executives to use, extensive computer experience is not required in operations Provides timely delivery of company summary information Information that is provided is better understood Filters data for management Improves tracking information Offers efficiency to decision makers

Disadvantages of EIS

System dependent Limited functionality, by design Information overload for some managers Benefits hard to quantify High implementation costs System may become slow, large, and hard to manage Need good internal processes for data management May lead to less reliable and less secure data