Use of Wikis help you to work smarter, not harder...

Wikis are wonderful tools that can be very most useful in business. Wikis are simply a webpage that can be updated by anyone allowing immediate updates and current, live information sharing among groups (as seen in the above YouTube video). In recent years, some companies have begun to use Wikis (web pages that allow user input and immediate updates) to manage and maintain Human Resources sites, Internal Communication, and in Committee and Group projects. These companies include, but are not limited to Motorola, IBM, and RBC. The adoption rate is slow in that, "RBC now has 66 active instances of Confluence (paid version), mostly focused around projects. In total, there are about 1,000 to 1,500 active users. That number sounds impressively high, until you consider the potential user base of some 10,000 employees." (All, 2007)

Some of these companies have adopted use primarily through mandates from the companies leadership. Managers at all levels in business must consider adoption to ensure employees work smarter, not harder. Change doesn't come without some adversity as some users have complained of user glitches early on in adoption while others in small companies may not see the value when they can talk to one another in the same location.

Consider use of a wiki for external use in a company. Why not allow clients to managers to make suggestions or give feedback on a wiki about your product? Companies work hard to survey their customers, offering incentives, and much work to compile data is put into measuring a companies approval. Wouldn't it be much easier to compile data and manage feedback using a wiki? I know we get thank you emails and other items that are not part of an assessment or annual report. A wiki would give space to compile all feedback for a useful purpose when it come time to give an annual report.

It is clear that wiki use has not yet become common use among workers across the globe. It has not be yet realized by users that this format could indeed replace email. Wiki use is immediate and all members in communication can make changes to items without the mess of sending updated file versions, or the lag time of email. I may well be the next big thing.

Information Cited:
Created by LeeLefever, May 29, 2007 at CommonCraft.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

By Ann All, March 23, 2007, "Why are we all using wikis?" IT Business Edge, http://www.itbusinessedge.com