This research employed a web-based survey among 1866 randomly chosen Microsoft® partners in 8 countries and was conducted in 5 different
languages. For reporting purposes, these countries were organized into four geographic sectors: North America, EMEA (Europe, Middle East), APAC
(Asia-Pacific), and LATAM (Latin America).
The survey respondents represented a cross-section of independent software vendors.
ARE ISV DEVELOPERS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PROPRIETARY WEB-
BASED APPLICATION PLATFORMS?
Popular web-based companies are seeking to influence developers to use their new and emerging
development platforms. Their primary goals are to enable more widespread use of their proprietary tools
and resources in web applications, and to facilitate the build-out of specialized applications within their
sites.
None of these 74%
78%
Google Apps 11%
7%
Google Earth 12%
6%
Amazon Web Services 4%
6%
Microsoft Virtual Earth 7%
5%
Emerging
Facebook 6%
5%
Mature
Salesforce.com 5%
3%
MySpace 5%
2%
eBay Web Services 4%
3%
Twitter 1%
1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
What will you do if people do not
"want" to share?
• 1. Change the people
• 2. Change (Replace) the People
• 3. Drop KM
• 4. Put “Collaboration” into the Job Descriptions.
• From ACTKM
Lessons Learned from
Lessons Learned
Report Back on Experiment
Gurteen Knowledge Café - Sept 2008
Format
• Recent Experiment.
• Interpose your experiences as we go
Slide 2 of 2,338
Knowledge Forum Server
• Hierarchical Searching
• Automated Hyperlinker
• Forum Software
• On-Line Help System
• Knowledge Historian – Sharon Watson
• Knowledge Librarian – Peter Bridges
Client Background
• Long Term, Good Relationship, Knew all participants personally.
• Recent Amendment Version to Software which I had done, involving
– 2 clerical staff (one in Brisbane, one in Melbourne)
– 2 Marketers (one in Brisbane, one in Auckland) plus a Manager in
Brisbane
– 3 IT people in Melbourne (Chinese Lady Manager, 1 Skip, 1 Sri Lankan)
• Only 1 had done a Post Implementation Review anywhere before.
• This Business had never done a “lessons learned” before.
“In 35 years nobody has asked me for lessons learned….”
Startup
• 2 line comment in an email from me – “its coming”
“In the next few days, we will be sending out a link to a Post Project Review on this version, so have a think
about the lessons you have learned from this exercise, so that you can give good feedback”.
• Letter from Sharon
“Here is a link to a site to help us review this mini-project.
I would really appreciate you doing this, as we are evaluating what is necessary in terms capturing the story, and
gathering lessons learned.
Please say as much or as little as you want, and be truthful.
The aim is to work out what needs to be different next time, or what we can take away as a good thing to do
elsewhere.
This software is still being developed, so pardon any crudity.”
• Management Re-enforcement
Opening Screen
New Version of xxxxx Software
During this exercise we have introduced some new people to Updating a new version of xxxxxx; and we have
introduced some new steps and complexities such as better Testing, and having 3 people developing. We would
like to trial the FSHIST module from Fry Systems and track some of the lessons learned that you have gained
from this exercise. Please think about the questions and just give the best answer you can
Make my Comments
I have decided that I just want to make a general comment about something.
Call Sharon Watson
Questions
Responses
Follow Up #1
• 1 person, answered 1 question.
Thanks for leaving the note, Kim.
All you are meant to do on this screen is select your name, and then describe in your own words, what you think your role was in this project.
For example, I know that you entered a lot of documents, but
How would you describe that?
What else did you do.
• Another person, added a general “free form” comment
Thanks very much for your response, Peter.
Your note about the success of the project has been recorded. (Did you want to expand your comment or add anything under the other
questions?)
Your feedback is valuable and I appreciate your contribution. Thanks again.
• More Encouragement
Thank you to those who have made comments so far. If you have thought of something else, please free to make more comments.
Some people have not made comments so far. It is a good idea to do so while the experience is fresh in your minds. If you would like help with
recording your comments please feel free to contact me.
• No Reaction. The software audit trail showed that they had not gone beyond
the opening screen.
Opening Screen
New Version of xxxxx Software
During this exercise we have introduced some new people to Updating a new version of xxxxxx; and we have
introduced some new steps and complexities such as better Testing, and having 3 people developing. We would
like to trial the FSHIST module from Fry Systems and track some of the lessons learned that you have gained
from this exercise. Please think about the questions and just give the best answer you can
Make my Comments
I have decided that I just want to make a general comment about something.
Call Sharon Watson
Follow Up #2
• Direct Interview with 4 non-participants with Managing Director
present.
• Verbal answers showed the gap in business understanding.
• Minor element of distrust.
• Nobody claimed they were “too busy”
• It was new.
Follow Up #3
“The exercise was an interesting study in remote management.
We know remote management works and in this case the project was successful in that we achieved the stated aim
but I wonder how much better it might have been had we enjoyed the advantage of getting everyone in the same
room at the commencement of the project for an information and brainstorming session. There was a mountain of
tedious stuff to get through and Bernice, Kim, and Julia‟s team did a terrific job, but these people were working
pretty much in isolation from each other and I don‟t think they get much of a sense of satisfaction from that. If we
had a „whole of project team‟ approach then everybody has the opportunity of celebrating success rather than
thinking of it as just another task knocked over.
I know I‟m used to more generous corporate budgets that enable project teams to meet and that we are a tighter ship,
but I really believe that we need to think about the „ownership‟ aspect of any significant projects in future. A few
hundred dollars on air fares can produce a better result and pay for itself in terms of better understanding,
commitment, enrolment, shared ownership, and ultimate success.”
Summarised as:
Peter raised the issue that co-ordination was very difficult with 4 sites (Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and New
Zealand) and that a small amount of money on some air fares would have meant face-to-face communication –
which is clearly superior to emails and phones. This has been raised with the Managing Director and the response
is that we will make more (and immediate) use of the WebCams in Melbourne and Brisbane.
TELSTRA
• Need to do it immediately after the exercise
• Don‟t share beyond the participants
• Set up KM approach at the start of the Project
ACTKM
Gia Lyons (http://giatalks.com/blog/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-smart-
people-to-share)Thu, 8 May 2008
Why is it so hard to get smart people to share?
[...] For the record, please do not try to harness or harvest my
knowledge. I am not a horse, nor a corn crop. Why is it so hard to
get your smart people to share? Because human beings typically
share their precious knowledge only with people they trust. Not a
software application.
Next Takers ?
• Preselling the exercise
• Symptomatic of other issues (Induction, Understanding, need for
improvement, willingness to take on the new….)
• More expansive explanation in software
• Analyse and Engage
Thomas Edison
“I have not failed. I have just found a whole lot of things that did not
work”