Using Yammer to improve collaboration between organizations 27.12.2010 Richard von Kaufmann // co-founder // concepting director
Aug 20, 2015
Using Yammer to improve collaboration between
organizations
27.12.2010 Richard von Kaufmann // co-founder // concepting director
What is Yammer?
This presentation explains what Yammer is and how it helps. And it will specifically focus on how it can be used to quickly create an inter-organizational collaboration space.
And it will use examples from the OSKE collaboration environment project currently being undertaken by Zipipop for the Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy (TEM).
“Yammer is use by over 100,000
organizations, including over 80% of the
Fortune 500 companies” Yammer (Dec,
2010)
“Yammer was the simplest to use and had a stable of applications and even some 3rd party apps. They seem to have the most momentum and the largest user base.” thenextweb.com (Oct, 2009)
Why Yammer?
There are also open-source enterprise micro-blogging services:
Enterprise Micro-blogging
Yammer is one of the post popular enterprise micro-blogging services.
Enterprise micro-blogging uses conventions developed from consumer social media: most notably Facebook and Twitter.
The difference is that enterprise micro-blogging services are closed and invite only.
Facebook pioneered the development of the live “Needs Feed”. This interaction format is now
widespread in many services and it is fast becoming a standard part of business software.
Micro-bloggingBenefits:
• Improving awareness
• Requesting help
• Finding people
• Sharing tips and links
• Coordinating
• Reduces overall email traffic
• Makes important email standout
Business software has now adapted the News Feed and micro-blogging
practices to improve collaboration within and between organizations.
Without an audience, we are not motivated… http://www.besser20.de/english
Usage Rules
Yammer is highly likely to fail if you do not define the usage rules in advance.
The number one problem is if people start having private discussions in the
middle of a large Yammer network, as this quickly makes the space feel spammy.
However, if the right usage rules are set in advance, it is fine to have detailed
discussions in smaller networks.
Yammer Usage: Large Communities
EXAMPLE: OSKE Community
NEED: Generate better awareness and share
information within the community
BASIC RULES: Posts should mostly be of
interest to the majority of the community and
should be kept shortish.
THINK: “Notification news stream”
Yammer Usage:Project Groups
EXAMPLE: OSKE Admin
NEED: Detailed knowledge sharing and
generation through more in-depth
discussion.
BASIC RULES: Initial discussion topic or
question is posted and comments are given
in reply. All comments should be given as
replies to keep them attached to the
original topic.
THINK: “Micro-forum”
Creating a wider network
OSKE Adminscluster managers
“community” network
OSKE.net admins only
“parent” networkOSKE Community
Network
all OSKE users
“community” network
X Clustercluster members
“community” network
X Clustercluster members
“community” network
X Clustercluster members
(“community” network)
Yammer Community Networks are a great way to expand a collaboration community.
Zipipop used Yammer open Community Networks to create a linked network of 13 OSKE competence clusters consisting of 22 different organizations – which could use their own work emails to get access.
Community Networks
• Members of the “parent” network are able to create new Community networks.
• Create new community
• Manage community membership
• See all communities
Design CustomizationIf people are following multiple networks it is a good idea to modify the designs to help people be aware of which network they are looking at.
Admin Power
• Community settings
• Remove users
• Invitation settings
• Only admin can invite
• All members can invite
Community SupportMultiple people can provide usage support.
Initially expert advisers should be hired to get things
up and running smoothly, however, the goal is be
enable the community members to support each
other.
In a survey conducted for the OSKE project the
majority of users said that they would always ask a
colleague first to solve an IT problem – micro-
blogging facilitates this natural instinct.
Yammer Networks Notifications
Always use the same email with your Yammer accounts to keep them tied
together in one space
Thanks!
Richard von KaufmannConcepting Director, Co-founder+358 45 11 222 [email protected]
Community Managers Only
Sometimes Community Managers of
shared inter-organizational Yammer
communities will have two email
accounts linked with Yammer:
domain email
For accessing “parent” network for
admin and creating new
communities.
normal work email
For uniting many Yammer networks
into one space.