Unstructured Collaboration is Key to Increased Innovation and Business Agility in 2010

IndustryWeek (Gude, Director, U.S. High Tech and Electronics Manufacturing Industry Solutions, Microsoft) - In 2010, manufacturers will adopt social collaboration tools as they look to integrate social computing tools and platforms into their business processes, linking internal communities and external communities.

The biggest challenge in 2010 and beyond, therefore, will be to integrate PLM, ERP, supply chain management and other structured, transactional frameworks with tools and processes that facilitate unstructured collaboration. By embedding unstructured collaboration tools such as unified communications, live meetings and online chat within these structured, transactional systems, manufacturers will be able to increase business agility through an array of benefits ranging from improved innovation to more rapid decision making and faster time-to-market.

Here are three areas where we will see online collaboration take off in the manufacturing sector in 2010.

Ideation - In today's economic environment, many companies are counting on being able to innovate their way out of the recession and they will look to increase their use of practical social collaboration tools to advance this process.

Customer Self-Service - Some forward-thinking companies have recognized that customers can actually help other customers and have fostered community interaction through social collaboration. This idea of "self-service" enables customers to discuss problems and reach solutions organically and more efficiently, while reducing customer service staff time.

Partner Self-Service - The "self-service" model can also be applied to the partner channel. High-tech manufacturers have been able to build tighter partner and retail channels, increasing revenues, brand preference and customer satisfaction through the development of such communities.