A collaboration platform utilizes a “Network Effect” where the system itself becomes more valuable to those who use it as the number of participants increase and information is created. In the world of Web 2.0, “critical mass” describes the amount of data held in the system which allows the user community to easily retrieve information. The network effect becomes most significant after the system has reached this stage. After which, users not only access information more efficiently but share, edit, communicate, and contribute data in real time. The “network effect” attracts more users and creates a growing cycle of resourceful usability.
For companies wanting to leverage the power of community generated content, the question becomes how to attract users before critical mass is reached and how to go about artificially achieving critical mass so that the benefits of the system can be realized. A number of techniques can be used to reduce the time and effort it takes for a user generated content system to achieve the desired network effect. The first is to seed the system with a significant quantity of information that may be readily available and organize this information so that it can be utilized for new purposes. Another technique is to develop a taxonomy so revolutionary it makes the very subject matter easier to understand, an example of this would be the periodic table. Incentive models can also be used to promote the contribution of content, such as those which appeal to a community’s status, other self-interests, or offer monetary influences, however these have seen limited or mixed results at best.
WiiKno has developed repeatable techniques to allow an organization’s collaboration system to achieve critical mass as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. Whether an organization is deploying an intranet, or an extranet collaboration system, achieving critical mass can be greatly accelerated so that the sponsoring organization can receive the benefits as immediately as possible. Although the techniques for accelerating critical mass in intranet and extranet do differ. Intranet contributions utilize techniques like providing positive ratings for top contributions on performance reports through classroom training. These techniques are not available for external users but the pool of potential contribution is much greater and therefore the incentive need not be as high as those for an intranet based system.
To find more ways of leveraging your company’s knowledge community contact WiiKno!
