Part 3 of How to Create an Office in the Clouds.

So far we’ve established 5 reasons for taking your business to the clouds in Part 1.  And looked at 5 things to consider when deciding to go 2.0 in Part 2.  In Part 3 we will be share with you 5 keys for integrating 2.0 solutions into your culture.  Now…

5 Keys to Integrating 2.0 Solutions into your Culture

1. Ask for input, and work as a group to decide which aspects of the business belong on the web.  A.K.A. Get BUY-IN!  I can not stress the importance of this enough.  Just talking excitedly about cool new apps will not get the job done… spend some brain time to figure out, not what the FEATURES of the new processes will be, but what their BENEFITS will be to the employees and customers.
2. Do your research.  There are literally hundreds if not thousands of solutions out there, find out which ones are going to provide you with what you need.  Once you think you found them… challenge yourself to find good forums talking about those solutions.
3. Test your picks thoroughly before you incorporate them into your business.  2.0 solutions sometimes have unique quirks that aren’t apparent at first.  ex:  I had tried to incorporate Microsoft Office Live file sharing as a means to help clients access files from anywhere, wrongfully assuming that a company/platform as ubiquitous as Microsoft would work for nearly anyone.  Not so.  None of my mortgage/banking clients could access their work due to heightened firewall protections that the Office Live product triggered.  I had to figure out a new solution quickly, something I could have avoided with a bit more testing.
4. Over-think your deployment.  Wait… you can’t over-think your deployment.  Take as much time as necessary to really consider how this will impact those around you.  Map out how each 2.0 solution will affect your interior and exterior customers and then create a plan for stemming off as many negatives as possible before you get started.  Give a lot of thought to easing people into it slowly.
5. Don’t forget to act!  Get the ball moving.  Just do it.  All planning aside, when the time is right the time is right, don’t fail to take the leap.  If you need encouragement refer back to Part 1.

Here’s another great resource for incorporating any new technology into your business… all applies to going 2.0.

My next post on this subject will involve a case study on taking a business to the clouds from start to finish.  Talk to you soon.