Enabling Technology Announcement: New Roundtable Event: Supercharge Collaboration With O365, 16 Oct 2018

The most recent Enabling Technologies Survey (conducted April – May 2018) identified two topics that could potentially be combined into one Roundtable event, namely the generic 'Collaboration Tools & Technologies' and the more specific 'Sharepoint/Office 365'. Whilst recognising that KIN Member organisations are using a wide variety of technologies and platforms for user engagement, collaboration and knowledge sharing, (e.g. Jive, G-Suite, Facebook for business, Wikis, Microsoft etc.) it is proposed we focus primarily on Sharepoint and O365 for this Roundtable. Recognising that our member organisations are at different stages of their implementation journey from Sharepoint to O365, this Roundtable provides an ideal opportunity for knowledge sharing between those at the beginning of their journey and those who are just starting it. As with previous Enabling Technologies events, we don't just talk about the technologies themselves, but look at the pragmatic issues around their implementation and effective use. For this Roundtable, we are seeking: People who have knowledge to share about … People who want to know more about …. Sharepoint Online Searching for Information using Delve  Understanding document libraries  Using Groups/Team Sites for collaborative working Setting up Communities of Practice  Grouping and Sharing documents using Boards  OneDrive for Business Navigating OneDrive Uploading content Sharing Documents and Collaborating Synchronising OneDrive to the Desktop Skype for Business  Communicate using Instant Messaging, Voice and Video  Setting up Group meetings  Integration with Outlook  Sharing – Presentations, Content/Screen, Polls, Virtual Whiteboard Office Desktop Applications What's new in Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint? Creating and editing documents in 'The Cloud'  Sharing documents and collaborating with colleagues online Strategies for encouraging user adoption and engagement      When registering for this event, it would be helpful if you would indicate whether you have knowledge to share, or whether you are there to learn. Full details can be found on this event page: Roundtable: Supercharge Collaboration With O365'

Augmented and Virtual Reality in the Workplace

Recent ‘innovation’ themed KIN Quarterly workshops have included “Reimagining the Innovative Organisation”, “The People Side of Innovation” and AI-augmented decision making. We continue the series for our Autumn Workshop (10/11 September) looking at how innovative technologies are shaping the way that work is done. We will look at how immersive technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), have transitioned from game-playing to serious business applications.

The emphasis will be on the business application of the technology rather than how the technology works. We will hear (and see) from pioneers in the practical application of AR and VR to solve real world business problems. There will be case studies from PwC, Severn Trent Water and the National College. The best way to understand the potential of these technologies is to actually try them out. Participants will be able to ‘immerse’ themselves in some of the AR and VR applications in our “Showcase” demonstrations from Kazendi, Cognitant, and Mbyronic.

Examples of business and operational tasks to which AR and VR bring benefits are: 

• Hands-free tasks: From engineering to medicine, the ability to access information and digital objects through AR and VR devices.  Examples: AR to enable engineers to see inside complex machinery by overlaying a design schematic. Allowing employees to check judgements, consult models or literally ‘see-through’ the problem.

• Visualisation of data, objects, projections and models: AR and VR technologies allow for visualisations of all kinds to be shared between teams within their working environment. Example: AR used to enable architects or product designers to share models with clients. 

• Improving teamwork, collaboration and communication: AR and VR have real potential to facilitate remote working and virtual team-working. Example: Team or project co-presence / virtual meeting in digital environments.

• AR and VR can provide cost-effective solutions for knowledge-intensive training on high-value assets. Example:  Virtual ‘on-the-job’ training in simulated hazardous environments.

KIN events always strive to balance academic and experiential learning. We will will start the day with a thought-provoking keynote from Dr Fridolin Wild. Fridolin has undertaken significant research into performance augmentation and enhanced learning techniques provided by Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality applications.

This workshop is not a glimpse into the future or ‘what might be’, but a practical exploration of what business and industry innovators are doing now to augment human capabilities and change the way that work is done.  But you need to experience this rather than read about it. If you're sceptical, I’m sure you'll come away more excited than you thought you would be.

KIN members can register to attend the workshop by contacting Jane at kin@wbs.ac.uk. Please register by 29^th August.

Not only, but also….

Previous KIN members (alumni) are invited to join current members on Monday 10th September from 2.30pm - 5.00pm for a guided tour of the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). WMG provides innovative solutions to industry; through research, education and collaboration. The tour will include a visit to the Manufacturing Automation Centre, where they use immersive technologies and advanced 3D imagining. We will also visit the Autonomous Vehicle development centre where we will be able to try their simulator. This will be followed by a networking dinner in the evening. KIN alumni should let Jane at kin@wbs.ac.uk know if you’d like to attend the tour and the networking dinner by 29^th August.

Thinking out of the Inbox - More Collaboration through less e-mail

A few years ago, the team I worked in was merged with two other teams. One of the first things we did was set up a team Quickplace with a Q&A forum for team communications. One particular incident sticks vividly in my mind. In response to a question I posed on the forum, I got an email reply from the director. My reply to him was along the lines of, "thank you - you know the answer and now I know the answer. The point of putting the question on the forum was so that everyone in the team should get the benefit of the answer". He never did post the answer on the forum. I guess he just didn't "get it".

I am reminded of this whenever I see articles about reducing email traffic.

Hands up everyone who gets too much email. OK, so what are you going to do about it?

Some suggestions for alternatives to email were posted on the Thought Sparks blog, 13 Good Alternatives to Email : Thought Sparks some time ago. Worth a read.

But this guy has gone one better than just reading about it and is putting some of the ideas into practice:
A Refreshing New Way of Collaborating and Sharing Knowledge - Giving up on e-mail! (Part I)
This is the first in a series of posts where he tracks his progress. This is his most recent update: Giving up on Work e-mail - Status Report on Week 13

He has gone on to put together the following presentation. (Not as snappy as 'Meet Charlie', but there are a couple of gems in there - I particularly like slides 20-23)
Next08 - Thinking out of the Inbox - More Collaboration through less e-mail (Presentation Material):

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So what have you tried to reduce the flood? (Use the comments facility to share your favourites).

To open the bidding, here are my two:

1. Started using an RSS reader so I could unsubscribe from email alerts
2. Started a Blog!