Companies are starting to understand just how useful their own information is.
Public sector clients have been buying expensive software such as
Microsoft Sharepoint for years. Then after installing it realising that their staff can't be arsed using it.
There is a core need that the majority of companies have:
1. Store internal information ranging from as simple as how to work the photocopier to their rules on booking holidays and pricing
2. Track client information, hours spent, passwords and contact details. Original tenders and spec documents.
3. To track tasks and hours, distribute and discuss documents in a collaborative environment
At the moment most firms have their internal server and store everything in a myriad of folders. They have an intranet, which is kept up to date by the IT guy and contains basic information that is usually carved in stone.
The other tasks are handled by expensive & complex CRM tools, sales and marketing staff often like it that way as it adds a certain depth to their position.
In reality most companies need a system a child could use. If every client had a page on a site and every company policy had a page.
If those pages had a simple edit button and everyone could add the latest developments then you would have a fully searchable system that the founder and the new guy could use the same way.
Add some security, password protect certain pages and bobs your uncle.
A lot of you will now know I am talking about a
wiki.
_____________________________________
But i have played about with
mediawiki (the opensource system on which wikipedia is based) and when you click edit it is far from easy to use the simple editor. Also the system just isnt fluid enough. Its for techies, lets face it.
In my search for the ideal system I look at a few possibilities and had a few requirements:
- Simple wysiwyg wiki, add page, edit page, searchable
- Ability to upload documents and discuss / versioning
- Task list for each user
- Possibly a billing system by hours for clients
- Security, security security
(Future wiki's may also have the ability to create your monthly sales reports and marketing spend reports in a fluid way, see
semantic wiki's)
First up
Basecamp from 37 signals:
Not a bad solution, it can be separated into clients also, but lacks the freedom of a wiki. Also its web based, an internal server version would be preferable. Also its on a subscription basis and can get quite pricey: If you want to manage over 100 projects its
$149 a month
Next up
confluence:
Have a look at their list of features
here
This looks like the dogs, local hosted (behind your firewall) easy to use, based around the wiki idea but with a simple interface. Whats the catch? Well its not open source, the fee for 25 users is $1200 (gulp)
So there has to be an open source Wiki, stored on an internal server with plugin like features and wysiwyg ease of use?
I think I might have found it here:
Twiki
I will have a good look at Twiki and see what I think, if anyone has experience of it let me know.
The Future?
There is a golden child that I haven't mentioned. A ridiculously easy wiki, with plugins for a lot of the needs listed. Also they where developing a server version (it was in beta).
That product was
Jotspot just as it was about to blossom, Google have picked them up.
So the server version has been canceled and while they move to the google servers you cant get a web version.
You can read about jotspot and what it can do before Googles relaunch
here. But if we leave this a few months, there may be a new powerhouse on the block, but I would bet my granny that they will want to keep your business info online..
0 comments
Leave a comment...
