Open the door to a new horizon! World Communications and Yammer’s way. Organization Name: World Communications / Yammer
Name of Contacts: Fernando Gomez, World Communications Founder, David Sacks, Yammer Founder Industry: Enterprise Social Networking, Yammer. Cross-cultural communications, World Communications Web references: Yammer, World Communications
The past
I still remember those early days of Facebook and MSN Messenger. People used to have a mix of friends, work colleagues, professional contacts, family members, and some other unknown individuals who right when you were showing your screen to a co-worker, a pop-up window would show the latest picture of your contact dancing on the beach wearing a tight swimming suit during their holidays in Mexico, surrounded by beer bottles. With the time, politically correctness and internal policies in companies made people more aware of how to interact with different platforms and how to be public on social networks. New applications or programs have been created to make a difference in how people interact and use Social Media for different purposes. Despite Facebook popularity in general, it is not the right tool to support communications with your supply chain, and thankfully developers have created new products.
Open the door to a new horizon
Few years ago companies used to spend large amounts of money creating internal networks through their IT systems, buying or building programs that they would install in networks of their suppliers or vendors. This is how they maintained a close relationship with business partners and implemented a more efficient supply chain channel.This evolved into what we now know as “Sharepoint”, just to mention one of the many similar products.
I used Sharepoint as a type of social media in the past. World Communications, the company that I manage creates communications bridges for North American companies and their offices or clients in French, English, Spanish or Portuguese speaking countries, essentially all the Americas. We do that through translation services, communications, cross-cultural and language programs and social-media strategies more related to marketing.
Often we have to work with companies that have operations in Latin America or Quebec. Those clients need to implement new systems or programs that will collect their own data globally. Typically international businesses require our services when dealing with offices or clients that speak other languages whose data is in a foreign language as well. When a business requires internal programs in locations with foreign languages, clients may need a sharepoint where employees and vendors involved have access to shared information, data and discussions. World Communications makes it possible for this information to be read and understood by all parties involved. All parties connected through one network create easier accessibility saving time and lowering the cost of the project.
I remember having a close interaction with partners during this processes and it was beneficial to have access to key employees and data from any location. This is still the beginning of one of the most efficient ways to extend your collaboration with other companies.
Present and Future of Social Media
In 2011 Ipsos revealed the following numbers in relation to Canadians and Social Networks: “Social networking is no longer the exclusive domain of youth, either. While younger online Canadians aged 18 to 34 years (86%) are the most likely to have a social networking profile, other age groups are not getting left behind, as a majority (62%) of those aged 35 to 54 now have profiles and a good portion (43%) of those 55 years and older have one too. ”Numbers based on a 2015 study conducted by Forum Research indicates that Facebook is still the top social network in Canada.
Work, Supply Chain and Social Media
When discussing work and the use of social media, many companies do not have a clear idea about how to use networks for supply chain purposes. Mixing personal profiles with professional activities, or even worse, your corporate image, principles, confidentiality and privacy issues could lead to severe risks for individuals and the company itself. Even though some companies allow their employees to communicate through social media for business purposes. People now tend to be more careful with their beach pictures and showing personal information or their latest trip to Las Vegas with their friends. Let’s keep what happens in Vegas right there and establish a professional profile on social networks and help businesses to interact with vendors or suppliers more efficiently.
In other words, using Social Media to improve your supply chain is not related to Facebook, instagram or the way you upload pictures to Flickr. Companies are using Twitter, Yammer, or Skype, which has a business platform that allows you to interact with up to 250 people at the same time among many others. Many developers are working hard in new platforms that allow enterprises to interact globally and improve the supply chain.
I would like to extend on Yammer and their capabilities, as they are a clear example about how to communicate using Social Media in a business environment or for Supply Chain purposes. This is what their website says:
- Give Your Teams A Home: Use a Yammer Group for your team to bring people, conversations, and data from different business apps all into one place.
- Easily Connect with Others in Your Organization: Loop the relevant people into conversations to facilitate teamwork.
- Extend Collaboration Beyond Your Organization: Invite external project members such as customers and vendors into Yammer conversations so they can provide input and access the information they need.
Lesson for others:
American women did not have the right to vote until August 1920 and Aboriginal women in Canada were not granted this right until 1960. Companies thought that iPhones were toys for business and gave blackberries to their executive teams. A few years later, blackberries were considered a poor option for business and iPhones have taken over the executive market. Social media was deemed dangerous and an absolute waste of time for employees in most companies. Many IT departments even blocked tools like skype and twitter from their networks. A modern company no matter what kind needs a modern strategy and social media tools to exhort their employees to communicate in a faster, more accessible, transparent and cost effective way.
Submitted By: Fernando Gomez
To contact the author of this entry please email at: Fernando@worldcommunications.ca
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