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Google Apps Customer Scenarios
Corporate intranet/dashboard
Challenges/Opportunities
- Companies need to share information across distributed employee base
- Specialized software can be cost-prohibitive for small and mid-sized companies
- On premise software requires additional hardware, IT support
- Current intranet solutions require IT help to update content (e.g. HR policies) and can be burdensome
- Need for resources frequently result in stagnant or non-existent intranets limiting communication to employees
Learn More
- Home Care Assistance built a corporate intranet to help franchisees grow their business
- Watch this tour, listen to this webinar, read this case study
- Read about the Apps-powered intranet for the City of Washington D.C.
- Hear City of Washington DC talk about its need for collaboration
- See Organic City mock-up
- New: Genentech on Google Apps
- New: Hamilton Beach (PDF) (Mar-09)
- New: TVR Communications (PDF) (Nucleus Research ROI Study) (Jan-09)
- New: JohnsonDiversey’s experience moving from Lotus Notes to Google Apps (Video)
Audiences
- Small businesses
- Mid-market companies
- Remote offices
Partner portal/secure extranet
Challenges/Opportunities
- Companies need to easily share information beyond their firewall with selected audiences
- Email cannot handle volume and diversity of information to be shared (large attachments, rich media)
- Current solutions require additional license costs for external parties to access content
- Cost of current solutions frequently inhibits ability for all parties to collaborate impacting time and cost of initiatives
Learn More
- Example: the voicesync.ca you’re reading right now!
- Board meetings, press briefings, and other ad-hoc collaboration use cases with users outside your domain
- Customer input on product direction
- Marketing collaboration with outside agencies
- Share info with contractors without requiring full license costs
Audiences
- Small businesses
- Mid-market companies
- Remote offices
- Departments: Executive office, Sales & Marketing, PR, Product
Team workspaces and internal project management
Challenges/Opportunities
- Teams today may cross departments, time zones, geographies and need a centralized “workspace” to share information and manage milestones
- “Tiger teams” or “hot topics” may demand quick, intense focus
- Email does not allow for management and others to be updated or literally “on the same page” as a team
- Information not easy to search when dispersed across team members’ desktops
- Cost of current solutions frequently inhibits ability for all parties to collaborate impacting time and cost of initiatives
Learn More
- Read about team collaboration at Genentech
- See Project Eggplant mock-up
Audiences
- Small businesses
- Mid-market companies
- Departments: engineering, research & development, product development, marketing, finance, media, tech, manufacturing
Internal training
Challenges/Opportunities
- Required to train employees on policies (e.g. anti-discrimination)
- Sales reps need timely information
- Employees may be located in distributed facilities
- Rich media makes training more compelling (vs. lengthy memo)
- Training materials often delivered at events and go out date quickly
- Dynamic training portal allows for training to be an ongoing process and not just an event
Learn More
- Hear City of Washington DC talk about use for HR training and public safety
Audiences
- Small business with distributed facilities
- Mid-market companies
- Departments: Training
Customer service and training
Challenges/Opportunities
- Companies must find ways to help customers help themselves
- Customers expect comprehensive information on the Internet
- Rich media makes training more compelling (vs. lengthy manual)
- Collaborative nature fosters input without the need to have staffing available to handle customer feedback
Learn More
- Listen to 2nd Wind Exercise talk about using Google Apps to improve customer service
Audiences
- Industries: Retail, Healthcare, Government
Client-facing engagement/project
Challenges/Opportunities
- Client engagement/ IT deployment requires collaboration across the fire wall
- Requirements / milestones need to be shared and vetted by multiple parties
- Timeframes may be compressed and changes may occur too quickly for constant email updates
- Apps provides a single source of truth minimizing confusion from multiple versions of the same content
- Information more easily shared/consumed in an ad hoc fashion and not limited to scheduled meetings
Learn More
- Templates / play books help to standardize process and ensure consistent quality
- Listen to Akeena Solar talk about using Google Apps to gather requirements for solar panels
- ERP upgrade/ Software deployment
- Data center migration
- New advertising campaign
- Financial planning
Audiences
- Departments: Sales & Marketing
- Industries: Professional services e.g. consulting, Business services, Technology, Advertising and Media
Public web site
Challenges/Opportunities
- Everyone has a website nowadays!
- Web hosting is an extra cost
- Provider reliability not certain with smaller vendors
- WYSIWYG editing allows for content creators to easily update the website
Learn More
- See Sada Systems
- See Kainos Health
- See Twin Rivers Community Care
- See Virtual Conference on Nanoscale Science and Technology
Audiences
- All
Knowledge base
Challenges/Opportunities
- Information stored electronically and in email
- More people need access but information is difficult to search
- Collaborative authoring can be hard to implement
- Previously, knowledge bases were implemented well after information was being acquired resulting in lost information or difficult migration strategies
Audiences
- All
Visual CV/employee pages
Challenges
- Subject matter experts within a company are not always discoverable by position/ title
- Career development borne by employees
- Distributing content updates to users increases culture within a company
Learn More
- See employee mock-up
Audiences
- All
Recruiting site
Challenges/Opportunities
- Localized labor markets mean unique recruiting tactics (e.g. job fairs)
- Need to highlight in-demand or specialized functions
Learn More
- See this sample from City of Washington DC
Audiences
- Departments: HR
- Industries: Government, Health & Wellness
Collaborative RFP/supplier portal
Challenges/Opportunities
- Sharing information and updates with multiple suppliers
- Requirements for transparent purchasing process
- Inclusion of Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise
- Level playing field for all suppliers
Learn More
- Hear City of Washington DC talk using Google Apps to increase transparency, improve supplier bids
Audiences
- Departments: Procurement
- Industries: Manufacturing, Government, Financial Services
